The Townmonkeys meet the Green Monkeys

We're busy, going from one beach to another, now from one island to the next. We're now on St Lucia.
But first let me tell you about the Barbados Nature Reserve. On the way there we got lost - of course. It seems the only way on getting anywhere on a Caribbean Island.
So after a few detours and surprises, like hidden signs, hidden entrances and plain mistakes on our map we made it to the Reserve. Where we promptly ended up at the wrong attraction, the signal station which is on the other end of the parking lot. But hey, they have monkeys there. They seem to wander around and only come back for their lunch to the reserve.
There are lots of tortoises at the reserve who wander around in search for excitement or better said food. For some reason Little Monkey was petrified of them. He would only walk in a wide pert around them. Tricky as the little paths were very narrow. There were a few little deer and some rabbit like animal, a mara. We didn't see any more monkeys until it was time for the feeding.
At first there were only masses of tortoises and a few deer munching on the coconut halves and fruit. But then the monkeys came to have their share. The monkeys aren't indigenous, they have been brought in a long time ago and now run around in the wild and in the reserve where they come and go as they please. The farmers aren't too happy about them as they ruin the crops.



Here you can see the tortoises in the background, the monkeys simply walk over their backs and at times snatch the coconuts right from under their noses.


My monkeys loved wandering around and spotting animals, and even though Little Monkey was scared of the wandering tortoises, he loved pointing them out particularly when they weren't too close. Obviously. One of the tortoises stepped on Big Monkey's toes and wandered over her foot. "oooh Dad", she said thinking it was Daddy Monkey.


While Little Monkey was scared of the tortoises to the point that he screamed whenever one came near, he wasn't scared of the monkeys, he thought them very funny. Obviously a connection going on here...


There are also a few parrots and Big Monkey spent a long time chatting to one of them which every time she said hello, swirled around. It, too got some lunch and Big Monkey took great pleasure in commenting every bite it took, in between of saying hello.