Breakfasts at Cha Cha Nature Resort were either of rice porridge, fried
rice, hot cakes, pancakes, toast, or combinations of some of them and started
at 7:30. To make coffee, hot water was poured in a pot of very finely ground beans with no filteration. It was Indonesian style. When little coffee was left, more hot water is poured in which is like making coarse green tea.
We had a nap after breakfast as we had stayed up in the early morning.
The hotel faced the beach and when the tide was low we could walk along
the coastline. Since we were informed that there were bat caves along the
coast, we decided to visit one of them.The hotel kept four dogs as pets. We were advised not to take them because they would drive the bats out. But when we went to the beach the dogs were ready for finding something fun. As the tide was not low enough we had to wait another 30 minutes and the dogs also waited for us to start. In the end we were followed by a family of three white dogs because Chico the great dane didn't come.
Although it was low tide, there were some deep places so that our rolled
up pants got soaked. We walked in our sports sandals. A blue starfish was
left on the beach. Small lizards were running around.
After 10 minutes walk to a sea cave, our worry was realized. When we just
got to the entrance of the cave, the dogs darted inside and two frightened
rousettus bats flew out. There was another rousettus bat hiding in a crack
of the cave.There are 3 rousettus bat species reported on Sulawesi Island(Some taxonomists put one of them into a different genus). As the rousettus bats in this cave had relatively long tails and their faces were furry, we identified them to be Celebes Rousettus Rousettus celebensis.
As we got out the cave, we found one of the bats that escaped was hanging on rock wall nearby watching us curiously. The bat moved to a rock recess then it returned to the cave with another escaped bat.