There is only one place I know of which comes close to the visual aesthetic of Avatar's Pandora and the feeling created by observing how a society might exist in harmony with nature. Tourists come here to look at the monkeys but there is an important message to be found amongst these ancient trees.
Monkey Forest in Ubud, central Bali
(recently upgraded with a new entrance and huge car park)
Ubud is known as the spiritual centre of Bali. There is a magic in the air here and the spirits are amongst us, very much alive & active.
Tourists flock on mass (when the volcano isn't smoking!) to this 'must see' pit stop on the usual tour of Bali. Yesterday my family & I visited this forest for the third time with some friends.
Unlike previous visits in which I simply enjoyed being with my family, on this occasion I chose to be the photographer I love to be. From our home just outside Ubud, Esteban gets to enjoy watching the occasional troop of monkeys pass by in the trees. But here he can literally touch them.
The monkeys
They are everywhere in this forest and take little notice of the humans unless they think you have something they want.
Walking through the mystic foliage, you will notice how most of them are up in the trees, swinging around doing their thing.
Those who come the ground usually do so to get food from the humans who give it to them. Naturally, you can buy bananas to give out at your own risk. They can be quite grabby!
They also come to the ground to relax and socialise. Here you can see two mothers with their children, one checking the other for ticks.
The Banyan Tree (Ficus benghalensis)
In the heart of this forest is a very special tree known as a Banyan. It is the ultimate swinging tree for monkeys!
It feels pretty amazing to stand at one of the many bases of this tree. The energy is immediately evident.
The multiple root/trunk system is created because the seed of the banyan tree lands on another tree before using it to send down its roots, eventually smothering and killing its host. It is one of the most magnificent trees I know of. The largest Bayan on Earth is in a place called Andhra Pradesh in India and covers an area of 1.9 hectares (4.7 acres) and can shelter 20,000 people!
Has anyone seen 'There are no forests on earth'? Reminds me of the proposed idea in this documentary that trees a long time ago were much much bigger than we can possibly imagine now. When I stand at the base of this tree I feel certain they are right.
The first temple was built on this site in the 14th century and still exists today. The carvings around this temple are exquisite, like something from another world, depicting weird & wonderful creatures.
What is the magical message?
To put it in one word: harmony.
Despite the occasional squawking of monkeys fighting for territory, there is a total harmony to this community. A connectedness we appear to have lost.
I was not aware until this trip that monkeys are seasonal in their mating. We had arrived in baby season and they were a little more territorial than usual.
Many of us believe humans evolved from monkeys yet few of us can imagine having seasonal breeding habits! I would forgive you for questioning evolution at this point and have personally been trying to unravel this mystery for some time. What I can say with absolute certainty is that humans have been walking upon this playground much longer than the authorities would have us believe.
If you don't believe me, please read some of the books written by Graham Hancock. I attended one of his talks in Bali last year and there can be little question that his archeological findings pre-date that which our history books speak of.
The breeding of the monkeys in this forest is not in any way controlled, yet they do not (like us humans) breed above a number which causes harm to the environment in which they live.
The only thing which puts the life of this forest in jeopardy is humans.
Thankfully, unlike ALL the forests in the south of Bali, this particular forest is safe and so too are its residents.
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