3 Plagues

I have somehow angered the gods, and they have lashed out against me by sending three plagues my way. 

First came the bats.  I moved out of the room I had been sharing with a coworker last week and settled in to one of the rooms in the hostel.  My first (and only) night in that room was a long one.  I finished work at midnight, organized my room a bit, and laid down for a good night sleep.  Just as I was drifting off, I heard noises in the "attic" above the closet - wings flapping and a high-pitched whistle.  To be fair, I knew that at one point there had been bats in a neighboring room, but I thought the problem was resolved.  I laid in bed until 4 am listening to the bats and fearing that there was a tiny hole that would allow them to come down into the room.  I put a towel over my head because I had a vague recollection of an urban myth that bats like to nest in people's hair.  I took a second melatonin.  Finally I fell asleep, but woke up several times and was NOT well rested in the morning.  I have since changed rooms.

Second came the caterpillar.  While I was at the Salto Encantado I suddenly felt a burning sensation on my inner arm, similar to that of stinging nettles.  I looked down, and on my shirt was a hairy caterpillar that my arm had brushed against.  I got a stick and flicked it off, but even after that if my arm touched my shirt it stung me.  Now, two days later, I still have little welts that burn.

Third came the chigoe flea.  Prior to having one burrow into my foot and lay eggs I had no idea what this was.  Now I am much more familiar with this tiny bug.  Before leaving for my little trip on Wednesday I had noticed that I had a small blister-like bump on the bottom of my foot with a black dot in the center and white puss around it.  Having been in Mozambique for a few years, I was familiar with the concept of bugs laying eggs in your skin, and even though I was lucky enough to not personally experience that there, I was pretty sure that's what this was.  I monitored it on my trip, and when I got back I showed it to Martin, who confirmed that it was a "pique."  To remove it you take a needle and open the bubble, squeeze out the eggs, and then use tweezers to pluck out the flea.  This hurts a lot less than it sounds like, despite leaving a little hole at the end.  We put disinfectant on it, and I've been monitoring it and putting alcohol on it too.  Unfortunately, the pictures I took of this ordeal didn't turn out well, otherwise I would give you all a visual accompaniment.