First thing is first, Candice arrived today safely and with no travel issues. We picked her up at the airport in Cape Town at 1PM and then headed back to Paarl for lunch, unpacking then dinner. We went to a nice restaurant for dinner since it is Thanksgiving after all. [Yep, that is how I justify dessert and waddling home--JUST like I would do in the US.]
Well, Candice got to see first hand on night 1 these spiders I've been terrified over since meeting my first one in 2009.
Here's my first friend in 2009--large enough to need red eye reduction:
Luckily on that day, there was not much "stand off" as heroic Luba took it outside so April and I could sleep in peace. They are harmless in regard to death to human by poison. They are not harmless to people like me in regard to death by heart attack.
We strolled in to my cottage to get the hair dryer for her to borrow when I suddenly hear Candice softly say "don't move" as I passed through the wooden doorway. I knew instantly. I turned around to look. All I could see were legs and then it was instantly in the room with me.
We lost sight of it after it went behind the chest of drawers which we promptly shuffled and moved around with no luck in spotting him. We parted ways when it disappeared and after waiting around for a long time. In the meantime I took a dramamine on top of my 2-hour sleep record last night so that I could more easily forget the visitor when I had adequately persuaded myself into believing had left the same way he came in [after heaving googling]. I sat on the bed to move over the mosquito netting only to be face to face 5 inches from the hairy monster. I ran and got Candice and we stood for 30-45 minutes just staring at it while I FB'ed anyone that would talk back. Blom called the guest house owners to see if someone could come assist. It was too frightening to swat b/c of it's size to me. I felt 5 feet in diameter. When you can see detail, it is just TOO big. They jump too so strategy helps.
The guest house's owner's daughter came and at least gave more strategy and moral support being no stranger to these houseguests. We didn't want to kill it but options were slim with his location and my need to sleep. Finally, I whacked it with all my might and down it went. Let me put it this way: I had to clean the headboard.
Here he is:
Google "rain spiders" in South Africa. You are sure to elicit your gag reflex.
Happy Thanksgiving Americans!
Danielle
that rain spider is no match for heroic Luba
ReplyDeleteomg! I would freak out! Nice work guys!
ReplyDelete