The Trip: Quito & Puerto López

• 26 November 2009 at 18:07
• Diary, Traveling

Ada, Peter and I left the Rhiannon community and we took a fourth mate with us: Luca, a Briton with italian roots.

Then we visited Quito quickly (3 days). The first night we went, with Cheryl, Lily and Anna, met in Rhiannon, to have a drink in the Mariscal (the "trendy" area) although we wanted to go to a bar who represented more the alternative scene but it was closed. We saw the cathedral, the vivarium (we touched a boa!! but we didn't take pictures, rubbish), a gay bar (very low-profile... and they listen to Lara Fabian in spanish), and so on. We stayed in a cheap hostel, Hostal Sucre, on San Francisco square, where we met nice and crazy people. Oh, video!

We decided to go to Montañita but the way was long (10 hours) and there was some shit happening with the bus so we had to stop at Puerto López. In the end, we liked the place and we stayed there for a week. We could visit Salango island where we did some snorkeling (oh, all the little fishes in the sea!) and I wanted to test my waterproof camera and it was a bad idea because it wasn't that waterproof and it just died. 200 pounds up my arse after 3 weeks, it hurts. But hey, I managed to take that nice picture:

Our hosts, Solanda and Victor, were very nice and she cooked really well. I recommend their small hostel, very comfortable and cheap, the "Dannita". We also went for a bit in Montañita, to check it out, then we visited national parc Manchalilla: we saw iguanas, bathed in a small lagoon full of sulphur (boiled egg perfume) and at night, we slept under the stars on an amazing beach (although it's forbidden, but we left before the guards started working again, hee!!).

Yesterday, we spent the day on a nudist beach (we were the only ones, so it was nudist!) and then we left for Montañita.

• Permalink The Trip: Quito & Puerto López
• Comments The Trip: Quito & Puerto López (0)

¡Adelante!

• 30 October 2009 at 15:52
• Diary, Traveling

A black french togolese brazilian woman, a slovakian straight man and a french fag go travel to discover South America. What a combination!

We're leaving tomorrow from Heathrow. We're first stopping at Amsterdam then we get another plane flying to Quito, in Ecuador, after stopping in Lima, Peru. And I don't like flying!

Once in Ecuador, we're going to spend two weeks volunteering in a farm. It's not gonna be easy but the people seem very nice.

I'm not realising yet, despite all the preparation needed, and stuff. I think that once there, I'll be shocked!

¡Adelante!

• Permalink ¡Adelante!
• Comments ¡Adelante! (4)

The real things

• 30 October 2009 at 12:18
• Diary, Revelations

We tend to speak about everyday life and small things too much, to avoid touchy subjects, although we should always talk about the real things and broaden our perspectives to try to escape our own infernal circles. Shouldn't we?

• Permalink The real things
• Comments The real things (2)

Goodbye London
FUCK YOU TOO!

• 29 October 2009 at 17:36
• Diary, Love, sex, etc., Goodbye London

Lately, I accepted all the shit that happened without raising an eyebrow. With scabies, it was difficult but I thought it was just London's "farewell present". But this time, I can't take it anymore.

A few hours ago, I passed by the Centre Point Tower. Everytime I show friends around town, I always make sure they know that the first time I shagged in this town, it was in the building just opposite this tower, which is pretty much the centre of the town. Usually it doesn't impress them that much but I still feel kind of proud of it.

Well you know what?

The building has been destroyed. Destroyed. Erased. Annihilated.

The bastards! It's like they really want to get rid of me in every possible way.

And there's more. the tube that was supposed to take us to the airport on Saturday will be closed for engineering works. What's the point of paying £100 a month to get the Tube (only for zones 1 and 2) if it's never working?!

Well you know what, London?

FUCK YOU TOO!

Update: I've just informed the guy I had shared that moment in that building, and he told me they are going to build a big tower just there. I told him I would like it to be very big then, and he assured me there would be "a floor for each thrust". Ha, I'm gonna miss british humor.

