Thirteen days in, one more to go, and until today I had no issues with crime in India. In fact, I felt safer walking through some of the slums here than I do walking through my neighborhood in Washington, DC. But today, on our day off, I was caught off guard. I was mugged…by a monkey.

With our first day off in two weeks, we decided to visit the Elephanta Caves to get a taste of Mumbai’s early history. These Shiva temple caves are thought to date from about 750 AD and are a truly stunning study in the culture and history of Indian civilization. The caves are located on an island about five and a half miles from the Mumbai coast, reachable by a scenic one-hour ferry ride from the city.

When we hopped off the boat, a handful of gentlemen greeted us, saying that for only a few hundred rupees they could give us a tour or provide us with a guidebook. I was very hot and feeling a little run down, so I paid no attention, allowing Darren and Steve to explain that we weren’t interested. I did hear one man say something about “monkeys” on the island and how they “like food,” but I figured it was part of his sales pitch.

We trekked to the top of a steep hill, at which point we reached the entrance to the site. Lo and behold there were monkeys everywhere! One was drinking from a Coke can, while another played with a bottle cap in the road. “Aww,” I cooed softly, “They’re adorable!” Oh, how the meek will fall.

We spent about 15 minutes in the first cave, and then I decided to stroll over to the second. With all of the walking and the heat, I had worked up an appetite and remembered that I had a granola bar in my bag. I pulled it out, broke open the wrapper and took one delicious bite when I heard Darren shout, “DANA! Look out!”

The next thing I knew, a monkey was climbing up my leg, his claws catching on my pants, his eyes fixed on the granola bar clutched in my hand. I didn’t scream. I didn’t think. I didn’t say a word. I just threw that bar as far away from me as I could, shooing the monkey away with my hand, open-mouthed in disbelief as he scampered away.

I guess those self-defense classes in college were worth something. I was taught that if someone tries to mug you, you are supposed to throw your wallet as far away from you as you can. The mugger wants the wallet more than he wants you, so you’ll have a chance to run away. In this case, it wasn’t a wallet, but a nutritious granola bar with seven whole grains and sesame. So, tonight, a monkey somewhere on Elephanta Island is sated with a healthy dose of fiber and protein. At least he’s not eating junk food, right?

So, that is the story of our day off. No deeper message here, other than to say that if you visit India, you will likely feel safe most places you go and will be at little risk of being attacked or mugged – that is, of course, unless you visit Elephanta Island and decide to have a nosh.

(Note: Inevitably, as is the case with most stories like this, the single monkey will eventually become a pack of monkeys who savagely assault me and nearly leave me in a pile of blood, sweat and tears before I – staring death in the face – fend them off with my bare hands, causing them to scurry away, trembling in my mighty presence. You’ll be the wiser for having read this version first.)

Dana Greenspon is part of the NBR team traveling India to report for the upcoming NBR series and special, "India's Promise." For more info, check out the India's Promise Travelog.