Lopburi

Before I get to monkies, here's another ruin near the train station.

Wat Phrasrirattana Mahathat
I was just wandering round aimlessly yesterday (still recovering from the Chang's from the night before I think...) and stumbled across this temple. There was an entry fee of 50 baht, but it was after the normal opening hours, but the guy took my money anyway and I wandered around mostly alone.

The juicer.

Most of the places I've been have all had the budda heads removed. Sometimes they're just lying beside the rest of the statue, but most of the time they're gone completely. I'm not sure they'd just fall off in this case, the rest of the body is still there. I guess they're all taken as souvenirs.

Some more towers, in two different styles.

The larger center tower and a small one.

This was in a main hall sort of area, the window looks to the main tower behind it.

Lopburi Monkey Festival

From what I think I heard, this all started in 1989. It's an odd thing... During the rest of the year they're chasing monkeys away with sticks or loud noises, but then there's one day where they're freely allowed to eat (but only from one area). The monkeys don't seem to be everywhere like people say they are. They're mostly around that temple, and then there's a few around the hostel here. One even sleeps just outside my window and we've all been instructed not to feed it. But mostly, if you're not too close to the temple, you don't see them.

Now on to the many photos:

This is the temple. The entrances have been gated off to keep the monkeys out, but it was open today, but only humans inside.

Some of the monkeys. And one of the previously mentioned gates.  People were feeding the monkeys through the gates.

Keeping a lookout.

All the food laid out for the monkeys. But they were kept away until that thing in the middle was revealed.

They got bored of waiting and tried to raid some of the other food. But were chased away

Someone finally got something to eat.

They drink by knocking over a cup and then licking up the spill.

More festivities. These guys were dancing in monkey costums. Oh, then they let go of the balloons and they flew up towards the waiting monkeys and they ran away. This stuff went on for ages so I wandered off.

More trying to steal food. This time they were throwing food out to them.

Monkey!

Minimonkey, with a mohawk!

More monkeys.

Miniature and normal size monkeys!

More monkey chaos.

This ones got a sugar high.

Someone finally got something.

The media event of the year!

They were all focused on that covered object before. Which they took about 10 minutes to uncover properly because it was all tangled up (I'm not sure it was planned very well). Then they held up some flags of the neighboring countries, Japan, and USA. Then finally, it was time to let the monkeys near.

But they wouldn't come down, so they had to clear all the people out of the area, and even then, monkeys get hit for stealing food, why would they do that in front of people! It took about half an hour to convince them to come down.

And here they made it to the object that took so long to reveal!

Stupid lid, how do you get into it?

Melon head vomits little cups.

One monkey enjoying the food.

That's it for monkeys. Tomorrow It's off to see if I can find these sunflower fields, then it's off to Khao Yai to go wild elephant spotting.