There’s a Tarantula in My Room

A guide to not freaking out in the Amazon

Cuyabeno, Ecuador. Credit: Constanza Mora

When I arrived in the Amazon, I had visions of colourful toucans, lush canopies, canoe rides on glassy rivers. Of course I knew there’d be bugs, but I bought Deet strong enough to thin paint and hoped for the best.

While I expected bugs, I did not expect a tarantula the size of a croissant in my room.

After the initial shock, I realised tarantulas aren’t the bloodthirsty menaces people assume they are. And honestly, being in proximity with the little critters taught me a few lessons, which I am thrilled to impart should any make their way to your room.

For more on what it’s like to spend a few nights in the Amazon, I’ve written up an account of our four days in the Amazon in Ecuador. You can read it here.

A tarantula in the Ecuadorean Amazon. Credit: Stubborn Travel

Tarantulas are not actually deadly

For most of my life, I thought getting bitten by a tarantula meant sudden death. While some spiders can kill you, tarantulas don’t fall in that category.

“A tarantula bite won’t kill you,” my guide reassured me in the Amazon. “It’ll just make you…