On Isla Mujeres

I'm back in Mexico and have made my way to Isla Mujeres, a tiny island off the coast of Cancun.  It is so damn hot that I haven't gone out in two days.  But today, I went to find a beach and also went to this weird zoo today.  It was awful, and pathetic, like most zoos, but worse.  However,  I got to see these spider monkeys, 3 females and 1 male. I love monkeys and was fascinated watching them.   Within a minute, one female came over to me and extended her hand through the chain link.  I touched it, held her hand.  It was really strange and thrilling.  Her palm was dark as well as her nails.  They looked just like a little lady's nails, all black.  The skin was soft but strong, and at the end of her palm it protruded like a heel of a foot.  We held hands for a while, then I was a little cautious that she might be aggressive, as a fellow had walked by and told me that one of them tried to grab him towards them.  I didn't think I had anything to worry about.  Not according to my gut.  We were alone and I gave them some apple which they nibbled at, throwing away the skin.  A few people came and did the oohing and ahing and taking pictures.  The monkeys mainly ignored them.  Each time the people left, and I was alone with them, they came up to the cage and extended their hand to me.  Two females, and the male once, but it was this one special female with whom I had this strange connection.  None of the monkeys did paid much attention to anyone else who was there.  I must have stayed for about 45 minutes.  There were about 8 people who came by. At one time, we played peekaboo, the little female and I.  Each time I thought I should go, I couldn't do it.  There was something more fascinating to observe.  Near the end of my time, she hung upside down facing me (their tails are like a 5th arm) and extended both her palms to me.  I held them for a long time, and she closed her eyes as I stroked the tops of her palms lightly  and also from underneath where they were furry.  It was really amazing and really special. Check out http://www.zooschool.ecsd.net/spider%20monkey.htm

I felt so bad that they were in this horrible fenced-in round cage, with cement floor, not even a damn tree to climb on, just metal cross- poles holding up the chain link  It should have been illegal.  I could feel her sadness.  It was all I could do to hold back tears.  

I tore myself away as she looked at me with her sweet eyes.