a big snail.

I made the trek down the side of the mountain, over the river, and up the next bank to get to the girls’ shower & bathroom area last night about 8pm. I don’t drink anything after dinner, so I try to make one last trip over to brush my teeth, wash my face, and use the restroom.

I started toward the bathroom and saw that the bathroom door was off it’s hinges. It’s usually a bamboo-framed door with tarp over it, somehow attached to the bamboo-framed bathroom. You pull it shut and put a loop over a nail to hold it shut.

It was now just propped against the wall. I wasn’t really sure what my options were, but I slipped through the ten inches or so open in the door frame, not wanting to touch it without knowing what was on the other side, and looked around.

You always check your surroundings first, especially if its a closed area or you’re about to be wearing less clothing.

There was a big snail in the corner of the door, but they move slow enough. I decided I’d just prop the door over a few more inches and hope anyone else understood that meant someone was inside.

As I went to grab the door, I looked again at the snail, kind of amazed. He was huge, with his shell maybe six or seven inches in diameter, and I didn’t know snails could get that big. I bent down, looking a little closer with my headlamp. The design on his shell was pretty incredible, and it looked like it was moving.

I was just about to revel in the beauty of this creation, when it hit me that this was no snail. It was a snake, coiled and moving.

And my head and feet (and entire self!) were waaaay to close to it.

It was just like the zoo, where they coil themselves in the corner and move in swirls against the glass: I was just lacking the oh-so-important glass.

OH MY.

I’m still proud of my response: I didn’t scream, and I didn’t hesitate too long. I knew I had to get past the door, so I inched out of the same ten inch space and picked up my pace without looking back.

And I’m sticking with the long drop bathroom for now.