Friday, June 28, 2013

Sand Fleas: How I Deal with Them & other Tips

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2013
zipolita@gmail.com
http://zipolitazstudioz.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita

So a friend of mine was at the beach and he was going crazy. I know because I saw the 4am post on his Facebook page. It was the sandfleas, he was having a terrible time. He said they were attacking his feet and he couldn't sleep. He also said he thought he might be allergic.

I understand totally. I have this same problem.

Many years ago now, I went out to dinner and we were sitting at a table right on the beach, watching the sun go down and that's when I started getting bit. I had forgot to put any thing on to prevent bites as I had just arrived that day.  Someone had invited me and so I couldn't just leave. I kept getting bit all thru dinner. I was horrible. As soon as dinner was over I said goodbye and made a fast get away.  The next day my legs we covered. I was awful. I had huge welts. I looked like I had the chicken poxs on my legs.

Oh my god, it was so itchy. I kept covering my legs with lavender and calamine and everything I could think of. I survived...but now I am highly allergic to all bites it seems.

When we are in Mexico I get bit, and I itch and it swells but I have some tricks for sand fleas. And this is what I share with my friend the other day.

Amigo, hi, you may want to get an enclosed room, that will help a lot. Where we stay in Zipolite at .... it's basically enclosed, no palapa roof, and I have a broom and I am constantly sweeping and cleaning my room as the sand tracks in so easily and the sand flies get you.

I also wash the floor often and spray it with my oils.

Once I stupidly lit incense and filled a bottle with sand to put it in without it falling over...then brought it inside. Dumb, dumb,dumb!! I couldn't figure out why I was being bit so bad all of a sudden.

I put a towel by the door at night along the crack at the bottom and where there was a crack in the window Angel and I stuffed toilet paper.

Sand fleas are a real issue for me. That's why I start to panic when I run out of lavender and citronella and eucalyptus. Always carry Benadryl.

Sometimes you just end up with a 3 or 4 bites and they make you crazy. Benadryl in a pill form will make you sleep and next day the bites will not be itchy or at least bareable.

The cream does not work. If you don't address it at that stage they can get infected.

The first year Angel broke out very bad with little blisters..if you get a blister, what ever you do, do not pop it, the fluid inside will spread and you will get more. It's nasty.

I was lucky this last time and before I left I got a bottle with like 100 pills Bendryl for $15 and I was helping out a lot of people. They would tell me what happened and I would ask them if they wanted to try it and later they'd thank me so much.

 Just google sand fleas to read up on them more. The usually feed on what ever is with in 10 feet. They are in the sand and it's so easy to track it into your room, bed, etc.

So these are my tips, I go as natural as I can but because I am highly allergic I have to take action sometimes with the Bendryl, I try to avoid it at all cost but it's a necessary evil I guess.

I also take it for bee and wasp stings, which has happened to me also and I swell up horribly and it's very painful. Twice I have stepped on them with barefeet at pools... they are drinking the water in puddles from when you get in and out...so watch out!! I could barely walk for days until I gave in and took the Benadryl.

For mosquitos, sandfleas & heat rash here is the other advice I gave

I use citronella. I put 10 drops in a little bottle and spray myself when ever, especially at dusk...the worse time. I also put a dab of lavender oil every time I get a bite until it feels better. Lavender oil mixed with water helps with the heat rash too. 

Photos by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita © 2013


I carry those everywhere I go. But I remember being there at the end of May once and out of lavender and seriously wanted to go home because of the heat rash. http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/2011/03/essential-oils-where-they-come-from.html at the bottom of this page is a great book, it's my bible. You should definitely read it

The book I'm referring to is 
Valerie Worwood's "The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy"


Thursday, June 20, 2013

San Cristobal Las Casas Videos #1, #2 & #3

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2013
zipolita@gmail.com
http://zipolitazstudioz.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+


I was going thru some videos and I started watching these. They are of San Cristobal las Casas in Mexico. We were there in January 2013. We were there for such a short time, I wanted to spend more but we just couldn't.  Anyways I thought I'd share these with you again.








Monday, June 17, 2013

I could Win a Apt in New York for a Year!!

