Have Scabies, Will Travel...

Yes, it´s true, the little red welts on my arms, neck and stomach, mixed with an ¨all-over itch¨ confirm that I have scabies. Unfortunately, this realization came at an inopportune time as I am traveling in Tegucigalpa to renew my visa, staying with friends and reusing itchy clothing :P Because today turned out to be a national holiday and the immigration office was closed, I headed to the mall while waiting for friends to finish school. The moment of truth came while trying on clothes in an upscale mall in Teguc... I saw the welts. Before this point I thought just maybe it was mosquito bites, but no! I took off the clothes that I would not buy and prayed no one else did either (SORRY!) and headed straight to the nearest pharmacy.

Mall Multiplaza in Tegucigalpa

I know what you are thinking: Scabies, really?? ewww...

While not so common in the U.S., scabies, is incredibly common here in Honduras (so much so that is commonly referred to as ¨the itch¨). It is more or less a mite that apparently has amazing jumping clearance to hop from person to person in record speed. The good news is, that once you know what you´re dealing with... it is fairly easy to get rid of. In my case, I bought a $2 bottle of ¨scabicide¨ lotion and a bar of antibacterial soap. Mom and dad, you can find more info here: www.medicinenet.com/scabies/article.htm

Scabacide lotion and antibacterial soap, my weapons in the war against mites

Luckily, the friends that I am staying with were kind to lend me some mite free clothing; however, they are all half my size! :) I couldn´t help but laugh at the situation unfolding, Blanca pulling clothes out of her dresser and holding them up and me saying, too small. She found some scrubs (is in med school) and a stretchy t-shirt that I will wear to the immigration office tomorrow(!) and on the bus back to Orocuina. When I get home, all of my clothes and sheets will be boiled and washed and I´ll pull my mattress and hammack into the sun for a day. For now, I´m a little chilly but much less itchy in my new clothes... this has definitely been my most interesting trip to Tegucigalpa thus far!

Blanca and I, in Blanca´s clothing