The Clark Family's Amazing Adventures

While at Sol y Lunar in Coroico a girl was bitten by a scorpion. She told us it was pretty painful and she had pain and inflammation going up into her arm, so a day or two later when I pick up Lara’s coat that we’d left on the porch overnight and feel a sharp sting in my hand, I was fairly sure it was a scorpion again…

Sure enough, when I drop it on the floor the offending creature is sitting there smirking up at me!

It’s a dangerous business being in the cloud forest. There may be plenty of oxygen in the air but there’s mosquitos, nasty biting midges and now scorpions! Don’t let it put you off though! It’s still beautiful! But if you go, do check inside your shoes and check any clothing left outside!

The girl in the office gives me some special cream and assures me it isn’t dangerous though she then calls a friend and clearly asks in Spanish if it is? After quite a long conversation she tells me I’ll be fine if I don’t get an allergic reaction… And she adds that its good I’m off to La Paz later so I can go straight to the hospital if I need to!

I head off to town down the steep dirt track hoping I won’t have a sudden seizure, but needing to get some money changed at the bank for Erika who’s staying behind in Coroico to enjoy lower altitude a bit longer!

Sleepy Coroico though the town plaza is much busier

There’s no ATM in Coroico but a couple of banks apparently do over counter cash withdrawals. The Fie bank has a security man at the door who gruffly assures me they don’t! Prodem bank is more friendly – they have waiting seats, two marked as for pregnant, disabled, elderly etc. you might have encountered seats in a bank but I bet you’ve never encountered a bank with a girl passing around sweets in a basket! If Lara had been with me she’d have been overjoyed!

Pacified and rested, I’m better ready to confront the miserable bank teller who tries to send me away till later, then explained they’ll only give money on credit not debit cards, and at a 5% charge! Oh we’ll at least I got the cash I needed eventually!

Feeling poor, I climb back up the hill saving myself a massive 25 bols (about £2.50!) in cab fare and am pleased to note still no adverse reactions to my bite.

It stings a bit in the cold swimming pool but I’ve been lucky! Nothing more!

Googling later I discover that children are much more prone to a reaction so I was pleased it was me not Lara…and some bites can result in all sorts of allergic reactions and death!
I also discover scorpions are 8 legged and related to arachnids and all sorts of other scorpion facts!

So, enough of the bites and stings, Lara and I join some other folks still buzzing from their La Paz to Coroico death road cycle trip and take a bumpy shared minibus ride back to La Paz and the luxury Aparthotel that Martin Ben and Zoe are already happily installed in. They’ve cooked, bought good wine and we all excitedly await the arrival of another gap year family who have been travelling around S America in the other direction 🙂