My introduction to Cambodian children and spiders.
By Ross. Filed in Cambodia |
It was a six-hour journey from Siem Reap to Phnom Phen. I had had a booze laden evening the previous night and not much sleep. I spent the first half of the bus journey in a deep window-licking sleep. As is traditional with most long distance bus journeys, there was a half hour stop which I tried my best to sleep through, but the noise of the other passengers woke me and as much as I tried to repress the feelings of hunger and thirst it got the better of me and feeling very squinty eyed, I got off the bus in search of water and cookies.
I was greeted off the bus with something I had become very accustomed to in Cambodia—the sight of several children trying to sell me something, which was of no use to me. Normally I am the polite tourist who will always reply with a friendly ‘no thanks’ to street vendors, little or large. But on this morning with my eyes still squinty and my mood firmly still in the just out of bed stage, I grumpily walked passed the kids without acknowledging their sales pitches. Big mistake.
‘Hey Mister! Do you like spiders?’ I heard it, but did not really take any notice of them, presuming it was yet another sales pitch, and then the little girl in front of me reached into her plastic bag filled with leaves, and produced a rather large tarantula and placed it on my stomach. At first I presumed it was a toy to play tricks on tourists, but then it started moving up my stomach. My morning mood soon changed from one of grumpiness to panic. I have never seen a tarantula, never mind contemplated having one climb up my stomach first thing in the morning. I froze, mainly because I was failing to take it all in then screamed at the little girl to ‘Get it off me now’ but in stronger terms that should never ever be used whilst addressing a sweet six year girl.
I am by no means scared of spiders. I was just a little shocked really. I can only imagine how horrific an experience that would have been for someone who actually was scared of spiders. I reckon my youngest sister would probably still be in hospital recovering from shock had it happened to her.
Once my heart rate had cooled down a little and I found the required cookies, I met up with Vince who was having great fun with the kids. It appears their purpose was to sell deep fried spiders (even in Scotland we don’t do that) for the tourists to eat. For one dollar you could have had your own little spider buffet. Being vegetarian, I could think of a better breakfast, but it seems pretty common practice here in Cambodia. Vince was not up for it either but was more than happy to pay the dollar and watch the kids have deep fried tarantula.
The children of Cambodia really are wonderful. Wiser, sharper and funnier beyond their years. Inside all working class Cambodian children seems to be a mean sales person with put downs and quips for any tourist who dares not purchase one of their items for sale. They will try all avenues to get that dollar out of you. They will tell you the capital of Madagascar, play noughts and crosses, insult your looks, swear at you explicitly in Swedish, and threaten to vandalize your bike if you don’t buy their water, all for the sake of one dollar. Despite all their harsh and aggressive sales pitches, it’s very hard to be too threatened by them when they have the face of an angel and sport a Sponge Bob t-shirt.
I found that instead of haggling or rejecting their sales it was easier just to talk to them, play games with them or let them play with whatever technology I had in my hands. Like all children, they loved having their pictures taken. Despite being forced to work out of necessity for their parents, their language skills, and sometimes rudeness, they are just like any other six year old around the world.
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Tags: Backpacking Cambodia