I find it funny what I remember about the places that I travel. I was thinking this morning about my visit to Diplomatico last November and as much as I thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality and tasting all of the great rums, it was the monkeys that stick in my mind today. When we left on our last day in the compound, we spotted a group of monkeys up in the trees of the parking lot. The characters were quite entertaining and left me with an indelible picture of the Diplomatico Compound and how green their entire operation really was. It isn't often that you find mother nature living in a "factory area" these days.
There is something about viewing birds, fish and animals in the wild that I find very heart warming and to be able to photograph them then share them with people is even more fulfilling.
These monkeys were high in the mahogany trees that grow in and around the compound. They seemed to be as interested in us as we were in them. These guys were really clowns, and jumping from branch to branch showing off their skills as acrobats. We spent close to a half an hour just admiring these wonderful creatures as they moved about in the canopy of the trees they call their home.
You would be amazed what you can see if you look up from the sidewalk to observe what is around you as you move day to day about this planet. The animals will watch you as you watch them, maybe for different reasons, but we do all co-exist in our environment and should be able to enjoy each others company. ;o)
