For the record, I came away from Coroico with 30 bites on my left arm, and about 20 on my right. It is no exaggeration. They are very itchy bites as well, swelly and pink and big and ugly. People see my arm and cringe away.
So I decided to escape the madness of La Paz and head to Coroico, a nearby town. Most people go via the Death Road on bikes, but being unable to ride I took the bus on the alternate road. The views were amazing. The whole land seems immersed in clouds with lush hills and squiggly rivers.
The town itself isn´t much, pretty, and very hilly. I had hoped to rock up and join a tour group, but turns out they mostly leave in the morning. Instead I hired a private guide for 3 hours, and we walked around the country looking at the various plantations. He must`ve told me about 50 plants but I only really understand something about 15 or so (it was all in Spanish). Here´s some of the stuff I remember seeing/hearing about; bananas, various species; mango trees, fruits in season in a couple of months; papayas, some massive green ones, again, not in season; mulberries; orchids; mandarins, we ate some as we walked; lots of coca plants, secretly took some photos, it`s not permitted; coffee, tasted some berries, very sweet; plants for tea; plants for healing; diuretic plants; plants to counter-act the effects of stimulants; plants to heal other plants ...
The insects that moved me most were tiny little yellow and green things. Occasionally I would look down on my arm and see a few perched there, as if for a ride. Later I realise they were sucking my blood and injecting me with poison. Stupid bugs. I`ve used about half a tub of Savlon cream.
The ride back on the bus was interesting. It was in the dark, in dense clouds, with condensed windows, going pretty fast, on an old rickety minibus full of people.
