Yes! Monkey business it is indeed! For we went over to the Monkey Forest, the namesake for which the area is named after. Monkeys are sacred in the Hindu religion, a religion which most Balinese practice.
As we stepped into the place, there were already some monkeys around to greet us. The Balinese treat these monkeys with much respect as Hanuman is the Monkey God in the Hindu religion, and plays an central part in the epic Ramayana. Because of this honor Hanuman is potrayed in many Balinese artwork.
The place is actually a real forest - well preserved in its natural pristine state with no eye-sore structures or buildings sticking out. Everything blends in so well.
Looking around, we can see monkeys everywhere, on the ground - and like this loving couple, up in the trees.
And this monkey family, the mother patiently plucking lice from Junior's fur. One note though, they are maternally protective of their young.
As Lynn was climbing up some steps, a young monkey, seeing a toad in its path, suddenly started shrieking. The mother, thinking that Lynn was the threat, clutch hold of Lynn's sleeve and gave her a stubborn bite, refusing to let go until its child calmed down. On her other side, the father clutched hold of Lynn's other sleeve. Luckily, Lynn stayed motionless and quiet, soon everyone calmed down and they released her. Thank goodness, the bite was just a small nip.
Further in, the greenness of the surrounding is augmented by ferns growing in nooks and corners. Moss has even grown onto the damp statues.
The monkeys here are friendly, sometimes too friendly. This monkey climbed onto me as I was feeding them bananas - guess it was more attracted to me, the BIG MONKEY...
In a situation like this, it is important to stay calm and don't make any sudden move or thrashing around, get a friend to attract the monkey away with more food.
Time to leave the monkey business to the monkeys. Bye Monkey Forest!
(This is an extract from my travel-blog Bali Hai 3 - Day 2)
You are at - Jotaro's Blog / Footsteps / Travel Sites / The Monkey Forest, Bali Indonesia
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