Attacked by vicious monkeys, etc.
Posted on May 5th, 2008 – 11:33 AMBy Chris Welsch
For years I’ve had a sign over my desk that says in English and Spanish: “Caution! These monkeys bite and cause serious injuries!” My dad, who doesn’t like unexpected visitors, actually found it in a catalog of some kind, and put one on his fence. He found it more effective than, “Warning, Guard Dogs.” So I was intrigued to receive the book “A Stingray Bit My Nipple,” a compilation of travel anecdotes from the readers of Budget Travel magazine. In India, monkeys at temples are known for their viciousness.
A good friend of mine from Minneapolis, Trisha Farrell, was bitten by one last fall near Rishikesh. She took a picture of the monkey, then sat down at a table to write post cards. The monkey came to the table and took her camera. When she tried to take it back, he bit her face. She needed stitches. This fellow, also at a temple in India, was more fortunate, according to the book’s cutline. The photos were taken seconds apart and the monkey didn’t pursue the hapless tourist. The book’s stories and photos aren’t limited to unpleasant animal episodes, but it has a lot of them. I’m opening the floor to any and all animal related travel anecdotes. Or anything else that comes to mind.
3 Responses to "Attacked by vicious monkeys, etc."
We went to Mexico with my family when I was 17. There were 9 of us down there, and we all went on a whale watching tour. My younger sister (15 at the time) was being a bit cranky and grumpy. When a HUGE whale came up to the side of the boat, everyone ran over to look. My sister sat there and rolled her eyes, like she saw a whale everyday and it was no big deal. Whenever we refer to the trip, we call it the “ho-hum” whale day.
The monkeys in India are especially notorious, Chris. I remember standing in line at a temple and going up to give my prasadam (offering) and it was gone–because the monkeys took it out of my purse without me knowing!
My mother went to the English countryside and managed to get herself very firmly kicked in the thigh by a horse. She around the wrong side of it. It could’ve been potentially lethal, but instead its somewhat funny and she had a nice big bruise as a souvenir.
My favorite animal encounter was standing incredibly close to a wild buffalo while in Yellowstone. Not necessarily a unique experience, I know, but one that my entire family remembers and cherishes!
When I lived in Spain I will never forget the Gibraltar monkeys. Crazy bunch of blokes.
Kerri Westenberg has globe-trotted for National Geographic and other magazines. Now she zips around the region, on the lookout for travel news you can use.
Elizabeth Larsen lived in Salzburg, Austria, and has traveled throughout Europe and the Americas. She can say "diaper," "bottle" and "crib" in four languages.
Troy Melhus has heli-skied on glaciers, dived alongside Monk seals and raced for 24 hours on a mountain bike. All this, and he rarely spends more than $500 on a trip.
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