Escape to Monkey Mountain

This Saturday may also be found as entry # 3 in
-Top 10 Ways to Acquire an Epic Sunburn-

Monkey Mountain is also known by the natives as ภูเขา ตะเกียบ (khao takiap). A literal translation of this makes no sense to me because monkey in Thai is ลิง (ling), whereas takiap is the word I have been taught to use for chopsticks. Regardless of the Thai concessions for the sake of tourists everywhere, the hill as it should rightly be called, has a stunning view of the ocean from any of the much abused railings found along its winding streets. But the origin of its english name are obvious. Monkeys own this place. They laze about in the shade, sprawling across sidewalks, rooftops, fences, trashcans, and the classic perch: tree branches. Any escape from their dominating presence has to be carefully manufactured...
A) Don't be holding bananas, waterbottles, or anything remotely smelling of food
B) Hightail it towards the closest body of salty water
So after the monkeys had gone from cute... to thoroughly getting on my nerves (more on that below), the shoreline was explored, and waves pummeling the rocky cliff-face were duly appreciated. (I can sit endlessly listening to the tide's journey in and back out to sea.)

Mermaid pointing down the coast back towards Hua Hin.

Hua Hin, off in the distance

My friend Ping demonstrating his skills at mimicry


Scampering from sunshine towards the refuge of shade...
If only I had been so wise!

I wanted to ring the bells, but at first this mister wouldn't let me by.
He kept charging me... I think interested in the camera I held in my hand.
An attempt to pass him using the little gulch on the right-hand side turned out to be a major mistake.
He took a swipe at my hair!
I have decided I side with Lowando... being from South Africa, monkey and other zoo-only animals for the rest of us are a daily occurrence/"nuisance" to him. Monkey in particular he abhors, describing them as vicious, theaving little monsters for whom having thumbs = the source of great havoc for the rest of the world


This bugger stole my waterbottle!!

Boy from Vietnam who asked me to take his picture.
He wanted to pose "American style"

On our way to Monkey Mountain, Ping stopped by a fruit stand and after bargaining extensively with the owner procured a bag of bananas weighing AT LEAST 5 kilos. If you are having trouble with measurements think of it visually... this bag's circumference was about the same as the circle created by my arms when I interlock my fingers and about knee-height tall. This bag he dutifully loaded onto the minimal floorspace of his motorbike and off we went.
Arriving at the peak of Monkey Mountain, lining the road on either side were dozens upon dozens of, you guessed it, monkeys. Ping grinned at me as we drove down from the peak toward the temple and told me to glance behind at the horde. "What horde?" says I..... ha! oops. At first glance I tallied 30 quad-pedal primates pelting down the hill after us. but upon second glance that number had easily reached 45. Ping parked his bike and I BOLTED!!! and none to soon. That entire crowd plus the two local curs tore the bag to shreds and emptied ever last peel in under four minutes.
The picture above is actually approx 45 seconds after impact. I was too stunned at first to do anything other than absorb the scene.



They should come with the sign... "We make messes"

Apparently firecrackers taste good?
Next time someone asks whether or not animals have addictions...
you can answer in the affirmative --> Monkeys, sadly enough, are known to smoke