A Nightmare Come to Life

Journal Excerpt

September 28, 2008 -Kuta, Bali.-

Jess just stepped on the islands most poisonous snake. I saw it wiggling down the road before she did and I couldn't even warn her. I just ran. here was never any question in my mind whether it would be fight or flight. Flight is always the way to go. But, what I wasn't expecting were my other bodily functions to shut down. I couldn't have spoken if I tried. All I could do, is exactly what I did... run.

Some locals came running. I turned around to see what they would do. They all stayed a healthy distance back and exclaimed in excitement, "Ahh, THIS is the most poisonous snake... THE MOST POISONOUS!" They seemed almost excited to see the wretched little thing on the ground.

I asked what they would do, kill it? They said no, that it should just go back to the water. I had recognised it instantly when I'd first fled from it. It was the same kind of slim-creature they had featured on Planet Earth - The BBC documentary series. The kind that kills many local fishermen every year.

-A bite injects 10-15 milligrams of poison.
1.5 milligrams is enough to kill an adult.-**

I was mortified as it squiggled down the beach towards the warm, inviting waters I had just come from. I spent all day in the water, snorkeling, snapping shots of innocent fish. I had been telling myself all the time that snakes such as the one Jess had just stepped on were not common. But there it was, black and white and just as evil as could be. If you're wondering, Jess was not bitten. But, if she was, we would have had to rush her to the island's nurse. He would administer he anti-venom. If it takes too long to get a person this anti-venom, the locals informed me, (as they made the familiar motion of a finger sweeping across their neck) the unlucky person would die.

And so, after my snake mishap (Trev calls it an adventure but I told him adventures require and element of fun and no part of this experience was fun) I ask myself, 'Why am I here?'

I want to go home.

**This picture was taken from the internet... as if I would stay around long enough to shoot a picture if I saw one of these things while swimming!!