Insects are everywhere. It's a known fact that there are close to a million species of insects that the human race has not yet discovered. So while the entymologists are busy finding more species to add to their lists, I'm wondering whether I'll ever get over my fear of these nasty little critters. Especially cockroaches. Cats may love to chase them but they totally gross me out. Why am I so afraid of roaches, you ask? Well believe me, had you gone through a horrible roach-filled week in Alexandria in the middle of a heat wave you too would have roachaphobia.
My lifetime of roach terror got started in the summer of 1997 when my family was vacationing in the blistering hot Egyptian summer. My sister and I decided to go to Alexandria with my grandfather, not only to escape the crowdedness of Cairo, but also as an attempt to get a cool breeze from the seaside. Good idea huh? Nope, it turned out to be the biggest mistake of my life. Sure the temperature was a lot cooler, and the people were friendlier but that did not begin to make up for what happened.
Most people who travel to Alexandria go through the long and arduous effort of driving all the way there. My grandfather on the other hand decided to avoid that hassle. We rode in first class seats on a Spanish train.
My grandfather mentioned that during a journey it was customary for someone in a group to be the amir (leader). My sister's hand shot up immediately but quickly receded as my grandfather pointed out that the amir would cover the fees of the entire journey. Without hesitation, we chose him as the amir of the group. On the train I ordered a double Nescafe with three spoons of sugar. As the train chugged towards Alexandria and the caffeine seeped into my blood, I felt a rush of excitement building within me. Little did I know of the horror that awaited me later that night.
Three hours later, we arrived at the apartment. My grandmother who had gone ahead of us by a day greeted us with a smile and a hug. All of us were glad to see her. The apartment was spotless. My grandmother always keeps a clean house. So there was no reason whatsoever for roaches to be around right? Wrong.
There I was lounging on the couch, minding my own business when all of a sudden a spew of black creepy crawlies came gushing from underneath the couch. Boy did they give me the heeby jeebies. I almost fell off the couch when I threw up my legs to avoid them. They looked like small nightmare monsters, and as I yelled they disappeared like ghosts. It's was like having the boogie man come out of nowhere and then poof, he's gone.
So there I was yelling about being attacked by roaches when out comes my grandfather without even a can of Soldier. Soldier is a popular brand of roach spray in Egypt. It obliterates roaches and nearly incapacitates humans. Definitely, only for use as directed. Out comes a roach and my grandfather mashes the critter with his bare foot. Gross! Meanwhile I'm running around trying to find a place to sit that hasn't been honored by the presence of a roach.
That night I did not get any sleep at all. The double dose of Nescafe kept me wide awake. I'd shudder at the slightest sound of a scuttle, imagining the roaches scurrying all over the floor trying to find a victim to harass. I knew they were hiding but I didn't know where they would come from next. The floor, the ceiling, the bed? The morbid fear of being attacked by an army of roaches was almost too much for me to handle.
The next morning I got to thinking how wimpy I was. The whole incident also got me thinking about my grandfather, the Stanford graduate. Here was a man who had received his Ph.D. from one of the top universities in the world, and yet in spite of this he was still the son of a farmer, raised in practical surroundings. I admired the fact that even though he was well educated, he was still a simple man. To this day it exemplifies to me the idea that no matter how educated or high up a person is, they are still human, and without a doubt a slave of Allah.
For the rest of the day he poked fun at me by pointing randomly and saying, "Watch out for that roach!" Just in case you're wondering, the reason the apartment was attacked by roaches was because of the incredible heat. According to my grandfather, they come out from the sand and go inside to cooler areas. Great, so those pesky guys can't stand the heat, but don't mind invading peoples' houses.
There's only one good thing I can find to say about the disgusting, crawling cockroach: it's not as bad as a disgusting, flying cockroach. But that's another story.
posted
i never knew wot cockroaches looked like till i went to egypt. i used to get the spray and a the spray lid, spray and put the lid over it and leave my ex to deal with.
Flying cockroaches, yep i though they were bats or birds flying at night until the neighbours told me.
-------------------- Learn from the past. Live in the present. Hope for the future. Posts: 1474 | From: in my own paradise | Registered: Sep 2006
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Haha!! Most of the time when I am on vacation, cockroaches are a minor nuisance and don't bother me much.
The only time I ever remember being scared to death of a cockroach was when I happened to spend the night at a friend's house and her brother's Madagascar Hissing Cockroach escaped during the night......
The next morning I rolled over to gaze into the eyes of a 3 inch hissing creature.... I remember I screamed bloody murder and ran out of the room making a fool out of myself...LOL!!
Frankly, I think it was done deliberately despite the denials of my friend and her brother. I hated that cockroach for a long time after that...and I think the feelings were reciprocal...it always would hiss at me whenever I was around..... Posts: 820 | Registered: Mar 2006
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Ever seen a 4 inch cockroach? Well only the rat is larger but seem to move in the same manner. And yes it was the Cleopatra neighborhood.
Yeah nighttime on the Corniche in Alex.... It gives a gal plenty to scream about.
Posts: 3168 | From: If you don't like it, don't look or read it! | Registered: Oct 2006
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When we were in Alexandria I found a BIG cockroach on the stairs leading up to the flat we were staying, it had obviously been there a while and was covered in maggots, I almost threw up!! Even freaked out my husband, he was mumbling something in Arabic in a disgusted way...
Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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im not seen any yet while me been there ,but ihave seen them scorpions,well daughter did ,saw plenty when me was staying wif family in mombassa they cluck and and ergh yukky gave me willys Posts: 4597 | Registered: Jun 2006
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My family is still trying to get me not to go to Egypt and so my dad told me not to put my shoes on until I check for cockroaches.
Well I called my guy and asked if he has bugs in his flat and he got kind of offended and asked if I think he does not clean. lol. I hope he wasn't bluffing 'cause one site of a 4 inch roach and I'm on the next plane to Boston!
Posts: 1808 | From: USA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Ha ha, doodlebug, while living in Egypt two girlfriends from Germany visited me. The mother of my ex invited them for dinner.
Well, everything was great, the food, the atmosphere until one of them had to use the toilet. After couple of seconds we heard her screaming very loud numerous times and we thought, oh gosh what happened to her? She came running back into the living-room, she looked scared. My friend had to leave the appartment immediately, she almost went nuts....
You know I was used to these things running off whenever the light was putted on in the bathroom (we sprayed but they kept on coming back) - but for her it was just a severe shock.
I also made experience with flying cockroaches - now that was GROSS!!! Posts: 30135 | From: The owner of this website killed ES....... | Registered: Feb 2004
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Just in case anyone does not know, don't squash them as they carry about 40 eggs on their backs. You will spread them and have lots of baby cockroaches.
Posts: 3809 | From: Paradise | Registered: Mar 2003
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I had a cockroach walk on my hand while eating once..... yeah, we were eating in the garden. I was eating with my left hand....... the same one I had the cockroach on, i screamed like crazy & I threw everything off the table because the damn thing wouldnt come off my bloody hands..... i broke everything & the neighbors were peeking at us
it was a crazy night
-------------------- Femme Fatale Posts: 3128 | From: Not Your Heaven | Registered: Sep 2006
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Cockroaches, giant spiders, and scorpions? You all have me seriously rethinking my egypt trip. I swear if I see any of those you will be able to hear my scream no matter where you are.
Posts: 1879 | From: Going to Graceland | Registered: Nov 2006
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haha.. speaking of critters.. this reminds me of this beach I was at with my husband.. I forget the name.. near alex.. the sun was starting to go down.. and these Translucent crabs starting to run around.. I had NO clue. so then he pointed down at something by our feet. When i focused in on what he was pointing at.. I jumped back.. Then he kicked a little sand at it and it RAN at me ! I screamed at the top of my lungs and BOOKED it across the beach.. he just sat there laughing his ass off
Posts: 431 | From: beantown | Registered: Nov 2006
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I have never seen any cockroaches in our flat or even in our building but I have seen them around. I think it just depends on where you are. Also I'm a neat freak and if one ever entered our apartment he would be hard pressed to find any food lying out. Don't let these stories sway you from visiting Egypt. Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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I'm having big doubts now about Egypt, I hate cockroaches, spiders etc. We will be staying in Sharm right near the beach, please tell me that there will be none there?
Posts: 47 | From: Derbyshire, England | Registered: Nov 2006
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I've never been to any real tourist spots other than Alexandria, and I noted my experience above. Just keep in mind that Egypt doesn't have any real organized trash pick up and so this causes little critters more than what you might be used to. However, I would guess that if you stay in a well to do tourist type hotel you should have NO problems at all. Don't have doubts about going, your trip may be quite uneventful with regards to any insects, don't let that detour you. Be more afraid of flirting Egyptian men in the resort areas I might think Have a good trip.
Posts: 13440 | Registered: Feb 2006
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there are various creepy-crawlies in every warm/hot environment - dont worry about it. Ive never seen a cockroach or large spider when staying in Egypt, only small spiders (I always have to move them for my son!).
When I worked on a Kibbutz in Israel saw plenty of cockroaches - ugh I remember one night me and a friend were hungry and went to raid the communal kitchen - as soon as we went in and put the lights on, it was as if the whole wall as moving - hundreds of the blighters scurrying out of the light - it stopped our hunger pangs!
I always used to check my shoes/boots in the morning to make sure nothing had crawled in there during the night (cos my boots were kept outside)- only a little mouse had once.
I once had to kick a scorpion out of the way, and if I saw any snakes, ugh.... I would have to go and work in a different patch, even though it had slithered away.
My mum once came to visit and said there are some noises coming from the bathroom, I think theres a cricket in there, I said if thats all dont worry go in!
BUT - the one thing that creeps me out are worms - dont know why - but cant stand them - hate it when its been raining (occupation hazard in england) and they are all over the pavement. I have been known to ask my neighbour to move them when I've been trying to garden!
Posts: 1056 | From: UK, Middle East & Europe | Registered: Jun 2006
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I once held a shelfish in the sea.......... I was swimming & I saw something blue that looked like a plastic bag, so I reached out my hand to take it out of my way & when I held it, it was so heavy, slippery & thick I couldnt lift it from the water..... then I realized it was a selfish & ran out of the sea Posts: 3128 | From: Not Your Heaven | Registered: Sep 2006
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I remember I screamed bloody murder and ran out of the room making a fool out of![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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Even freaked out my husband, he was mumbling something in Arabic in a disgusted way...
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