I'll get you and your little bread too!!!

Maybe you like me, recall watching the Wizard of Oz as a child and cowering into your parent in great fear as the evil flying monkeys took center stage hovering over the Wicked Witch of the West who then cackled out her infamous phrase ..."I'll get you and your little dog too!!!"

Aside, from one less than pleasant monkey incident that literally brought life to the phrase "spanking the monkey" at the Toledo Zoo along with my sister Michele and nephew Ethan, I generally take great joy in watching monkeys frolic in the trees. Ian on the other hand, has a most relished phrase of "... Yeah, and that monkey wants to bite your face off !! ", each time I coo over adorableness of the monkeys we come into contact with. Which, leads me to believe that for many of us, the Wizard of Oz has played a significant role in shaping our worldview of monkeys.

Where is this story going? It is leading to our most recent and final travels in Borneo. We headed to the island of Bako to take in one last national park. This one in particular, famed for the proboscis monkey and bearded pigs running about the island. Upon our arrival we were warned by park rangers and various signs in the park to watch out for the "naughty" macaque monkeys. 15 minutes into the visit while walking the 10 feet between the visitors center and the lunch area with a loaf of bread, a monkey dropped from a tree then ran at me with a fare amount of speed, and launched into my chest to swipe the bread. With flashes of the Discovery Channel Documentaries "When Animals Attack" rolling through my thoughts, I threw the bread and screamed as a park ranger came to my rescue. Naughty might of been an understatement and more appropriate would be a picture of the evil flying monkeys posted at every cabin entrance and welcome area to really bring home the point. In the afternoon upon our return from hiking one monkey we passed apparently decided she did not like the look of Ian. Though, I have always been doubtful of his cynical view of the monkeys, she turned to give him a look that truly seemed to say," I can bite your face off you know " and then proceeded to chase him about the field. After a few circles she retreated and he escaped without a bite.

Aside from this unfortunate monkey business, we were awed by the beauty of the jungle dripping with green, the endless expanse of tree roots and strangler vines cutting into limestone outcrops, carnivorous pitcher plants, the ear piercing buzz of insects, and lovely little waterfalls. We did come across the bearded pigs and the much more subdued proboscis monkeys who only faintly looked up from their leaf eating to have their picture taken.

Satisfied, we have put our eco-adventures aside for the moment and have moved on to Peninsula Malaysia where we are currently in Penang taking in the amalgam of cultures that makes up Malaysia- Chinese shop houses, women in saris, others in head scarves, chatter from the mosque in the distance and fragrant smell of Indian spices spilling out into the street. life continues to roll along....