I took the train north from Ayuthaya towards Chiang Mai and made a morning stopover at Lobpuri, "the city with the monkeys", as most Thai people I talked to referred to it as. During the day the monkeys all hang out around the Phra Prang Sam Yod shrine and that's where I headed. I walked in carrying a water bottle and the woman at the gate took it from me and handed me a stick. "Monkey take your water," she said. I also got a bag of sunflower seeds to feed the little critters. I gave a few seeds to one of the first ones that approached me. He ate them and then greedily grabbed at the rest of the bag, spilling half it's contents on the ground. Bad monkey. I walked around and couldn't believe how many monkeys were all in one place crawling everywhere waiting to assault people who think they're cute.
I kneeled down to feed a cute little baby one some seeds (they are cute) and just when I was oohing and awwing a big one (from the feel of it) jumped on my back and I suddenly realized why we were given sticks (but I couldn't bring myself to use it). They must have sensed my confusion and bewilderment because just then another one ran over and jumped onto my arm. So Monkey #1 is sitting on my neck putting his little hands on my head, Monkey #2 is now dangling from my arm as I swing it back and forth, then #3 another cute little guy starts crawling up my leg and put his tiny little hand in my pocket trying to get to my camera (smart little monkeys!). No one else is around and I'm sort of turning around trying to shake them off hoping they don't bite me or claw me or whatever else they do in defense. I finally get them off and now I have a much better understanding of the nature of monkeys. Bad bad monkeys.
