Hanuman strikes again.

I'm back from Cambodia and Thailand. It was awesome, as you can see:

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

a tree growing out of--and devouring--a temple
Ta Prohm, Angkor Thom, Cambodia


Dr. Fish massage--the fish are eating the dead skin off my feet. and it tickles.
Siem Reap, Cambodia


another tree swallowing a temple
Ta Som, Cambodia

Cambodia's answer to India's autorickshaws and Thailand's tuk-tuks: the remork-moto. Yes, that's a motorcycle with a carriage attached to the back.
road between Siem Reap and Beng Mealea, Cambodia


one of Angkor's temples was left as found, without cleanup or restoration, and you can still climb all over the place Indiana Jones-style. here, I conquered a pile of fallen stones, some with carvings.
Beng Mealea, Cambodia


Vishnu between my legs is probably offensive. But fallen carvings and vines inside a temple! And vines you can sit on!
Beng Mealea, Cambodia

Did I even take pictures in Thailand? Yes, but apparently none with me in them.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the real issue of the day (of every day, really):

Monkeys.

Remember when I bitched that the monkeys are multiplying? It's not my imagination. My neighbors are all commenting on how many monkeys there are--more than they ever remember, and some have lived in Sanjauli for 20 years. And they are all quite surprised by this. Apparently, Himachal Pradesh attempted to sterilize Sanjauli's monkeys. Key word: attempted. Fail. The monkeys and their impregnation abilities are clearly out of control.

And I'm here to tell you why. Or at least to tell you my neighbors' explanation.

Shimla recently completed constructing the largest Hanuman idol in the world, appropriately at Jakhoo Temple. According to my Hindu neighbors, the larger the Hanuman, the larger his monkey army must be. Thus, with the new huge Hanuman in town, Shimla's monkey army must grow. As a result Hanuman ensures that his troops are impervious to any population control efforts. (My Hindu neighbors claim that, as Hanuman is Shimla's protector deity, these simian soldiers are actually defending the town, but I have to disagree.)

I am 100% serious. Big Hanuman idol --> monkey population explosion. That is the only logical explanation anyone can think of here. ...and I might just believe them.