Monkeys are mean!!!
Today I went to Phnom Chhnork which is a cave with an ancient temple (shrine really) dedicated to Shiva inside. There are two ways out- the way you came and through the cave itself. Most people choose the former but of course I chose the latter. Why go to a cave if you are not going to go through it? So with a flashlight in hand and my torch on my head, I went for it. After exploring the temple area I dropped down a small, somewhat steep opening and continued on. Just me and the bats. I exited in time to warn two American tourists wearing flip flops and torchless that they would not make it in that state. Particularly since they were attempting to climb up whereas I climbed down.
However, as I was exiting, I realized that I had not taken note of the stalactites that are supposed to look like elephants. So I climbed the 203 steps again (easy after hauling banana trees up a hill) and took another look around. Actually, I was disappointed with the lack of stalactites and stalagmites throughout the cave. As a result, this time I decided to leave the way I came.
As I was walking out I noticed a monkey in a tree and thought to myself, "How cute." I pulled out my camera and that is when things took a turn for the worse. The monkey jumped out of the tree and eight others joined it. I was completely ambushed! Truly, it was a total gang bang - they were approaching fast; growling and baring their teeth. Luckily, a couple of French tourists and their French guide came upon the scene (which distracted the monkeys for a second) and we all made a run for it back into the cave. We were stuck there for at least twenty minutes while the monkeys held their posts at the cave mouth. Then something fell and scared the monkeys off long enough for me to make a run for it. I ran up and down those steps like a bat out of hell! And, as scary as it was, I live to tell the tale. I don't know the same can be said for the French couple. I never looked back to check.
