Well day 70 of my journey proved to be filled with some amount of pain and good news. I was doing my usual swim this afternoon when I became tangled with a Portugese man of war, they are like a blue bubble jelly fish with strings that extend 20 to 25 feet in the water. I never saw it and became entangled with it. The pain starts right away and the string was around my back and neck and I managed to get clear of it and swim to shore. Being of the male variety I don't do pain very well and my neck, back and fingers were stinging like crazy. Getting back to my towel I decided to walk the few hundreds yards into town where I knew there was a pharmacy with a doctor. On arrival there I was told to wait in the doctor's waiting room and after about five minutes she saw me. First of all I told her that I only had a little money on me and what had happened to me. She examined me and took my vitals signs and wrote out two prescriptions for me and told me I could come back later and pay. I went home showered and applied the ointment and took the pills and the pain eased.

It is now 6 hours later and I am completely well a little pain on my back and some sting marks but nothing else. The cost for the doctor's examination, pills and cream was 40 dollars which I went in to pay this evening. Only in Mexico what great care I received.

I am parked in the drive way of a friend's apartment and leave tomorrow for Puerto Vallarta and really think I was lucky as the stings could have been much worse and the treatment was first classs, blessings..

Portuguese Man o' War
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This article is about the marine invertebrate. For other uses, see Man O' War.
Portuguese Man O' War


Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Cnidaria

Class: Hydrozoa

Order: Siphonophora

Family: Physaliidae

Genus: Physalia

Species: P. physalis


Binomial name
Physalia physalis
(Linnaeus, 1758)
The Portuguese Man O' War (Physalia physalis), also known as the bluebubble, bluebottle or the man-of-war, is commonly thought of as a jellyfish but is actually a siphonophore—a colony of specialized polyps and medusoids.[1]

A similar group of animals are the chondrophores.

Contents [hide]
1 Structure
2 Venom
3 Predators
4 Etymology
5 Footnotes
6 External links
7 Gallery



[edit] Structure
The Man O' War's float is bilaterally symmetrical with the tentacles at one end, while the chondrophores are radially symmetrical with the sail at an angle. Also, the Man O' War has a siphon, while the chondrophores do not.

The Portuguese Man O' War has an air bladder, known as the pneumatophore or sail, that allows it to float on the surface of the ocean. It has no means of propulsion and is pushed by the winds and the current. The sail is filled with air, but may build up a high concentration of carbon dioxide (up to 90%). The bladder must stay wet to ensure survival; every so often it may roll slightly to wet the surface of the float. To escape a surface attack, the pneumatophore can be deflated allowing the Man O' War to briefly submerge.

Below the main body dangle long tentacles, sometimes reaching ten meters (33 feet) in length below the surface, although one meter (three feet) is the average. They sting and kill small sea creatures such as small fish and shrimp using venom-filled nematocysts then draw the prey in to the gastrozooids, another type of polyp that surrounds and digest it. Gonozooids are responsible for reproduction.


[edit] Venom
The sting from the tentacles is dangerous to humans. These stings usually cause excruciating pain, and have even been the cause of several deaths. Detached tentacles and specimens which wash up on shore can sting just as painfully as the intact creature in the water for weeks after their detachment. The venom can travel up to the lymph nodes and may cause, depending on the amount of venom, more intense pain. Medical attention is usually necessary, especially in extreme cases. And will likely be the most painful experiance of your life.

Research suggests that the best treatment for a sting is to apply hot water (45°C/113°F) to the affected area, which eases the pain of a sting by denaturing the toxins.[2] Ice is also effective at suppressing the pain through reducing the activity of the toxins and reducing the sensation and therefore pain of the area of skin around the ice. Additionally, ice constricts blood vessels, reducing the speed at which the venom travels to other parts of the body.

The Portuguese Man O' War is often confused with a jellyfish, which is incorrect and may lead to improper treatment of stings, as the venom is different. A second sting may lead to an allergic reaction.

Had a bit of a lazy morning having breakfast and reading a newspaper from cover to cover. Did some small chores, took my laundry to the Lavenderia and then went to the Wednesday market in Melaque. On the way saw workers re-roofing the small Anglican Church with new palm leaves, amazing how fast they work.

These markets are pretty much the same in each town lots of junkie type stuff but also some awesome fruit, this morning I bought strawberries (of course) tomatoes and bananas.

Then came and spent the afternoon on the beach and stayed on to take photos of the sunset. The pelicans here are neat they fly around close to the ocean edge then swoop from about 30 feet head first into the ocean and come up and you can see them swallowing so I presume most times they catch a fish, they are fun to watch, not I guess if you are a fish!!

A quiet evening getting everything packed away it has been nice again to stay in one place for a while especially when it is so beautiful. I leave the campground tomorrow but will over night in town; I have found a small side street to stay and then Friday head up to P.V.

Will post when I can and I want to wish you all a great February and blessings to all..

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

I had trouble getting on the Internet yesterday so this post and photos are from yesterday.

This area consists or two small towns one at either end of a crescent shaped beach, Melaque and Barra de Navidad. Barra is smaller and quieter and those photos of the pier and surfers are taken there. Also this is the site of the Grand Bay hotel, a very upscale complex.

Melaque is more hustle and bustle, dusty streets and more stores and depending on whom you talk to as to which one is best, they are both so different. It is possible to walk from one of the beach to the other and I try and do that most days it is probably just over 2 miles one way. It is quite hard walking as the sand is very soft and quite a slope down to the water, also the waves tend to crash in close to the shore so to avoid getting zonked you need to swim a little ways past them.

