Although it was my second full day in Ubud, Bali, it was a day of many firsts.  Today I ate from a palm leaf in lieu of a spoon, I showered outside and I was bitten by a monkey. Anything interesting happen to you today?

Although I know you’d like me to skip straight to the monkey bite, exercise a little patience. These other stories will just take a minute.  

I spent all day yesterday house hunting …. Yeah, you’re right.  I should start with the monkeys.  So remember how I chose Ubud because of the exotic-sounding “Monkey Forest Road” that runs through the middle?  It’s called Monkey Forest Road because it skirts the edge of - you guessed it - the Monkey Forest Sanctuary which is so named because - damn you’re smart! you guessed it again! - it’s home to a zillion long tailed macaque monkeys.  Who could resist that? So I paid 20,000 rupiah (about $2) for a bunch of bananas to try to sweet talk the little critters into coming close to me.  [As an aside, I spent more money on the bananas than on my own dinner tonight!  I treated a friend to dinner this evening for showing me around today.  Our fabulous dinner for two including beverages came to $3!]  I was obviously not the first person to try this trick because the monkeys, all one zillion of them, were onto me - literally! - as soon as I walked into the forest.  

The first one begged at my foot.  “How cute! Here you go little guy - a banana for you.”  I was told it was okay to pet them so I reached down figuring, he’s eating the banana I just gave him so surely he knows I’m a good gal and blah blah blah.  Have you ever fed a dog and then tried to pet it while it’s eating?  Apparently dogs and monkeys think alike.  Giving them food does not entitle you to pet them while they’re eating it.  And this monkey did exactly what the dog would do … he stopped eating the banana and bared his teeth at me.  Monkeys have very big teeth! So I backed away - way away - and walked on. 

Naturally, I was a bit more tentative in approaching the next monkeys I encountered.  Apparently, I was too tentative for their taste because the next one climbed up my leg, sat on my hip and tried to help himself to a banana out of the bunch in my hand.  Even though he approached me and wrapped his little body all over mine, I didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding that I was trying to touch him while he ate so I tore a banana off, held it out from me a little bit and he jumped off me grabbing it on his way down. 

Jaws had finished his banana and approached me again for another. He was the biggest monkey of the gang and we were already off to a bad start so I threw his second banana well away from me and scooted on down the path.  More monkeys clambered up my legs, back, head, etc., often two at a time, and very soon I was out of bananas.    

I sat down on a little ledge to watch the monkeys running around playing.  One large monkey kept grabbing a much smaller one by the tail and swinging him around; very rough play if that’s what it was.  A tiny little guy got scared by those two and came to sit on my lap.  He reached around and was holding onto my arm - a very sweet little gesture.  I was so entranced that I didn’t notice Jaws had come to sit right beside me until he started playing with my purse.

Without thinking, I pulled my purse back toward me.  Apparently Jaws didn’t receive much discipline as a child and thoroughly resented being told, “no.” So he did what any disgruntled kid would do … he bit me.  It all happened in slow motion.  I saw the big teeth but I kind of laughed thinking, “It’s just a purse, dude; really not worth getting upset about.”  Then I felt his teeth on my arm and was still kind of laughing thinking, “This isn’t real. I can’t believe he’s biting me.” Jaws must also be a mind-reader because he chomped down really hard at this point just to give me a good reality check.    

The good news is that I’m already getting my money’s worth from those many needle jabs I got before the trip.  Tetanus and rabies.  Check.  The other good news is that he bit me through my shirt which didn’t tear (go Mountain Hardware!) and didn’t exactly break the skin (There’s a little scrape. Ok, maybe more than a little, but no blood was drawn so don’t worry Mom and Dad.  Other than a sore arm and what I’m sure will become a big bruise, I’m quite alright.) (click here for video footage from Monkey Forest Sanctuary)

one of two food stalls i noshed at in bali

So after all that, I guess eating off a palm leaf and showering outside isn’t really so exciting.  Oh yeah - I also broke the food rules and ate from a market stall which is where the palm leaf was fashioned for me (I’ve yet to figure out how to graciously decline questionable food that’s recommended by a friend).  More good news … my tummy’s just fine and I’m experiencing no disturbing reactions to the food - which was delicious!!!  Hepatitis A booster … check.

Additional photos for this and other blog entries can be found on the “Photos of Her Adventure” page of this blog.