Twelve monkeys

I haven't finished seeing the sights of Bali yet, but if anything beats the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, I'll eat my sarong.

This place is right up my street. Literally (I'm staying on Monkey Forest Road). I haven't had such convenient macaque access (macaqcess?) since Taiwan, and as that means I'm obviously going to come here every day, this blog could easily turn into an endless gallery of hilarious monkey photos.

But you deserve to see more 'interesting' things than that (i.e. less interesting things), like temples and rice fields, so I'll simply present the top 12 monkeys.

Disclaimer: I am aware that some of these photos contain more than one monkey; that crab-eating macaques aren't technically monkeys; and that I've cheated by including monkey photos in other sections. Are you looking for a fight?

Sacred Monkey Forest,

Ubud

This one was my favourite. I wish I could feel as serene as s/he looks

Don't you just want to squeeze them?
It might almost be worth definitely getting your face all scratched and eaten off

My money's on the skinny, hairy one

You know, you could probably escape if you moved to the left or right

Looks totally comfortable

Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty primate

Make like a tree and get outta here

Tell me again how it's possible to 'accidentally' sit on a banana...?

Macaquapult

Over the wall

Curiosity killed the macaque...

(doesn't even rhyme with 'cat')

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
For all monkeys go to heaven

Temple of the Dead

(Pura Dalem Agung)

If this temple's name and child-eating gargoyles at the gate don't frighten you away, its strict adherence to spiritual clothing anxieties and progressive attitude towards the menstrual cycle will.

I wonder how this is detected and enforced? It's almost fascinating.
Once you get past the bewilderment and righteous anger

Apparently, they make everyone wear one of these when they enter the temple.
Lucky I wear mine all the time then. Shut up, it's a good look for me

It would be fair to say the macaques are slightly less concerned with preserving the sanctity of this place than their human overlords.

(The bottom one's ambivalent facial expression cracks me up)

Forgive me, Father... for I have been one cheeky monkey