Monkey Waiters 12/18

I had wanted to go see the monkey waiters for some time.  The trains were expensive to get there.  Over $130 for me to and from (William would be half that fare).  So, we drove!  Tolls were ¥5,200 each way, but we got kids there, and they fell asleep on the way home.

 If you're driving to Kayabuki, just put their phone number into your GPS:

028-662-3751

They didn't open until 6 p.m.  And we got there, and the monkeys were still ASLEEP?!?  What?  Will this 'it's never what's advertised' adventures stop?  Poor LoriAnne.  I'm sure she'll remember Japan was us Americans wondering around, totally lost, not knowing what is going on!
It is on a street corner at the top of the T, so it's pretty obvious.  Small, though.  Reserve a table if you'll be later.

 There is parking a short distance away.  He came out and showed me where to go.

 I made our monkeys do the 'speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil' things.  Utsunomiya is on the way to Nikko, so this might be a fun side-trip on the way home?

 BBQ chicken means that they'll fry it at the table.  They deep-fried their gyoza, which was different.  I still ate it, but woa!  Fat intake was pretty high!

 Here's the whole party!  For awhile, when we were telling the kids, "Well, the quarry was closed, but we're going to the monkey restaurant, won't that be fun?!?"  all the boys, except Stefan would say, "YES!"  Finally Stefan said, "But I don't want to eat monkey."  We explained that they bring you your wiping cloth/napkins and drinks, and therefore are the waiters, not the entrees!

 She came out in a mask!  That was weird, but they immediately pulled it off.

 She did stilts walking.

 Walked around on a ball,

 They tried to have the kids toss the rings to her.

 They let the kids play with her baby...  that made her nervous.  As soon as she jumped on me, they said (in English, and in a desperate tone), 'Don't TOUCH!"

 They didn't say we couldn't take pictures!!!

 He would tell them that their hands were like their hands.

She came over twice to ensure nobody was hurting her baby.

When we left, she made a run for the door.  Stefan, in the lead, tried to stop her.  She tried to bite, but caught his sweater sleeve instead, then couldn't unhook her one tooth from it.  A lot of shaking happened.  Then she went and hid in a tree.  Nobody was hurt.  :)  LoriAnne and I giggled and giggled.  We're entrusted with the lives of our friends/relatives children, and this is what we do... MONKEYS!
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