Tarantula Town: Your Nightmares Come to Life

The worst experience of the trip (and possibly my life) so far was our unintended visit to the town of the Tarantulas in Cambodia, Skuon.

In our research we had read about the inclusion of spiders in the diet. Yes, a common Cambodian snack is a deep-fried Tarantula. We were forewarned and came across these delights in the markets, thankfully after frying they were actually faintly (term used loosely) endearing as during frying their legs stick out together at the front and the back making them look quite pathetic. We felt quite proud to have walked past a market stall heaving with these delicacies. For followers of the regularity report, I did not even consider it for a millisecond. Apparently they are crunchy.

Feeling smug, we thought we could deal with the worst Cambodia could throw at us. How wrong we were. Don't read any more if spiders make the hair rise on the back of your neck. Don't worry, we couldn't bring ourselves to take photos.

We were on the bus travelling north from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap where the Angkor Temples are. As is usual on these 5 hour bus rides, there's a stop for lunch and a visit to the toilet. We stopped at the worst place in the world and didn't know it, Skuon.

The bus stopped at a normal looking cafe. We all leapt off heading for the loo, followed by the usual horde of about a hundred women and children selling fruit and other snacks. "Buy from me - ok maybe later but only from me" All quite normal. I waited for Jenny outside the squatter. Children selling fruit came up to me. I talked to them in halting Cambodian and English. And then I froze. Each child was (I am having a minor freak just writing this) was wearing a live dinner plate sized tarantula on their clothes or offering one towards me in their hands. I was horrified and I think the spiders were scared too as they were totally still and looked like toys until my brain processed that they were not.

I outwardly groaned and walked very quickly away with a horrible sinking feeling and waited for Jenny to emerge. Her being just as senselessly afraid of spiders as I am, I tried to tell her what I had seen and that we had better get back on the bus when she saw the same thing, groaned and said "We're in Skuon!" Our version of absolute hell. Not only was every child wearing/holding one but they chased after us relentlessly as we were foreigners who were not eating in the restaurant and had not yet purchased any of their wares.

At this point we are panicking inwardly and trying to look unconcerned outwardly. We try to get back on the bus but it is locked and so try to hide behind the buses. Not a good plan as the kids know to swarm the buses when they arrive and leave and the buses were leaving denying us cover.

We then headed across the dirt road opposite the cafe. At this point we are totally cornered as the prospect of the other horror of Cambodia looms, landmines. You are not meant to leave the roads or path as live landmines are everywhere. We waited for the bus doors to open, willing them to do so. Then one girl spots us cowering in the dirt and moves to come over. Jenny scares her off, apologizing under her breath for appearing rude, and we move up the road still in view of the bus.

The bus doors open. All the foreigners start getting on going through the crowd of children and leggy friends. Some even take pictures. We have to run the gamut. The prospect of getting left behind is worse than getting through the crowd so we dive in and make it onboard.

The bus leaves. We survive but I cant sleep that night as the vision of these monsters is at the forefront of my brain every time I close my eyes.

Dios mio.

For those who are not afraid of spiders I appeal to your sense of whatever it is you are afraid of - that gut churning, totally irrational, blinding fear that takes over at the sight of snakes, small spaces, heights, ex-wives or -husbands, butter that isn't Anchor, whatever - despite the knowledge that whatever it is won't kill you but you'd do almost anything to avoid.