November 30, 2003

Earlier today we visited the Monkey Forest. The people here believe the place is sacred, it is home to a bunch of monkeys, a rain forest, a temple and a burial ground. To pay for the operating expenses and upkeep they charge $1.00 per person to enter. Like a typical tourist I suggest to Jodi that we visit, so I paid the entry fees along with another dollar for a bunch of bananas to feed to the monkeys. We walked in and did not see any monkeys until they saw the bananas in my hand. I would pull a banana from the bunch and hold it out to the monkey and it would walk up, take the banana and eat the banana. I gave away about 10 or so before I thought I would see what they would do if I held a banana just out of reach, a smaller monkey approached, grabbed hold of the bottom of my shorts and started climbing up me, I instantly panicked and dropped the banana causing the monkey to jump free of me to get the banana. The remaining bananas I handed to the various monkeys well within their reach. I also learned these monkeys not only like bananas but they also like bottled water. Jodi had a small bottle of water that she asked me to carry through the forest, being the good husband I accepted. While on our way out of the park we happened upon a rather aggressive male who wanted her bottle of water. I tried to resist but it became apparent that he was going to get it so I dropped it and stood back. He set it on the ground, unscrewed the top and guzzled the water. I then thought I would try to get the bottle back so I would not be littering on sacred ground. I waited for him to lose interest in the bottle and then tried picking it up. As soon as I touched it he decided he wanted it back and grabbed it and started playing with it. I waited some more time thinking that he would lose interest again and I would kick the bottle to a safe distance from him and the pick it up. He began walking away so I gave the bottle a small kick and he turned, bared his teeth and took some really aggressive steps toward me. I nearly peed my pants standing there looking at this monkey with his bared teeth, thinking he was about to climb up my leg and bite me. I turned to run and after a few quick steps I remembered that a human should never run from an animal but back away maintaining eye contact, He continued showing his teeth and I backed away and left the bottle hoping that sooner or later he would loose interest and allow a park attendant to toss the empty bottle in a rubbish bin. Thank goodness I survived my first monkey encounter.