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2013
zipolita@gmail.com
http://zipolitazstudioz.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+


Please support me and I could win the most amazing things!! Like an apt in New York for a year...or have my work project up on a building or $25000. Please visit this link and support me. Thank you. You can support me for as little as a dollar!!

 https://zipolita.see.me/



Here's how it works 
9 Supports-eligible for a life changing Grand Prize.
19 Supports- featured in a See Me Facebook gallery seen by thousands.
99 Supports-Get your work featured in a massive public projection.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Mystico Fantastico- THE MOVIE!! :D

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2013
zipolita@gmail.com
http://zipolitazstudioz.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+

A Special Treat for you today! This was filmed the first year I took Angel to Zipolite. I only just saw the whole film now. It is really cool to see Zipolite like this. So much fun!! Check it out.

It's just over an hour, so grab a cerveza and chips and enjoy. HAPPY FRIDAY!!


Tuesday, June 4, 2013

R.I.P Jamaica Jerry- You Party Animal :D

Blog post by Tina Winterlik © 2013
zipolita@gmail.com
http://zipolitazstudioz.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/zipolita @zipolita
http://gplus.to/zipolita Google+

Yesterday we got some really sad news. Our friend Jamaica Jerry had passed away on his way home from Zipolite to California.

We met Jerry in 2008 when I took Angel to Mexico for the first time. She was just 6. He told me how he was a retired school teacher and he would ask her little questions to see how she was doing...especially knowing she was being homeschooled.

We all stayed at Posada Esmeralda that year for a while and so we saw him on a regular basis. Later the next year we would run into him here and there and we always followed his posts on Facebook where the man had a gazillion photos. He was always doing this. Giving the thumbs up. :D


This photo was taken at 3 de Diciembre this year. It was Jerry's first night back in Zipolite and he had great timing because it was their 20th Anniversary and I was doing the photography. We had a table and Jerry sat and had a pozole.

After that we kept running into him here and there... Jerry commented that it was odd how everytime he would arrive back in Zipo from being in P.E. or from where ever Angel and I would somehow be there.

When we went to Orale Cafe, Jerry would show up. Funny little encounters ...like maybe God was connecting us because he knew he would be bringing Jerry home soon. :(

Tears are coming right now so it's hard to type.

....

Anyways, on New Year's Day, Angel and I went for nice meal at Orale, it was a special meat pie - and it's a tradition served in Montreal. This day Jerry was there and because it was very busy and we had got a table, Jerry came and sat with us. We had a nice visit and talked about a lot of things. We took photos of the food. Jerry loved to show off the lovely meals at Orale.

And I having made a website and videos for Orale was making a new one...but my camera was acting up. Jerry said his good one had bit the dust too. I am so glad I have this video, I wish I had more.



We all had a really nice time and I am so glad because I have that special memory. Angel is very sad, we both cried alot last night.

Jerry was always so cheerful. He was always busy going somewhere  on his bike but would stop and chat.

He loved his dog, Oso. Poor Oso, he's going to wonder what happened to Jerry. :( but maybe he knows...dogs are smart about these things.



Somehow I feel it's all a mistake...a bad Facebook rumour...that's what I thought at first.

His last post was this.  "Adios Mexico"



I had seen Jerry's post saying he  was coming home.

So I wrote :
Hey Jerry, have a safe trip home. I always cry when I leave Mexico and I feel a little teary just watching you. Silly! Safe Travels amigo Besos y abrazos Tina y Angel 

So you can imaging the shock when later I saw this

"I just got the shocking news that Jamaica Jerry died of a heart attack on his way back to CA from Zipolite... I've had the pleasure of being his friend for 7 years, hung out with him at his home in Santa Cruz, at Burning Man, and on bike ri...See More
— with Jamaica Jerry.


One of the last posts Jerry had shared and I had reshared was this. And it was so true of Jerry.

He loved Burning Man. I remember he shared this with us. And it has made us laugh and smile so much. 
 



The man was a party animal that loved life and traveled and shared so much in Facebook. I can not believe how many photos there are of him. Truly amazing.



Well Jerry, it's time to say Good bye, but you are not forgotten and I am sure we will see your spirit in Zipolite. R.I.P.

Cheers!! Saludos!! Besos y Abrazos! Tina y Angel

New Year's Day 2013 at Orale Cafe

Jerry and Angel on New Year's Day 2013 at Orale Cafe