Indonesia Part I: Monkeying Around.

I'm still editing my Indonesia photos (and procrastinating quite well at that).  So, here's a teaser:  photos of some of my favorite subjects in "Indo" which were, undoubtedly, the monkeys.  Click the photos for a larger view!

I could watch monkeys for hours and be entertained.  They gather around the Hindu temples in Indonesia in the "Monkey Forests."  At the more popular temples, such as Ulu Watu shown here, they have become conniving little rascals, stealing glasses off people's faces and grabbing at bags of chips and anklets and hats.  They have no fear.  And, sadly, at Ulu Watu hoards of tourists only encourage them by feeding them.  Even so, the resident monkeys at Ulu Watu enjoy unparalleled scenery.

Two monkeys guarding their baby, snapping at anyone who got close.

We saw multiple people get hissed at and almost bitten.  These monkeys are adorable but only from a distance, and they close that distance as they please!  With tales from a friend who got bitten at this very temple ringing in the back of my mind, I spent our time at Ulu Watu watching my back and taking long detours around monkeys, only to run into more monkeys.  A bite would not only be unpleasant; it would incur days spent in Bali's chaotic capital of Denpasar getting treated for rabies.  No thanks.

Waiting for the right moment...to pounce.

A young one carrying some loot.

The incredible view from Ulu Watu over the Indian Ocean.

More views from Ulu Watu.

Looking down at the famous surf break at Ulu Watu.  The Lonely Planet calls the break "the stuff of dreams and nightmares."  We aren't good enough surfers to have even gotten close in the water, but it was amazing to watch some surfers from above, waiting for that perfect wave.

Aside from the designated Monkey Forests, monkeys roam throughout the jungle and hang out on the sides of the roads.  They sit on the guardrails and pick bugs off each other's backs or just watch the cars. Even though they can be vicious, seeing them sitting quietly on the guardrails, watching passersby with their potbellies poking out and their hands crossed in their laps, made me want to squeeze them.

Two men hanging out with the roadside monkeys near Padangbai, Bali.