Jaunted

Tags: Animals / Strange Things / Airport Security / → All Tags

Croatian Misunderstands Chameleons

With the amount of reptile smuggling going on in the world at the moment, you'd really better check your neighbor for wriggling slimy things on your next flight. This week a Croatian man nearly got away with importing 175 chameleons from Thailand, but he got caught in Croatia's capital, Zagreb.

This clever Croatian guy bought the chameleons for about $150 in Bangkok, and was assured that he wouldn't get caught because they could change their color to fit any situation. Customs officials would never see them.

Two problems: some started wriggling and officials wondered why his bag was moving; plus their magical abilities were also in question:

The chameleons were dehydrated and distressed from the flight, and as a result had lost their ability to change colour.

The guy had hoped to resell them (market value in Europe: around $200,000), but he's been charged instead, and should spend some time learning up on biology before his next trip.

[Photo: wgdavis]

Related Stories:
· Croatia Stops Smuggling 175 Chameleons [UPI]
· Travelin' With Crocs [Jaunted]

Tags: Croatia / museums / → All Tags

Break Your Heart This Summer

We've already suggested that parts of Croatia are ideal for a summer vacation or at least a fancy cocktail, but now even more cultural aspects are getting our attention. In particular, we're thinking of the Museum of Broken Hearts which opened in Zagreb earlier this year.

Needless to say, it's the first of its kind, and features memorabilia from soured relationships, like broken engagement rings (the engagement, not the actual ring), love letters, mix CDs and empty wine bottles from those sorrow-drowning recovery times. What, no empty ice cream containers?

But if you're not soaking up Croatian sun this summer, don't worry: Broken Hearts might come near you. The museum founders have just announced a world tour that's likely to take in Istanbul, London and Paris, just for starters. Wallowing in other people's sorrows is just what we want to do on holidays.

Related stories:
Broken Hearts On Tour [All Headline News]