I do not want to deter anyone from visiting Taiwan. I love the country and encourage people to discover for themselves how beautiful Taiwan really is. However, I feel it’s time to reveal one of the darker aspects of Taiwan. The truth is, even in the larger cities like Hsinchu it’s not criminals, street dogs, or even wild, hazardous motorists you should fear. There’s a creepy monster hiding around apartment buildings, poking around windows, and even popping up in bathrooms at unsuspecting moments.
Are you ready to find out what beast is lurking out there, waiting for its chance to hear you scream and/or give you a heart attack?
Introducing: The “Laya” or Huntsman Spider
The photo above was taken after I used the squat toilet, reached up to flush, and discovered the creature next to my hand. My fingers almost brushed up against its legs. I ran out of the squat toilet, screamed, and ran back to capture the evidence on camera.
This had not been my first encounter with the spiders though. My very first experience had been several months earlier when I moved to the bustling city of Hsinchu on the west coast of Taiwan. Though large bugs exist throughout the country, I didn’t think they’d prefer the crowded, sweaty streets of Hsinchu to the nice mountainous forested areas on the outskirts of the city. My third night in my apartment (4th floor) I was sitting in my bed and saw something like a rat scamper across the kitchen floor. Then it dawned on me. The thing before my eyes did not resemble a rodent at all but instead an arachnid of freakishly mutant size. In complete shock, I stared at the intruder as its gleaming eye looked directly into mine.
It then flattened its body and ran under my refrigerator as if sensing my disdain. I bolted out of bed, sprayed half a can of raid under the fridge, ran back into my room, slammed the door, and stuffed towels under the crack the entire night. The next morning as I peered into the kitchen, I noticed the fiend lurking on a wall–still alive. I used the remainder of the raid, trying to keep my distance. The spider fell off the wall and hopped towards me with spunk. Looking around wildly, I spotted a racket and gathering up my courage, I attempted to end the creature’s life. I had to hit the giant spider multiple times before it gave up the ghost.
From that point on, I became known as a “spider magnet.” While most locals in Taiwan have only seen a few of these things in their lifetimes, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing about 7 not counting the other large spiders that invaded my personal space at horrible moments. Like when I was in the middle of an acupuncture session.
In Taiwan, some locals keep the spiders as welcome guests. The spiders are like cats in a sense because they control cockroach populations. They also eat small birds, are non-venomous, and will “cling” and bite if provoked.
The odds are, you most likely will not see one of these spiders if you visit Taiwan. But ye be warned…
Here is a funny video of a guy in Australia trying to capture a Huntsman spider.