There were monkeys all over northern India but here I have selected a few of the more interesting encounters!

Jaipur.

The monkeys at Amber Fort were langurs. I often thought that the word ‘languor’ was derived from these elegant peaceful monkeys. They were very relaxed and spent most of their time just chillin’.
This young character just had his hair cut to keep it out of his eyes (just joking!) (I think).This guy is my favourite. He was very intent on watching the sunset…
And he was still there watching as the moon rose, making me wonder how monkeys perceive beauty…

Bundi.

From my journal:

‘We climb up to the Fort on top of the hill. Even though a guide informs us that it is closed for the evening there are still some non-paying areas to explore.

Al ventures into a courtyard and is suddenly rained on. The guide who told us the Fort was closed starts laughing and shouts, “The monkey, he is peeing on you. You are in his territory.” 

After this we decide it’s time to leave. Al wants a shower.’

The next day we go back and the same guide is there – he promises to protect us against any monkeys!I don’t think I would actually attempt any of these stairs; that’s something better left to the crazy monkeys! 

Agra.

The rooftop cafe of our hotel in Agra has a magnificent view of the Taj Mahal.But what we really spend our time looking at are the misbehaving monkeys. They break into people’s homes, swing from the laundry lines, pull the laundry off the lines and wrap themselves up in it, shake any trees in planters, knock over the lounging beds.

One sneakily removes the lid from a water barrel and starts scooping water into is mouth. A woman comes out shouting and shaking a broom at him, the monkey retreats, she closes the lid to the barrel firmly and goes back in. The monkey waits a few seconds and then bam, back into the water barrel!

Some of the monkeys see us up on the roof and head our way. The waiter cautions me to put my camera away as they are notorious thieves. But the waiter is ready, loading a slingshot with a marble and the monkeys see him and back away.

So much fun to watch but I see that it would be a nightmare to have them around all the time.
In most of the north of India the monkeys were macaques, very mischevious and fun to watch, but if you approached them they could get a tad snarky.

More of Jennifer Nichole Wells’ One Word Challenge: Monkey.