Signs of Respect

Before entering a temple, a home and many businesses, people take off their shoes. There are shoe people in charge of watching the shoes outside temples. This sign of respect is REQUIRED. That is fine with me but not with my morton's neuroma. The most difficult part of going barefoot for a temple visit is that the STONE floors are oven hot. I've started wearing socks and although I have seen signs saying no shoes OR socks allowed, no one has called me on it yet. Hindu priests generally only wear their mundu (sarong) and a white string across their chests.
In the USA shirt and shoelessness is considered somewhat rude or crude. It isn't seen symbolic of  a direct primal connection with earth and God. Many US beach town businesses have signs that say "no shirt, no shoes = no business" or something to that effect.
Why do monkeys love temples? Tonight as we ate dinner on a rooftop restaurant with a close up view of the town temple (built in 1400's) and we could plainly see a troupe of monkeys crawling all over the illuminated temple. Sometimes there would be a squabble and they'd go scattering all over the surface, but quite high up! I am amazed at how comfortable I have become with packs of monkeys running around me and cows passing me on the street. I am still wary around elephants but more I meet, the more comfortable I have become.