Pepper Harvest Trip • Day 10 • Monkey Mayhem • Rajasthan India

Sure enough, when we arrived, four gray, long-tailed langur monkeys were scattered around the clearing 30 feet away. We pulled out our cameras and started clicking shots through the windows.

Nothing could prepare us for the monkey mayhem that was about to ensue.

Out of nowhere, a monkey landed on the windshield of our SUV. And then another one followed. And a third. A fourth pitter pattered across our rooftop.

It was literally raining monkeys on our car.

BK turned around to us and asked for some food. In seconds, Alan pulled out a Horlicks brand digestive biscuit. The monkeys, curiously brand loyal, jumped to Alan’s window and watched him unwrap the treat with baited monkey breath.

Alan tossed the biscuit to BK. And I thought BK would quickly toss it out to the monkeys. But for some reason, BK took his time lowering his window. Inch. By. Inch. By. Inch. BK must have opened the window a good seven inches. By my calculation, a monkey’s head is five inches. Not a good relationship.

A monkey grabbed the top of the window with one hand and plunged his other hand into the car. A second langur put his head into the opening and stared me down, just a foot away.

This brought back terrifying memories of watching the flying monkey scene from The Wizard of Oz when I was growing up. Whenever that part came on, I used to yell to my mom, “Turn it off! Turn it off!”

This time I found myself yelling to BK, “Close the window! Close the window!”

Finally, BK was able close it and help prevent our SUV from turning into the monkey mobile.

Yes, BK, that’s right. “Keep the glass closed.”