Cockroach, and Spiders, and Reptiles oh my!!

you people have NO idea!!!!!

We came to Bangkok about 5 days ago, and I have been reveling in or enclosed room. On the islands sharing your time with nature was another story. Remember those wretched Manali spiders I told you about that made me shriek like Carrie Bradshaw...well Thailand just might have India beat!!!

On both Kho Toa and Kho Phangan we spent or nights in our "cozy" bungalows. By cozy I mean, very small square wooded boxes fitting often a set of springs clutching my spine mattress, a mosquito net, a fan to whip around that hot moist air, and if we were lucky a bathroom inside, or unlucky we had to go outside to the strange squat toilet. The bungalows look cute till you actually have to stay in them and you realize you are actually not protected from the elements {hence there is no sealed wall, ceiling, door or window}, and especially not from the bugs.

Our first encounter with cockroaches here blew my mind. I have never seen bigger winged devil bugs ever!!!!! These things were huge and scuttle so quick that my screech could not keep up. I am talking at least 2 inches long. These things could have been a satisfying meal for any whacko that eats such grossness!!! We kept these bad boys at bay with a horrid for humans and bugs bug spray, and covering up the open drain pipe in our attached bathroom, as that's most likely where they crawled out of ...uughh gross I know! I am not usually one for killing, but I could not have these monsters crawling all around our room and stuff!! No mosquito net is enough for me when it comes to super size bugs!

The spiders...oh the spiders. I have never been quite right feeling about spiders after seeing Arachnophobia. That movie really did me in. I was actually afraid to take showers for like a month after that movie because I thought that spiders were going to come out of the shower head and get me! Well...the spiders we had to deal with on the islands would never fit out of the shower head they were so massive {at least I did not have to worry about that}. Cockroaches I do not like, but the big black long legged super fast moving spiders leave me practically hyperventilating and frozen. Seeing one of those guys in our room literally brings tears to my eyes. They are not afraid or tainted by the spray. They are massive and cannot be caught and set free. They are so scary, and all I can imagine is them getting into our stuff and laying horrid spider eggs that will hatch on my hands one day later in this trip as I reach in for something. I CANNOT HANDLE THESE SPIDERS!!!! The size of the spiders here are even bigger than in India..I am sure of it. Our only refugee from these evil ones was our mosquito net, and once again...that is not enough of a separation for me.

Now, as for the reptiles. I am actually OK with these slithery guys...for the most part. Bungalows, and anywhere on islands really, there are salamanders, lizards, and gecko's. These are good...they eat other bugs, and that's natures way of keeping the bad scary bugs away from me. I welcomed these lithe crawlers with open arms. But I have to tell you, I had never seen any lizard type as big as I saw in our bungalow bathroom {the outside version}. I was showering and heard a very loud pitter patter, almost like a cat would make on the roof. Well was I ever surprised when a giant gecko head peaked over, and proceeded to climb down, then upside down on the ceiling, and work its suction cup foot way into our bungalow. This thing was huge!!! He was over a foot long, and kind of spiky looking. Totally bizarre. As I said..I am OK with that guy...what I am not OK with is giant creepy black 5ft long snake crossing the path I am on. I have seen many a big snake before, but it was always in a controlled environment, not a true nature dweller. We were walking on a path at night, head lamp in hand shining the way when I screamed and leaped as far as my prior track training would take me. This thing was a slimy black beast, and moved too quick. Thank goodness I think I scared it as much as he had scared me because he slithered off the path away from us. But talk about adrenaline. I literally broke a sweat on my forehead in that moment.

Island time is relaxing, but all those super creeps kept me on my toes. I am a city girl after all!!
xoxoxox
Alicia Claire