creepy crawlies

What the Vietnamese lack in stature is more than equalized by the size of the creepy crawlies they've got running around here. Prior to my first encounter, folks had warned me about the size and danger of the numerous insects and spiders, but always in a third-generation "My best friend's cousin's nephew was in 'Nam and he said..." Yeah, whatever, thanks anyway.

Admittedly, I was a bit wary, hoping I'd make it through without seeing anything with eight (or more) legs worthy of documenting on film. I managed to sleep right through the first sighting, only 12 days into our stay, but Audrey was brave enough to wield the camera.

Clare, Jo and Leah had quickly developed a comraderie that was slowly including us, but with our disparate ages it wasn't easy. Audrey was half Clare's age and I was double of Clare's. Stuart was the closest in age, only a few years younger, but factor in the different gender and the bond was slow-growing. Besides we were a trio, a self-made group that didn't need the socialization with the other volunteers as much as they needed each other. We talked to each other far more than we ever spoke to anyone else, not the best idea perhaps, but it is the way we work.

One night the trio was downstairs talking and giggling, but it soon changed to quiet screams and laughing. Audrey awoke to their noise and crept out to the landing to call down to them. "What are you guys doing?" she asked, only to find out that there was an enormous spider in the kitchen. Ever the curious one, she ran down the stairs to check it out.

Sure enough, there by the glass-less window was an enormous spider--the size of a saucer--perched on the wall. This wasn't one to be smacked by a rolled up magazine or a shoe. It was huge. A bit of "You kill it." "No, you!" went on before Claire got brave enough to spray it with the ant poison that was kept in the kitchen.

She sprayed and sprayed while the thing twitched, turned brown, started convulsing and, to the horror of everyone, started throwing its babies out. A hundred or more tiny clone-like spiders shot out webs and started toward the floor, away from the rapidly expiring mother spider. Claire sprayed while the others screamed. The excitement ended soon enough though and everyone comforted each other--there's no spider tonight, nothing to scare us. But no one slept very peacefully.