In the Shadows

So upon our return to the lodge after our numerous hikes, we made a quick dinner, sipped some whiskey and prepared for an early bedtime. Everyone was doing their normal pre-bedtime routines. I was putting out the fire and brushing my teeth, Sanne cleaning her face, Arjan starting to clean up the dishes and Eric went off to use the bathroom. The shifts changed and I went to use the bathroom when I lifted up the seat and noticed this guy not a foot from me. I called everyone else in to see it and Eric gave one of his notorious yell/laugh/screams realizing that this thing had been right by his face when we was in the dark using the toliet. Pictures never really give an accurate indication of size. This spider was the size of my hand roughly 7 inches in diameter. It moved quick like a wolf spider but had visible fangs and big glowing eyes.

I wouldn´t say that we were a bunch of gringos suffering from Arachnophobia, but not one of us would get a good night´s sleep knowing that these beasts were crawling around our heads at night. Infact our guides said that these particular spiders like to bite into your lips at night. Yeah. Not having it. The straw that broke the camel´s back was when I discovered one on my bunk bed post inches from my pillow. We would sleep until every one on the building was dealt with.

Arjan, Eric and I proceeded to search the rest of the lodge for these spiders. Shining out headlamps in the rooms, we would spot them from the glow of their eyes or from their dark, hairy, large sized body standing out from the white drywall. Armed with wasp spray and a long handled broom we circled the lodge and hunted every room for an hour and a half killing over thirty of these things. Confirmation of success wasn´t guaranteed until Arjan made them crunch under his boot. That night we all dreamed of big spiders chasing us. Luckily we awoke still in one piece without a scratch. A close call avoided.