• Permalink Goodbye London
  FUCK YOU TOO!
• Comments Goodbye London
  FUCK YOU TOO! (0)

Goodbye London
Huh?

• 29 October 2009 at 14:28
• Diary, Goodbye London

I don't realise I'm actually leaving.

I've lived here for 4 years, but it's a bit like I've always been in a temporary situation, maybe that's why it doesn't disturb me. Maybe I've never really felt at home here. I remember I got really sad when I read the horrible story of these two murdered french students here. This crime could have happened anywhere, but I though that in London, it was nearly symbolic.

I've already said I had a love-hate relationship with London. My 4 years here will have been quite a strange period actually. If I have learnt a lot, if my mind has opened up a lot, if I had a lot of fun (much more than in Paris), something was missing, I don't know what.

My biggest regret is not to have enjoyed the city more. I should have gone to the free museums more often! Visited more stuff, explored more places. London is such a huge city, there are so many areas so close and so different, and many interesting places no one has ever heard of. Even though I lived in 8 different locations, I feel I've missed quite a lot. I should have partied even more. I have the feeling I haven't enjoyed the whole potential of the city.

But I'm very glad I've lived here, and most of all, spent a big part of my youth here. It's a very good town when you're young, it offers new experiences. But I'm also very happy to go.

• Permalink Goodbye London
  Huh?
• Comments Goodbye London
  Huh? (2)

Defeating scabies

• 26 October 2009 at 18:47
• Diary

Fuck, it's really hard to get rid of scabies. But if I managed to annihilate it, so can everyone! A little advice to help you if you're infected.

1. Keeping morale

First of all, it must have hit you to learn you had scabies. I was in a quite stressful moment and under pressure, I cried, I thought it would fuck up the trip I've been preparing for months to South America, and so on. In the end, I managed to get rid of this fucking bitch of scabies, be brave!

Then, you must have thought you were dirty or that you had sex with unclean people. It's completely false: scabies affect all kinds of people. By the way, I checked with my friends and my sexual partners, nobody had it. So it's very possible that I got it during a skin or even indirect contact with some random infected person (in a queue, at the gym maybe...).

Also, you may hesitate touching your relatives or shaking hands with strangers. Usually, a handshake is okay. Hugging someone very tight for a few minutes though is risky. Not being able to touch people is something that I found very depressing, especially since it took me two months to be sure I was clean.

2. Knowing

Sarcoptes, the mite responsible for scabies, doesn't survive any longer than three days without a host, because it needs to feed with your blood.

The treatments against scabies are efficient, the problem is not to reinfect yourself by touching contaminated objects or staying with infected people that are not being treated.

When the mite is not on a human body, it stays in fabrics. It can also stay some time on pets, but not contaminate them (animals have each their own scabies, different from the human one).

The rashes are not caused by the mite itself, but by the waste left behind by females in your skin where she lays eggs (yeah, she shits inside your skin). The males stay on surface, like most other mites.

After treatment, you may still have rashes until two months later. It's normal, your skin takes time to get rid of all the shit left by the mite.

Sarcoptes have a 20-day reproduction cycle.

3. Organising

Plan a few sets of clothes (at least 4) that you haven't worn recently (at least 4 days before) that will stay with you all along the treatment. Personally, I took shirts with long sleeves and long trousers in order to avoid contact with people or objects I could have contaminated. (I also washed them before wearing them, and was washing them everyday and wearing them always in the same order.)

Wash everything you can: clothes, bedsheets, everything in the washing machine at 60 degrees minimum, as sarcoptes die at 55 (I put everything at 90!). then iron the clothes you're about to wear and insist on seams (for jeans, for example).

All that can't be washed must be hoovered and sprayed with anti-parasitic bombs (including mattresses!!). In France, there's a very efficient product called "A-PAR". In England, it doesn't exist but apparently the insecticide Raid against cockroaches works because it contains permethrin, lethal for sarcoptes, I couldn't confirm though. Mattresses must also be turned over. All cloth and bedsheet that are not washed must be put in plastic bags for at least 4 days to keep the mites inside and leave them to die. I kept everything in bags for a whole month!

