Don’t step on my spiders!
…said a Patagonian woman with a perfect, Audrey Hepburn-esque British accent, like she’d just walked out of an old movie. She told us her ancestors were Scottish, a fact that didn’t surprise me, having just read about the Welsh immigration wave to Patagonia.
What she actually meant by this was further explained. She was asking us travelers, passers-by, to not ruin Patagonian nature by casually leaving trash behind and to be mindful of even the smallest things, like stepping on insects. To please leave this place as we found it.
I can only imagine her sense of cultural identity, but she seemed to have a strong sense of home – Patagonia. The spiders were hers and she was taking it personally.
The particular spider she was referring to was so huge that we easily spotted it from the minivan’s window. It was crossing the road, and our driver pulled to a stop just to let it pass, not wanting to risk running it over. There was no other traffic. The spider was the size of a crab.
In Ushuaia, further south, grocery stores didn’t give out plastic bags. None of them. Plastic bags were banned for environmental reasons. The small town was a hub for travelers, and port of call for many of the ships to Antarctica.
Due to its geographical isolation, Ushuaia wasn’t equipped to deal with enormous amounts of waste. If you needed something to carry your purchases in, there were cardboard boxes available at most shops or you simply brought your own reusable bag.
I saw a ray of hope with this rational ban that everyone was following with no complaints. If this small town at the far edge of the world can ban plastic bags, why can’t the rest of us follow in its footsteps?
The very least we can do is to not step on the spiders we come across, even if it were the easiest response.
28 replies on “Stepping on Spiders”
You brought my lovely memories of Ushuaia and Patagonia 🙂 – one of the best areas in the world 🙂
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Happy to have brought you memories! 🙂 They were really unique places
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Indeed! If they can honour our earth why not all of us?
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It’s the little things!
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Your blog is always so lovely, thank you!
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Thank you, so nice of you! 🙂
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Wow spiders the size of crabs – yikes! I feel so sad to see waste floating in the sea, thumbs up for Patagonia 🙂
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Thanks for the commenr, Suvi! Yes, it’s just a matter of priorities I guess…? 🙂
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Lovely about the bags. As for the spiders, I give you all of mine to not step on as well please. 🙂
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That’s the one good thing about living near the North Pole, the biggest spiders aren’t fans of the cold…
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very nice.
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Hey there, thanks!
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now thats a LONG WAY from everything!
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Ushuaia calls itself the “end of the world”, all the more exotic to visit! 🙂
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Cars stopping to let spiders cross the road! What an amazing image. A fascinating blog – even if only a few of the many tourists who visit are influenced, it still makes a difference xx
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I’d never seen that before, either: stopping for spiders 🙂 Or even being able to spot them early enough. I loved the close-to-nature attitude some people had over there. Thanks for reading! I don’t know if I’ll influence anyone but at least I’ve tried! 🙂
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Woah..I really want to visit Patagonia but spider-sized crabs, yikes! I’m sure they’re actually amazing to see. Such a good, mindful post 🙂
http://www.zukiniz.com
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Well, I guess crabs come in different sizes so let’s say it was like a medium-sized crab. Or large enough to spot from a minivan’s window! 🙂 Patagonia really is a great place to visit, seriously
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No spider/crab pictures :(. This looks like a neat place to visit!
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Hubby took one but I can’t bear to look at it! :O Mixed feelings about spiders… But yes, Patagonia is awesome
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I googled them….yikes!
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😀
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What a nice post!
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Thank you! 🙂 You made my day!
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Great story! I love spiders! They are so useful in nature. I love that they banned plastic bags there. In Portland, Oregon they are banned as well. I hope more cities follow this ban.
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I really do believe that little things add up 🙂
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Agreed!
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