Yes, looking?

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Ugh... I just wrote a whole thing about monkeys and it got deleted. So here's the short version...

I know you all think that all Steph and I do is lie by the pool. And that's not totally a misconception. However, I have gotten it out of my system, so I finally made Steph do something "cultural" with me. Yesterday we went to Ubud, about an hour or so north of Kuta. Ubud is, or was, the arts and cultural center of Bali. Today it's much like any other tourist town, with resorts, yoga studios, boutiques, raw food restaurants (okay, only one, but still...).

We thought that we would go to the market in Ubud and do some gift shopping. Too bad the market there has all of the mass-produced souvenirs that you can get everywhere else in Bali. Or probably everywhere else in Asia for that matter. Everywhere in Bali, it's "Yes, looking?" when someone wants you to come into their shop. Which is everyone. After striking out at the market we decided to rent a scooter and go to the Monkey Forest. This is a sanctuary where 400+ Balinese macaques live and harrass/get harrassed by tourists. Stephanie did not have the same fear of/respect for monkeys that I do (she apparently has not seen the videos of dumb tourists being attacked) so I let her carry the bananas.

There are certainly all kinds of monkeys. Aggressive ones, fat ones, quick ones, big ones, little ones. I think everyone learned some valuable lessons.

1) If a monkey grabs the entire bunch of bananas out of your lap, let him have them. If you try to take them back he will bitch-slap you (just ask Steph).

2) If you give a monkey a banana and he drops it on the ground, don't pick it up. He will slap you.

3) If a monkey wants to sit in your lap/on your shoulder/on your head to eat said banana, let him.

4) And always watch out for the pervert monkey that went up to every girl in a skirt or dress and tried to relieve her of said clothing.

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Photos

Kuta
Drinking in the pool with Sam, Uncle, Andi, and Steph

Kuta
Andi

Kuta
Emil

Kuta
Drinking in the pool.

Kuta
Um, the weirdest parade I've ever seen. This was all we saw but it was supposed to be a big deal. No clue.

Ubud
Our hotel, Sania's. Lonely Planet said that it would give the Hanging Gardens of Babylon a run for it's money, and I say that's probably accurate, though I haven't been to Babylon.

Ubud
Sania's. A weird and wonderful place.

Ubud
This monkey didn't want the banana, just wanted to hold on to Steph's finger.

Ubud
The market.

Ubud
The market.

Ubud
My favorite.

Ubud
Trees in the Monkey Forest

Ubud
Temple in the Monkey Forest

Comments

[Kristina Fahy]

Your blogs are hilarious seriously very enjoyable. Kathy and I are in talks to go to Thailand in January I don't know if you guys will still be around that area but let me know..........