Fascinating, is the first word that comes to mind. Other words include intriguing, multi-cultural, a religious people who practice one of several religions, 583 languages and dialects, over 17,500 islands and each one unique, incredible oceans, and fascinating jungles. All of these metaphors describe one country, Indonesia.
I spent six weeks there in 2009. It wasn’t enough, so I returned for another four weeks in 2010. Exploring the ocean and marine life was my initial goal, but after learning how much Indonesia has to offer, I needed to go back in 2010. For this return trip, I decided to see more of the land, the people, and the customs. I also wanted to see some of the monkeys known to inhabit the islands, as well.
My first stop was to the Island of Bali. Monkey Forest in Ubid is home to a Hindu temple, where Balinese macaque or long tail monkeys roam where they please and take what they want. Stores find the monkeys stealing their food and tourists have sunglasses, snacks, hats, and drinks stolen. The Monkey Forest of Padangtegal is a sacred Balinese Hindu site. Balinese Hinduism is different than Hinduism practiced in other parts of the world. Balinese Hinduism combines aspects of Animism, Ancestor worship, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The original temple was built sometime around 1400’s. Today it is believed that the monkeys keep evil spirits away so the monkeys are protected. Monkey Forest is a preserve, but the monkeys are allowed to come and go as they please. Many different monkey troops live within Monkey Forest causing some overlapping of territories. As a result it is not uncommon to witness some violent physical clashes amongst the troops vying for dominance.
The long tailed macaques have distinguishable physical characteristics. Males are larger than the females, having broader shoulders and larger canine teeth. Females have facial hair that resembles a bear and the males have a more pronounced mustache. Sub adult males have smaller bodies, shorter back hair, narrower shoulders, and smaller canine teeth.
Macaque monkeys have characteristics that are related to both their age and their status in the troop. For instance, female macaque monkeys do not reach adult social status until they have given birth. Like most mothers, the macaque monkey moms are very protective of their young, so extra caution had to be taken when photographing them.
My next stop was Northern Sulawesi to Tangkoko National Park, where two species of monkeys reside. There is a small village outside of the park and I rented a room in a home stay, directly across from the park entrance, as there are no accommodations in the park. The village has no electricity and modest plumbing. Water is piped in and I did have a seat on my toilet, but flushed with a bucket of water. I also washed with that bucket of water. All drinking water must be brought to the village and park in bottles.
Indonesia’s national parks are not at all like the national parks in the United States. There are no roads to get into the park and there are limited trails on which to walk. My guide and I just forged our way through the jungle. The entrance fee was $5 per day and I did have a guide, which was a good thing, as they know where the animals tend to be and I would have never found my way back out of the jungle.
After about four hours of hiking, we finally came across the first kind of monkey, the Black Macaque monkey. These are considered an old world monkey, as they do not have long tails but instead, butt pads. They climb through the trees and travel through the forest by walking. This was a fairly large troop consisting of thirty to forty monkeys. I watched and followed for a bit, then practiced my “forging skills” by moving very slowly, avoiding eye contact, and digging at the ground with my feet. I would stop, often picking at myself much like they do. They let me join the troop and I sat on a log in the middle of them. I would shoot a couple of pictures and then resume “grooming “myself, avoiding eye contact which would be considered a threat to them. I stayed with them for about an hour, before the monkeys decided it was time to move on.
Next on my list in the same park, were the Tarsier monkeys. These monkeys are the smallest monkeys in the world. They are about four inches tall and weigh no more than a half pound. Tarsiers are nocturnal, so their eyes are large, each one being larger than their brain. The eyes are immobile, but the Tarsier can rotate their neck 360 degrees. They have large sensitive ears and can move its ears to determine the location of its prey. Tarsiers are insectivores and this neck and eye combination is helpful in catching their prey at night. They will also eat small birds, lizards, and snakes. Their name comes from the long tarsus bones in their feet. Their hands have pad-like suction cups on the end of their fingers, enabling them to move up and down on vertical surfaces. They have two grooming claws on their second and third toes, which are used to clean the fur and skin of dirt and parasites. 
Tarsiers can jump up to seven feet and use specialized form of locomotion called vertical clinging and leaping. They move from tree to tree, clinging to the trunk or a branch. They also will hop on their long legs. Their tail is used for balance while moving and supports them while resting. Tarsiers prefer to be vertical at all times.
Late in the afternoon, I met up with my guide for a hike back into the forest to find the Tarsier monkeys. Two hours later, we arrive to a tree known to have had Tarsiers living in it. As dusk approached, little squealing sounds could be heard and my guide explained that it was the monkeys. Just as it was getting dark, two monkeys came down from a tree. They were so small that my guide had to point them out. On a small tree behind me was a very large green grasshopper. I positioned myself just under the bug, with the monkeys quite focused on the grasshopper. After twenty minutes of photographing, one of the little tarsiers couldn’t take it any longer. He jumped onto my head, grabbed the grasshopper and jumped back into his tree. It happened so fast that I barely felt it as he was so small and light. Darkness set in and so did the pouring rains that are expected almost daily during this time of year. I packed my camera away and hiked the two hours back to my home stay by flash light. I was soaking wet but thrilled with my encounters with both the Black Macaque and the Tarsier Monkeys. Click onto this link for a short video of all of the monkeys. Monkeying Around in Indonesia
