My day started as many. The sun was shining for a change so I tried out some macro shots, practicing for the next @marjanko macro contest this coming Sunday.

I was a little unimpressed with my results so after some breakfast decided to take a walk to the village shop to pick up some ingredients to make Pizza and maybe get some more photos. I grabbed my bag I use for camera gear and personal belongings and started getting my things together.

As I slung the strap over my shoulder the bag made contact with my bare back and I felt an intense stinging pain where it touched my skin!! I ripped the strap back off my shoulder and there I saw a big scorpion 🦂 still sitting on the back of the bag. The stinging pain was extreme. My friend, hearing my screams came running in and on seeing the scorpion moved in quickly to kill it. There are very few things that can’t be tolerated in the home but these nasty guys are on top of that short list. I grabbed an ice cube from the freezer and rubbed on the area followed by some soapy water which is also thought to help relieve the pain. It did not seem to be helping much but after five minutes I thought the pain seemed to be dissipating, so I grabbed my camera and bag and headed out to the village.

As I neared the beach I became aware of a strong tingling sensation in my lips, tongue and mouth generally. It felt very strange and very uncomfortable. I walked through the river towards the village cooling my feet in the fast running water. My hands had started tingling too, my upper arms too.

I was feeling so weird by now I stopped for a few minutes to take full awareness of what was happening to my body. The tingling feelings were getting stronger in my mouth and hands and a dizziness was coming on in my head. The sting zone on my back went one minute to not hurting to a severe stinging aching sensation the next. Friends passed on their way to surf. I could barely communicate. I felt sick, inebriated almost.

I walked on to the shop and sat outside a while. My body felt awful. All the symptoms just continued increasing in intensity. As I stood up my flip flop broke and fell off my foot. The shop didn’t sell sandals and I actually felt too confused and sick to actually buy the items I had gone for so I left again to walk home barefoot, carefully, watching out for more nasties on the ground as best I could!!

I was so thankful to get home without further incidents. All afternoon the symptoms persisted, beyond sundown and into the evening. I wondered if this is what it felt like hours after being tazered, though I hope to never find out first hand. There have been sensations of almost electric shock in my mouth though. I am hoping to wake up tomorrow feeling normal. Do keep an eye open for scorpions if you live in a part of the world where they do too. They can really ruin your day for you.

🦂

I feel inclined to end this post on a more positive note so here are a few interesting/fun facts for you. All scorpions fluoresce under ultraviolet light or natural moonlight and their venom toxin is used to treat cancer patients where the fluorescent toxin is injected into cancerous cells to reveal the boundaries of tumors.

These were taken using my Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

Namaste

Our lives become beautiful not because we are perfect but because we put our heart into what we do.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

                Jungle Divider designed by Steemit graphic artist @magiccleatus