Day 2. Breakfast at 9, same again. I stupidly agreed to a massage last night with Sarah. Something I have never done nor planned. They arrive and we set up in Sars bungalow. Strip to undies and ..... Relax?? I was so tense and uneasy! Loved the massage hated the touching lol. We finish and hang out with everyone while the kids swim and we chat. Cars meant to be hear at 11 to take us to monkey forest are an hour late and we set off to ubud to see the wild monkeys with Sar and brett.
The drive out reminds me of why I wanted to come here. The scenery , people, rice fields, villages and culture. It is a 1.5 hour drive so we stop to smoke and all of a sudden police pull out across from us with whistles and sirens. Dressed in white with checked sarongs their duties today are to control traffic for the 12 or so trucks carrying 50+ people each in the tipper holding giant kites. It is the start of the sacred crane festival and they send these kites up as a showing of worship to their Hindu god. Just watching is awesome. All boys this time in long white dress things with a white thing wrapped on their head. We keep driving and watch them working in the rice fields and painting from the tiny studio attached to their tiny home. Beautiful hand painted paintings sold for no more than au50 each.
We finally arrive at the monkey temple and as soon as we are out of the car we hear and see them. On telegraph poles and in trees. If you didn't want to pay to enter the park( about $8 per family au) you could see them anyway. We buy bananas from an old lady for about 2$ a bunch and walk inside the temple grounds. Immediately the macaws see the fruit and surround you. Madison fed them first but if you have more than 1 banana, they want more. It is pretty scary. They pull your clothes or climb you to get them and if you don't give, they bare their teeth to make you. We pretty much threw our 3 bunches within 20 meters so they would leave us alone. Brett however fed them one by one. Each one clinging to him like he was a tree. It was so funny to watch! We got sarongs put on and walked around inside the temple the monkeys rule. It's so serene and beautiful inside with wood carved pillars and monkey statues. The rainforest surrounding it is just as beautiful. The monkeys are by the thousand swinging in trees and caring for their young. There are noticeable dominant makes calling the shots and very protective mums guarding the babies. We didn't do the full walk as the girls were frightened after seeing a monkey attack a Muslim ladies hijab and the woman attacking the monkey back then spitting everywhere it touched! So we left kody with Sar and Brett and look at some stalls and buy a painting for home. My favorite thing all day was on our ride home, stuck in traffic there is a 4ish year old girl on front of her dads scooter with her dad sister and mum, she is beautiful and happy. She and Madi start interacting through the window with waves and gestures. We ask if we can take her photo and dad nods and she gives us the thumbs up. They are gone after blowing kisses to each other, so beautiful, if only they could have really met and played together! After we are in a small accident in the car we get home to Thai inspired dinner more swimming and chatting and time for bed. Dolphins tomorrow, can't wait!