"young woman's bladder ruptures after tarantula spotting"

Okay...so my  bladder didn't actually rupture, and the spider wasn't really a tarantula, but if the small village in which I found myself on Thursday night had a local newspaper, the headline would have read something like that! 

This weekend I found my inner arachnophobia (read: princess), while roughing it in the African countryside.  This 'phobia' had been so well suppressed for the past two weeks, that I almost thought I had been cured of it...but apparently if the spider is big enough, it can cause a relapse!  On Thursday evening, as I was heading into the washroom ('washroom' is a generous word for what was a small room with a floor and a drain), I spotted an enormous spider on the wall.  It was basically a tarantula, except that it wasn't.  It was terrifying.  I insisted on holding my bladder and proceeding to panic...for a little (read: long) while.  I did eventually pee in the bushes, which were probably more spider ridden, but I am now a firm believer that what you don't know (or see) can't hurt you!

Other than the spider 'incident', the weekend was incredible. That first night, the local children of the village put on a drumming and dancing show for us - what talent!  Afterwards, we went to sleep - eight of us in one room, on the floor (on bamboo mats).  It was definitely a bonding experience!  The next day, we visited the local school - it is being assessed for the possibility of future teaching placements.  The challenges of getting volunteers there and overcoming the language barrier were very evident.

We spent the second night on the beach staying in small huts - a beach camp called Maranatha!  It was a piece of paradise so remote, untouched, and beautiful...it is the most serene place I have ever been, and I'm definitely going back there before I leave.  The white sand beach was surrounded by water - a river on one side, and the ocean on the other.  If you walked far enough on the island, you could see the estuary where they meet.  It was an absolute dream.  Pictures to come shortly...