Your housemates should all do the treatment with you. I live in a big house with 20 people so it wasn't possible. Only two of my closest friends did it with me. Nobody else got infected, except a friend who moved out. (That was handy!)

As a true hypocondriac, I also bought loads of gloves because I was afraid to re-infect myself with my phone, my keys, my Tube card (even though they don't normally stay on plastic stuff, just fabrics).

4. The treatment

In England, I've been prescribed permethrin. It's a cream you put on your whole body (yeah, the whole body, even the head - the doctor even told me I should shave my beard to put the cream more easily on my chin) and keep it at least 8 hours (I kept it for 12!). A single treatment should be enough, but you'd better do two as eggs are apprently more resistant. Eggs take a week to hatch, so do the treatment again a week later to destroy the newborns. These won't have time to reproduce since they have a 20-day reproduction cycle. Personally, given how paranoid I am, I did the treatment 5 weeks in a row! Some also recommend keeping the cream on you for three whole days each time (you put it again after the shower) to avoid re-infection but it hasn't been necessary for me.

In France, another treatment is available, said to be very efficient: ivermectin. This medicine is pills that you swallow (dosage depends on your weight) and containing ivermectine, a powerful anti-parasitic product that goes in your blood and poison the mites who are going to agonise, suffer a lot and die. The treatment is 100% efficient 12 hours after ingestion and for three days. Then, its power starts decreasing. that's why it's very efficient: since it acts for 3 days, there are few risks you may get contaminated again with contaminated objects, even though you should still wash and desinfect everything. You should repeat the treatment two weeks later but it's usually unnecessary (but I did it anyway!).

The best, I guess, is to do both treatments at the same time.

5. Keeping up

It may take a long time before you can tell you got rid of it. It took me two months, especially because I'm paranoid. If you're unsure, feel free to repeat the treatment and wash everything again, and stuff. It's very tiring but it's worth it. You don't wanna live like a recluse all your life. Feel free to harass your doctor all the time if you have doubts, or even check with a dermatologist.

Bon courage, chin up and keep cool!

• Permalink Defeating scabies
• Comments Defeating scabies (9)

Goodbye London
Souvenirs

• 23 October 2009 at 10:55
• Diary

A non-exhaustive list of my strongest moments in London:

• The pre-interview at Caffé Néro: honestly, beating 6 people at it although I had never used a coffee machine before was a true exploit.
• The secretary moment
• The Soulwax night
• My first one-night stand in London
• The war against the shit landlord
• Vicky
• The dreadful pleasure
• G20
• Wonderland (I & II)

• Permalink Goodbye London
  Souvenirs
• Comments Goodbye London
  Souvenirs (0)

How to lose your dignity at work
Act 4: SCABIES

• 14 October 2009 at 15:49
• Diary, How to lose your dignity at work

Still, having scabies makes you feel so ashamed. When I got diagnosed, I had to tell at work. I was standing in front of everyone (we were few, it was summer) and I said:

I have something to tell you, so, yeah, I've got scabies. Don't worry, the doctors say it's not that contagious, just avoid touching me or using my computer. Apart from that, it should be alright!

I was blushing of shame. One of my colleagues asked:

What's that, scabies?

I had to explain everything, the little mite that lives under the skin, that you get through skin contact but not through a handshake, rather through sexual intercouse, and stuff. The more details I was giving, the weirder they looked at me. I felt compelled to add:

The docteur assured me that it affects everybody, every population category, and that I shouldn't feel bad or anything because of it.

It doesn't change anything to the fact that I've definitely lost my dignity at work!

• Permalink How to lose your dignity at work
  Act 4: SCABIES
• Comments How to lose your dignity at work
  Act 4: SCABIES (4)

The Human Crisis

• 12 October 2009 at 19:24
• Diary

Hey, pictures of me at the "Put People First" march to welcome the G20!!

Image credits: YesYesNoNo

Image credits: YesYesNoNo

That's a really good picture-souvenir of London!

• Permalink The Human Crisis
• Comments The Human Crisis (2)