Get those monkeys off of me

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We survived the Monkey Forest in Ubud - hurray!!! Lori and I had gone to see the monkeys somewhere on another tour but this monkey location is everything we had heard about but not experienced before. I had a water bottle in my hand when I entered the park which entry cost a whole $2.00 by the way - at home you'd never get in for under $25.00.. to this kind of thing and I was not expecting trouble but I hardly got in and this big monkey came and grabbed my bottle - AND he wasn't giving it back AND I sure as heck wasn't making him. This fellow had brought in with him a bundle of bananas in his hands and he had 3 monkeys on him like right now. I would have freaked out; I was very anxious just watching him as these monkeys are VERY aggressive. He was going to help me get my water bottle back but the monkey was showing his teeth in an aggressive way so he thought better of it. The previous monkey location I had visited there were guides with you at all times and the monkeys were NOT aggressive there. In this park there was likely enough workers/watchers around but they certainly were NOT with you. They tell you that if a monkey jumps on you to just keep walking - but the first reaction is to try and shake them off. One girl had a monkey jump on her and she was trying to shake him off and she was pretty scared I think.. a park person came and kept shouting keep walking, keep walking. It all happens so darn fast but the monkey did jump off... anyway it WAS very interesting and in a more beautiful setting than the one I had been in before but still I was glad when we left having seen enough monkeys - which for me was when the monkey grabbed my bottle.
We wandered back through town and had a nice lunch and then walked back to our rice field home. We rested and had our usual Bingtang appetizer and then we treated ourselves to a scooter ride to the restaurant near the temple where we were to see the Tecak Dance. The dance consisted of a holy person dancing through fire and they had about a 60 piece all man choir (not what they call it of course) which chanted the whole music component of the performance and of course included some beautiful balinese women translating a story through music and dance. It was a beautiful way to end Joan and Fay's excellent Bali Adventure. Riding on the scooters was a must to fully complete the Bali experience.
Friday morning we went to the organic restaurant in the rice fields during our last walk through the fields. They had some pretty interesting items on the menu and of course amazing views of the fields. We will miss the Rice Fields and are glad we got to experience them.
Dropped Joan off at the airport and tried to renew my VISA but apparently the baliense government works the same way as ours - open on their hours not the customers. They are only open half days on Friday until 2:30 and I arrived at 2:40 so it's back to the office first thing Monday morning. It is said to be that the government has no sense of humor of people overstaying their VISAS.. so I will arrive on everyone else's time and not Sedgewick time - otherwise you can write me in jail.... not.
My sister Monika arrives tomorrow and I am very much looking forward to that.

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Comments

[Cheryl]

So glad!
Oh so glad that I got thru to you and you sent.... Nnnot sure what, BUT as you can see (I hope) I have seen, read, and walked with you thru your pictures!!!! I can hardly wait to hear how much fun you have with Monika. I also hope you enjoybevery thing at the Grand M like we did! Hope you are ready to be served and hard booze toooo!