Cheeky Monkey

May 8th, 2007 at 4:46 pm by james

Sun City has changed, perhaps unsurprisingly, since I last visited in 1989. All those good things that defined it as Sin City have been ripped out – no skin-and-feathers stage shows and adult movie theatres here; even the casinos seem to be slow.

There’s no question that the changes are for the better, but it feels unfocussed. There’s no buzz, no unifying purpose however sordid. Maybe families will flood in this weekend to lie on the pretend beach, go on game drives or participate in any one of the miriad other activities I’ve seen advertised, bringing with them some life and vigour.

This morning the baboons roaming freely over the outside of the hotel building reminded me more of nihilistic scenes from 12 Monkeys than an idyllic African retreat … perhaps I need a good night’s sleep.

8 Responses to “Cheeky Monkey”

  1. james Says:

    I’ve just nipped to the loo and come back to find a vervet monkey on the desk in front of my laptop stealing the little packets of sugar from the coffee supply stand thingy. Have closed the doors. Am watching for low-flying sugar-rush vervet.

  2. Ben Says:

    I once discovered a baboon in the kitchen of a friends beach house at Rooi Els. Fortunately, being the man I am, I scared it out with my mere presence. Beat that vervet monkey man.

  3. james Says:

    Nah. If it had been a baboon I would have left the room and let him have as much sugar as he liked. I was on the phone that morning and a baboon looked around the edge of the balcony at me so I closed the sliding doors. He jumped down onto the flat roof below my room then, from standing, jumped onto the balustrade of my balcony – about four feet from me – and then straight on up to the balustrade of the balcony of the room on the floor above. Anything with that kind of explosive power and no sense of western morality can have the sugar from my coffee supply stand thingy. I don’t take sugar.

  4. gerry Says:

    Did I tell you about the time I found a gorilla in my cornflakes? Let me know and I’ll respond accordingly.

  5. Ben Says:

    Must be your cologne – attracting the monkeys.

  6. Steve Daugird Says:

    I once was attacked by three apemen. They were chasing me so I borrowed a kids wooden scooter and broke it into two pieces, using the bottom half as a makeshift skateboard. I was getting away when they got in their car and chased me all around our town square. They were about to run me over when I jumped off my skateboard, let it go under the car, ran over their heads, and landed right on my board. They were so busy watching my shenanigans that they proceeded to run into a truck full of manure….Oh wait maybe that was Back to the Future.

  7. james Says:

    🙂 good to hear from you Steve. Love to the family.

  8. james Says:

    Hmmm. Yes, Ben, cologne might have been a good idea. It was a really busy week …

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