Around 5p.m. each everning, "the bugs" come out and unless you are well prepared with "Off!" spray or some form of deet protection, you are pretty much at the mercy of scratching, and slappying your arm, legs, head...etc. A Belizean cabby told me that it had been years since he can remember being bit by a mosquito. "Our mosquitos tend to like tourists' flesh," he said giving a hardy laugh. I have used "Repel: Sportsmen Max" insect prepellant with 40% Deet. Dr. Gary Wheeler, a Class II graduate who did his IPSP in Belize last summer, warned me about the nagging bugs and encouraged me to take along deet protection. What he did not tell me was... that the pesky bugs become immuned (it appears) to the deet and your flesh is left to their mercy!! My legs and arms are dotted everywhere with red marks. A particular bug that bites leaves a small little hole that incessantly requires you to rub or scratch for relief, which then leaves a scab. I have too many of those to even complain about now.
When I look back on this IPSP, one of the things I will not look back on fondly is the nightly "bug attacks." Many times my sleep is interrupted by the discomfort of the need to scratch and scratch and scratch. Well, only 4 more weeks of scratching left (I guess)! and this will be a distant memory (hopefully).
In the evenings, the city of Dangriga has a truck that roams the streets squirting out repellant spray into the air. That happens about twice a week. On those days, I don't itch as much.
I guess its understandable living near the sea in an impoverished community that really does not have the best of drainage systems. When it rains (and we are in the "rainy season" here so it rains quite often this time of year), water puddles up in yards, on the street and everywhere. That becomes a breeding ground for itching and slapping and scratching and PAIN!!
Thankfully we have fans where I can sleep under the sheet and still stay cool while guarding against those pesky mosquitos tearing my legs to pieces all night!!
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4 comments:
Idonia: It was a pleasure meeting you at Barton Library and reading about your experiences in Belize.
An Arkansan complaining about mosquitoes? It must be bad there. LOL. I'm heading to some less developed parts of Argentina for a few days, so I guess I should be on the lookout.
GDK
P.S.- Please find my dad a courtroom.
Geoffrey......the pain of these bites are nothing to compare to the wimpy mosquitos in Arkansas! LOL. Hey, maybe dad can have court the old fashion way....on the steps of the city hall. That sounds cool. We'll call it, Judge Kearney's "Open Court". Maybe he'll get a t.v. show out of it. For sure an article in the PB Commercial. LOL. Have fun and will see ya in a few weeks.
Mindy, what a pleasure visiting with you too! Thanks for your help also. Idonia
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