Each morning I am woken by a banging sound at dawn. The macaques monkeys are on the move. Whole families follow the same path across roofs and balconies. In Bundi most of the windows and rooftops are enclosed. There are so many with babies clinging securely to the under belly of their mother as she moves at speed and flies from building to building. The young learning the ropes hesitate when it comes to the big jumps. They assess knowing their strength and limits from experience and as the troupe moves on make their decision to fly or find another way. Often they scramble down the side of the building and up the other side though become vulnerable when doing this.
They are an unwelcome persistent nuisance for those who live here. Part of the daily cycle is attending to moving monkeys on, away from their premises. The monkeys languish at times in the banyan trees and move with an authority. If there is no stick in hand, as is suggested by many, it is best to avoid eye contact, avoid being in their path and avoid being between mother and young. They are thieves around the fruit and veg trolleys as are the cows who often cop a beating as their tongue reaches extreme lengths trying to be surreptitious in sneaking food.
The presence of monkeys has made for interesting cage structures created over rooftop restaurants. One of the selling points for businesses here is the clear view of the Palace. Every view catering to travellers and tourists is obscured through woven bamboo, steel or wire structures, roofed not for the weather. In this heat it does provide a frame to hang fans which are more than welcome, circulation the hot air and taking the moisture from the scalp and neck.
With summer around the corner options are becoming limited. The amount of eating places and accommodation reduces as the heat increases. Those open are guest houses or havelis, family homes, where life continues with or without custom. The kitchen open and manned by the family providing some tasty home cooking. For a place that signs boast 'Tom and Jerry Restaurant' or
'Best Food in Bundi, Ben 10 rooftop restaurant' or another that says ' we understand a pizza is not just tomato sauce and cheese' I am pleased for fewer options.
As the temple bells ring out, dusk arrives. The dust haze descends shrouding everything with a translucent gauze which eventually becomes a fresh layer over everything. The monkeys have settled for the night, somewhere, for the game to start again in ten hours.
They are an unwelcome persistent nuisance for those who live here. Part of the daily cycle is attending to moving monkeys on, away from their premises. The monkeys languish at times in the banyan trees and move with an authority. If there is no stick in hand, as is suggested by many, it is best to avoid eye contact, avoid being in their path and avoid being between mother and young. They are thieves around the fruit and veg trolleys as are the cows who often cop a beating as their tongue reaches extreme lengths trying to be surreptitious in sneaking food.
The presence of monkeys has made for interesting cage structures created over rooftop restaurants. One of the selling points for businesses here is the clear view of the Palace. Every view catering to travellers and tourists is obscured through woven bamboo, steel or wire structures, roofed not for the weather. In this heat it does provide a frame to hang fans which are more than welcome, circulation the hot air and taking the moisture from the scalp and neck.
With summer around the corner options are becoming limited. The amount of eating places and accommodation reduces as the heat increases. Those open are guest houses or havelis, family homes, where life continues with or without custom. The kitchen open and manned by the family providing some tasty home cooking. For a place that signs boast 'Tom and Jerry Restaurant' or
'Best Food in Bundi, Ben 10 rooftop restaurant' or another that says ' we understand a pizza is not just tomato sauce and cheese' I am pleased for fewer options.
As the temple bells ring out, dusk arrives. The dust haze descends shrouding everything with a translucent gauze which eventually becomes a fresh layer over everything. The monkeys have settled for the night, somewhere, for the game to start again in ten hours.
No comments:
Post a Comment