Royal Hotel, Battambang, Day 2

It's a slow morning today as I come to terms with my childlike face and Amy sleeps. It is a slight shock the first time I look into a mirror and remember the horrific crime inflicted upon me yesterday, but after Amy talks me out of my slight depression, we are ready for a meal.
We grab some food before going for a walk around Battambang. There wasn't much to see on our small walk, and we were soon back at the hotel, chilling out in the hammocks on the roof top. Before long our tuk tuk driver picks us up and we head off on the very dusty journey to the caves. As we get dropped off, we pay for entry and begin our sweaty trek up the mountain. Our first stop after around 25 minutes of walking was the killing cave. It is a strange, eery place that we don't fell like staying in for too long. It has now become a shrine, with a large Buddha statue laying down next to a monument which consists of the skulls of the dead found in the area, much like the one at the killing fields. It was shocking to see and hear about what went on in the cave, where many victims of the Khmer Rouge met a gruesome death.
After that we headed up further to the peak of the mountain. The peak was covered in several temples, and along with humans, was the home of many monkeys. Amy was in her element and it took everything I had to keep her on schedule to see the bats. The views at the top were incredible though, and we'll worth the walk. There was another cave which was pretty spooky as we were the only people walking off road to make the journey through the cave and up a narrow staircase (while being ushered on by a scary local). We survived though and treated ourselves to an ice cream for the walk to the Flower cave.
The flower cave was tiny, and we were shown the way by a friendly local, who helped us climb through the rocks and out at the other side. It was nerveracking with the light from Amy's phone our only hope to get out. Amy managed to walk into a rock, getting a nice whack on the head. After this we began the walk down. Amy, still carrying her ice lolly wrapper, walked a bit too close to the monkeys, and soon threw it down in fear as one (the smallest one) approached curiously.
We made it down for 5 and got some seats to sit and watch the bats. We had a beer each, and both won free ones, so the wait wasn't too bad. At around 6, just as the sun was beginning to set, the bats came out in their thousands. It was an amazing spectacle and one that has to be seen to be believed. It was an endless black stream ducking and weaving across the darkening sky. Our tuk tuk driver drove us to a great spot to watch the bats flying for their food, and it made every penny of the tuk tuk worth it.
After the bats, we headed back on our windy journey, so windy Amy lost the shirt that was on her shoulders. We got back to the hotel and grabbed some tea, before getting an early night, ready for the long journey to Bangkok tomorrow.
A great final day in what has been an amazing country to visit. We will be sad to leave, but we are excited to visit Thailand!Baca lagi