In just about the middle of the walk is a bird and crocodile sanctuary and I don’t know if the danger sign is a true warning or just meant to keep you away as yet I haven’t seen a croc!!

Tomorrow is my last day here and I have enjoyed the rest and relaxation, working on my tan and swimming.

On Friday morning I am going north about 4 hour’s drive to Puerto Vallarta to pick up my goof friend Larry who is flying in from Kelowna. He is staying in another beach town another hour north of P.V. for a month and his wife Gail will join him in two weeks. I plan to stay a couple of days and then unfortunately I have to back track on the same highway back down south as I start my journey south heading for the Yucatan.

Hope you have a great day..

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

 

On the way to pick up my friend's for the bike ride came across this school assembly. The kids were so smartly dressed and very happy to wave to me.

After the ride I stop at my favourite bakery here the story is all the staff are so interested in my soccer shirts I have to go in everyday with a different soccer shirt from a different country, tomorrow I promised them my shirt from Thailand!!!

Beach bum this afternoon and as I have promised not to mention the weather I won't but I did swim and sunbathe!!

 
 
 
 
These photos were taken on a long bike ride I took with friends this morning. We were completely off the beaten track when we came across the cemetery and then when I say in the middle of no where I mean in the middle of no where came this guy on a motor bike selling ice cream!! So crazy, never had ice cream tasted so great. The man was so funny when I paid for the ice cream I gave him a great tip to which he replied,"Senior muchas thankyous!!" Only in Mexico!!

 
 
 
 

I realize that many of you will have no interest whatsoever in this story below but please placate me.

Sheffield United is the football club of my dreams the one I wanted to play for as a youngster and in recent years they have not fared too well. Today they played and won a huge cup match against a team from a higher division. So for today there is much joy in being a BLADES fan!!!!

I hope my brother and nephew read this and then weep!!!!!!

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Sport feeds | Last Updated: Sunday, 27 January 2008, 18:03 GMT

E-mail this to a friend Printable version

Sheff Utd 2-1 Man City
By Sarah Holt



Shelton and Stead celebrate as they earn Sheffield United the win

Sheffield United knocked Manchester City out of the FA Cup to leave only six Premier League sides in the hat for Monday's fifth-round draw.

The Championship side took the lead when Luton Shelton netted after Michael Ball was seemingly wrong-footed by the ball bobbling off a balloon in the box.

City's Emile Mpenza and Elano both went close before Jon Stead knocked in Derek Geary's cross for United's second.

Substitute Daniel Sturridge volleyed a goal back but the hosts hung on.


Interview: Sheffield United boss Brian Robson
Interview: Man City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson

Man City's travelling band of fans may have unwittingly had a hand in Shelton's opener.

A clutch of balloons littered City's goalmouth and when Lee Martin, on loan from Manchester United, crossed to Shelton, the ball momentarily got lost among them, leaving defender Ball bamboozled.

Shelton managed to keep his eye on the ball and stabbed it home to pumped fists of praise from under-pressure manager Bryan Robson.

606: DEBATE
City's striker pairing of Vassell and Mpenza is just awful

U

The balloons were quickly burst, and City pressed forward in search of the equaliser.

Mpenza headed over from eight yards and Elano had two good chances; first rattling the post with his right-footed effort before seeing his free-kick from 25 yards clawed away brilliantly by Paddy Kenny .

Despite City's dominance another well-worked break brought the Blades their second goal.

Geary broke for the right-hand corner, and turned in a cross which first found Shelton before Jon Stead slotted it beyond Joe Hart.

The match, though tipped in favour of United, settled into an exciting see-saw of attack and counter-attack.

Martin Petrov was denied by a timely challenge from Leigh Bromby while Stephen Quinn blocked Darius Vassell's shot.

Kenny then flapped at a Vedran Corluka corner and Richard Dunne almost took advantage only for the ball to fly wide as United held firm.


City keeper Hart bursts the balloons after United's opener

City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson made an inspired switch at half-time replacing the increasingly wild Elano with highly-rated striker Sturridge.

Within two minutes, the teenager found himself unmarked and able to rifle home Petrov's corner for his first senior goal for City.

The play continued to swing pulsatingly from end to end. City were forced to make some desperate tackles but Martin failed to find reward from the resulting free-kicks.

Quinn headed Geary's cross just wide as the Blades harried away at City, and it looked as though Eriksson's men were running out of ideas.

With every City attack, United were ready to respond with some stout defending before punting the ball down field on the break.

Shelton found himself on course for a second only for his shot to be blocked after Vassell had fumbled the ball at the other end.

Dunne rose well to collect Petrov's free-kick but headed wide before Kenny saved from the hard-working Vassell.

Substitute Geovanni scooped the ball high and wide as City drove at the Blades defence and the home side's Billy Sharp did likewise at the other end.

United never gave up and after four minutes of added time the Championship side completed their upset, claiming the 14th Premier League scalp in this season's FA Cup.

 
 
 
 
The good news for me is that I am no longer on intimate terms with my new friend from yesterday!!!!

Sunday so it has to be soccer day!

Went with a couple of friends to the next town, Cihuatlan, where there was a big soccer game being played. Before the game walked the town and the church here is very beautiful.

The game was extremely entertaining lots of goals and incidents it was a professional league and the skill level was high. The stadium very well kept and the field in excellant condition and a crowd of about 2000. Just a good day!!