Wednesday, June 28, 2006

This afternoon Michael and I took a walk over the bridge at the edge of the town of Villa Tunari to find Inti Wara Yassi, the wildlife refuge. First of all, can I just say how dangerous it is to have a concrete slab of a bridge with two-way traffic and just the tiniest nod to a pedestrian walkway? Every time a car or truck zoomed by, we'd have to wedge ourselves against the wall and try not to let the wind knock us over the side and down to the half-dried up river way down below. I would not like to cross that bridge at night.

Anyway, once we crossed the bridge of terror, the refuge was just a short distance up the left-hand side of the road. We went in through the visitors' entrance, where we paid foreigners' entrance fees and an extra fee for Michael's camera. We were told to take everything out of our pockets, everything, and put it in the lockers provided. Apparently the monkeys are curious.

We complied, but I kept a small piece of tissue in my pocket, and stuck my lip balm way down into my shoe. Two things I try never to be without: tissue (especially when I am feeling not quite right in a place where the chances of finding tp in the public restrooms are slim to none) and lip balm.

And then we followed a short trail through the jungle until we found the capuchin monkeys!! Except for the babies and new arrivals who are tethered, the monkeys run free through the forest and around the small visitor-friendly area. One ran up to Michael right away and climbed right up his body, checking pockets as he went. It was amazing. Finding nothing in the pockets, the monkey latched onto Michael's camera and started examining it with his tiny hands, and tasting it too. When he was through with that, he ran back down Michael and came over to me.

He immediately went for the pocket with the tissue in it. Of course I remembered the warnings - don't bring anything into the park, not even papers. Ah, so this is why. Imagining watching the monkey vomit up a wad of pink toilet paper and then having to explain why I thought the rules didn't apply to me, I tried to hold my pocket closed so that this monkey could not reach in and get the much coveted tissue.

Well the monkey was outraged. (Entitlement issues, much?) He was clinging onto my leg and had already torn off and eaten a sample piece of tissue and he wanted more. I wouldn't let him have it. He became agitated and I was afraid he might bite me. But his revenge was much more sophisticated than that. He ran back to Michael and held onto him and turned and gave me a very clear look and chuckled to himself.

I tried to take Michael's camera from him so that I could get a photo of the two of them together. But whenever I reached out to take the camera Michael was holding out, the monkey would stretch out his neck and bare his little teeth at me, threatening to attack. And then he'd hug Michael closer.

The message was clear. It was like being on Jerry Springer. "Lookit me and lookitchu! Lookit me and lookitchu! He don't love you! You were just there, that's all! He is going home with me." That monkey really hurt my feelings.

Also I was afraid none of the monkeys would like me after that. But they did. We met a lot of monkeys today. Michael and I were talking to a Swiss volunteer and he was telling us all about the experience of working at the park, when a monkey named Martina got herself onto my shoulder and started grooming me.

Wow, it sure is freaky to have a tiny creature come running at you out of nowhere and then climb you like a ladder, grabbing at completely unexpected body and clothing parts on the way up to your shoulder. Anyway, Martina became very interested in my twists - nothing new for me in Bolivia - but instead of just staring, she dove right in and started tasting.

Yep, tasting. Martina the monkey sucked the Carol's Daughter Healthy Hair Butter out of each and every one of my twists. And when she was done with that, she licked my scalp like a mixing bowl. Carol's Daughter products are all natural, so I didn't worry she'd get sick - if she likes the taste of shea butter, it probably won't hurt her. I hope. But you see where setting limits got me the last time. And the Swiss guy said we pretty much had to let the monkeys do whatever they wanted. So one more item crossed off my Life List: "Find out what it feels like to get your scalp licked by a capuchin monkey." (Answer? Freaky.)

After her meal, Martina proceeded to pee on my back. But sweetheart that she is, she immediately cleaned up after herself by climbing into the back of my t-shirt and sucking the urine out of the fabric. Then she took a little nap on my neck, with her head on my shoulder under my t-shirt. (Dang, make yourself at home, Martina!)

Michael and I ended up hanging around for a few hours, until after feeding time. We chatted with a couple of the volunteers and made friends with some more of the monkeys and watched some troops of tourists come through. I'm sorry now that we won't have time to volunteer, but at least today convinced Michael, who had been hesitant, that monkeys are awesome, and so we're planning on coming back some time in the future. (February '07, we're saying, but we'll see if that happens. There are so many places in the world that we want to go to that another one might jump the queue.)

But we liked the sound of the program and the volunteering conditions, not to mention monkeys = adorable and we think it would make an interesting story to really follow up on in depth. When we come back, I'll have to figure out something to do with my hair to keep the monkeys out of it. Because the monkey saliva scalp treatment is cute once, but would probably become pretty gross if it were a daily occurrence.

This was by far the most fun and different day we've had in a long time. I just have to shake my head and wonder why I chose to wash and re-twist my hair and wear my only clean shirt to go and visit some monkeys. I mean, it was worth it and everything, but not very smart.

In conclusion: Follow the rules and don't bring anything into the park. This means you. Because the monkeys will find it and they will eat it and they might get sick from it. And my most important piece of advice - if you are afraid of monkeys, do not go to Inti Wara Yassi. Because the monkeys are not afraid of you.

 

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The monkeys couldn't get enough of Michael's camera.

I tried this new shampoo called Gee, Your Scalp Tastes Terrific!

More Martina snacking on my hair.

Martina peed on my shirt, but at least she had the courtesy to clean it up.

Being groomed by Martina.

Michael and Wendy.

Wendy attempts to share a carrot with me.

This is the monkey who claimed Michael.

Hungry monkey.

The alpha monkey... he is much bigger than the others and had no interest in perching on folks' shoulders.