March 22nd was the first time Marissa, Mark, and I were able to go on a tour together, so in honor of the occasion, we visited a place where they both belong- The Wild Monkey Park! This park is up in the mountains of the Nagano Prefecture,
5 hours northwest of Tokyo in ski country (think 1998 Winter Olympics). A group of about 270 monkeys inhabit the mountainside and come down to the park during the day to bathe in the natural hot springs. They are very accustomed to people being around so the monkeys will all but come up and jump in your lap. To sit and monkey watch made me think one thing- damn, despite what you believe, evolution or the seven days god made earth/man- we've still got some uncanny behavioral similarities. Moms still have this inherent need to lick their fingers and wipe smudges off of cheeks/noses/foreheads of their children. Little kids (as well as Mark and Marissa) are forever climbing up crazy structures and swinging from unsafe heights. And sibling continue to fight, whether is for real or play. As you know we sometimes have mishaps and this tour wouldn't have been complete without one. Before we left the bus the tour guide said do not bring food into the park but you could purchase it there.
Being the budgeting fools we try to be, we said, 'oh they just want us to spend money in there' and brought some fruit with us anyway. Evidently they weren't trying to get us to spend money, they were in fact saving us from another fun fact I had forgotten about families. What one person has the other one wants a taste of! As soon as Mark and I were ready to bite into a delicious orange we heard Marissa behind us say, "Uh, guys." We turned around to catch 8 monkeys barreling toward us! We had some goodness and there was no way we were going to come into their house without sharing. And since we weren't offering, I guess they assumed they have to take it. No sooner did i see their beady eyes coming toward
at us did I give my half back to Mark and darted away from the smell. Mark wasn't so lucky. He high tailed it up the hill with the monkeys in hot pursuit.
5 hours northwest of Tokyo in ski country (think 1998 Winter Olympics). A group of about 270 monkeys inhabit the mountainside and come down to the park during the day to bathe in the natural hot springs. They are very accustomed to people being around so the monkeys will all but come up and jump in your lap. To sit and monkey watch made me think one thing- damn, despite what you believe, evolution or the seven days god made earth/man- we've still got some uncanny behavioral similarities. Moms still have this inherent need to lick their fingers and wipe smudges off of cheeks/noses/foreheads of their children. Little kids (as well as Mark and Marissa) are forever climbing up crazy structures and swinging from unsafe heights. And sibling continue to fight, whether is for real or play. As you know we sometimes have mishaps and this tour wouldn't have been complete without one. Before we left the bus the tour guide said do not bring food into the park but you could purchase it there.
Being the budgeting fools we try to be, we said, 'oh they just want us to spend money in there' and brought some fruit with us anyway. Evidently they weren't trying to get us to spend money, they were in fact saving us from another fun fact I had forgotten about families. What one person has the other one wants a taste of! As soon as Mark and I were ready to bite into a delicious orange we heard Marissa behind us say, "Uh, guys." We turned around to catch 8 monkeys barreling toward us! We had some goodness and there was no way we were going to come into their house without sharing. And since we weren't offering, I guess they assumed they have to take it. No sooner did i see their beady eyes coming toward
at us did I give my half back to Mark and darted away from the smell. Mark wasn't so lucky. He high tailed it up the hill with the monkeys in hot pursuit.
1 comment:
haha! ah yes the memories!
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