Lost the Monkeys

Saturday 12 August 2006

Rodolfo never showed up; I don’t know what must have happened. Rob and I talked to a yucca farmer (the same one who gave Bernardo a yucca one time a few years ago). He told us that the monkeys go far, far up the volcano everyday, at least 2 km, but they come back down in the afternoon. He also told us that howler brains cure cancer (I’m not sure how exactly) and he gave us 2 mangoes. Rob and I traipsed around in the forest, not finding any monkeys. We did find a little boy who traipsed around with us for a while, but he could not find any monkeys either.

Rob and I went back to Mérida, but late in the day I returned by myself to see if the monkeys were there as the yucca farmer had said. I wandered around in the forest but after a while, I just went to sit by the beach, hoping to hear them howl as the sun began to set. Still nothing. Feeling very discouraged and wondering what life would be like at Rodolfo’s house, I began to walk back to Mérida. On the way, I saw some kids throwing rocks at a tree—there was a lone howler in their yard. I stopped and watched it with them, asking them many questions about where the monkeys are. They talked a lot to me and wanted to show me their pet “mico” (capuchin). I followed them with horrified fascination. They showed me a tiny little monkey they had chained to their fence. It was obvious that they loved and cared for it very much (they told me its name was Ricky), but it made me so sad. I don’t know much about capuchins, but I’m pretty sure it was a baby. My guess is that their parents must have gone up the volcano and killed the mother and brought back the baby for a pet, but I don’t really know. Its illegal to keep monkeys as pets here (that’s what Alvaro—the owner of the hacienda—tells me), but it is pretty common nonetheless.

Back on the road, a guy whistled at me and I ignored him at first. Then he called my name and asked if I was the girl who studies monkeys. That stopped me in my tracks. It turns out he is Simeon, the guy Alvaro had told me could help me out in the forest. Simeon and I talked for a long time. He said he knew where the monkeys were and we arranged to go into the forest in the morning to find them. Stay tuned!