I am on the East Cape of Baja, sharing an off the grid beach bungalow with a family of geckos. My illusive gecko friends chirp loudly to each other during the night; startlingly loud but delightful bursts of greeting, presumably to their mates. Their calls wake me from my dreams and I lie still in anticipation of the responding call that frequently, but not always, resonate back in the dark. I have yet to see my noisy housemates but when they sound off during the day, I tiptoe towards the sound, gently lift a straw hat or peer behind a row of books on the upper shelf, looking for a gecko or the flash of a disappearing one. This morning, Art spotted one in the garage and corralled it gently in his cupped hands. He called to me but by the time I had scurried down to see it, the gecko had slipped through his fingers and vanished.
Baja House Gecko
Baja House Gecko
We have very few insects in our house thanks to the efficient work of the geckos however each time we visit, I must sweep and clean away the gecko droppings that accumulate. Nevertheless I am delighted and grateful that the geckos allow us to visit their house from time to time, sing to us in the night and keep control of the insect population.
Perhaps my favorite gecko experience was six years ago when Art, John and I traveled to Indonesia. After an upscale week in Ubud Bali, our desire was to visit the Komodo Dragons and in doing so our family shared a week’s adventure to Flores, Rinca and the Komodo Islands. Our accommodations were simple, often without hot water and only sporadic electricity but to date, this was the most memorable trip of my lifetime. Art was not as amused by the lack of amenities as John and I, but each night, John and I would entertain ourselves by watching the “Gecko Channel.” We ate our simple meals in local outdoor restaurants with either bare bulbs or a row of florescent lights illuminating the interior. The insects swarmed and the geckos gathered on the ceilings around the lights. The geckos would wait patiently, creeping stealthily forward on sticky feet and stalking the juicy bugs. With an invisible flick of a tongue, insects would meet their demise. As we waited for our meal we would watch the life and death drama of the hunt going on above us, hoping that no added protein would drop onto our plates. I would trade the best night of television or any award winning movie to watch the “Gecko Channel.”
Here is the link to our Gecko themed jewelry.