Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
About 7:30am my alarm goes off - it's monkey time!!! As I move to swing my legs out of bed, I realize something is not right.I stand up to walk and my skin on the back of my legs is so tight and swollen from the sunburn that I am limping because I can't walk.Great start to the day!!!I get ready, go to the ATM (again) and get in a cab for the Monkey Island.I shivered and chattered my way through that taxi ride.It's as if they are making up for all the time they spent in the sun by jacking up their A/C.
Monkey Island is in south of Lingshui County near a fishing village.To get there, I take the longest oversea ropeway (cable car), which is 7,014 feet long at the speed of 6 meters per second over the water and a mountain and out to the reserve. Nanwan Monkey Island is the only tropical island-type nature reserve for macaques - a state protected animal in China.Built in 1965, the nature reserve has more than 2,000 monkeys.The island is very neat and clean. The guides all wear uniforms, and were free.It's just too bad I don't understand that much Chinese, so I guess I will explore on my own.
I was not even there 5 minutes when I went to look for chewing gum, couldn't find it and decided to have a couple Skittles instead.I had maybe 4 Skittles before out of no where a rather large monkey started sprinting (do monkeys sprint?) up to me and before I knew it, had time to put it away, etc, the monkey jumped up on my stomach and started wrestling me for my Skittles.I was like "what the heck is going on??"Well, the monkey won that battle and I couldn't stop laughing… nor could the people that had started watching what was going on after my initial shocked scream and subsequent yelling "You can't have my Skittles!!!" Once he jumped off me, I chased him trying to get them back (not to eat, but I can't imagine that Skittles are good for monkeys?).He ran up a tree.I have some great pictures of him finishing off my pack.If there were 2,000 of these guys hanging (literally) around, I was re-evaluating the rest of the things in my backpack. I also looked down and realized that the monkey had ran through the mud to get to me and I now had little monkey prints on my white shorts. I know, I made a brilliant clothing choice that morning.
Next I went up to the "Monkey Observation area" where for 10 RMB (about 1.5 USD) you can feed the monkeys.Despite the fact that I already fed a monkey, there were tiny baby monkeys everywhere and the people that worked there took pictures for you.I got down on my knees (apparently it is better to be at their level) and started giving them some food.There were tiny little baby monkey that I couldn't help but reach out and pet.Apparently petting them while you are feeding them is NOT allowed.Oops.This was not better than the Panda Adventure of '07, but it definitely ranks up there.Monkeys can be pretty aggressive and impatient when it comes to food.While I was trying to fairly disburse the food to the 20 monkeys that had gathered around me, some of the monkeys decided this was unacceptable and starting climbing on me and helping themselves to the bag.Who was I to stop them??
After this I just kept walking around the park enjoying watching the monkeys interact with each other, tease each other, you get the picture.Next I watch a show where the monkeys were riding bikes, riding ponies, you name it.There was one naughty monkey who did not want to be part of the show, but his antics just made me laugh harder. I went back to the "Monkey Observation area" just to watch them play with each other and in the trees.There were so many tiny baby monkeys and it was just so funny to watch them learning how to climb and swing from the trees without dropping out of the tree by accident (which happened and I caught on video). I thought I heard a baby crying, but when I was looking around, there wasn't really anyone else around me (there was a show going on that most everyone was at).It was then I realized that the noise was coming from one of the baby monkeys.Soadorable. I decided to get going, but I wanted to feed the monkeys one more time.Of course the same naughty monkeys were there, but this time, the tiny baby monkeys were trying to get some of the food too. I guess it requires some effort on their part since they are so darn small (they could fit into your hand).
It was about time to go and suddenly it started raining.I guess I was lucky that it held off, but at the same time, it was pouring while I was in the cable car.The cable car was completely open, no plastic or glass to prevent the rain from soaking me, which is exactly what happened.I get back, get in the taxi and I am sure he is thinking he is doing me some huge favor by blasting the air conditioning, and my teeth chattering is a compliment.
I get back to the hotel an hour later, change, and check out.Which is when I realized that my bank card was gone.Ug.Second time this year! (last time was Hong Kong). It is entirely possible that the machine never returned it, or that it took so long to return it, I had just taken my cash and receipt and walked away.Nothing I could do now.
I get to the airport and decide that it is time for lunch (it is 4pm by now).I order a ham sandwich and diet coke while I wait for my flight.Now, I am not sure what they define as ham was the same thing as I define it as, but it was definitely NOT ham.It was closer to Spam, but not spam.So I choked that down and got on the plane.
I did have first class envy as I watched the flight attendant put slippers on the passengers in first class, but I will get over it.Which brings us to now, as I am typing this on the plane.There were some beautiful views from the window, which I took pictures of, but now I am just exhausted and think I will take a nap before we land.
Happy Father's Day Dad - I love you!
- comments