Mostly Battambang Wednesday 9 December

Well and truly into our last week now, and true to form we are settling into a lovely pattern to the day.  I cannot remember when I last blogged, Angkor Wat? That was six days ago. Been a bit slack haven't I?

Friday was a shopping day, again contracted Mr Veasna to take us to the Cambodian Ceramics centre -too late for the classes in pottery and glazing. Drop the purchases at the hotel, then into the Old Market to purchase Lindy a shirt, and a few other things. Lunch and a drive around town - see a youth led anti-violence gathering.
Back to the hotel and again out again for dinner.

old market Siem Reap

chicken baguette with cheese but remove the cheese

Asked for it spicy hot, got it. Admit defeat

Mr Veasna, outside Memoire d'Angkor, Sivutha Street

Somehow we manage to cram everything into the suitcases, and wait for the pick up bus to take us to the bus station to Battambong with Rith Mony transport. One word - filthy, the bus interior has never been cleaned. The drivers are charging down the highway, the bus relies on the 'Asian brake' also known as the horn, one maneuvre involving horn and brake and lurch gets everyone's attention and I distract myself with a game on my tablet for a few hours.  Half way we stop for a wee break and get some snacks.  we roll into Battambong with few more incidents, but we are both less than impressed with Rith Mony compared to Giant Ibis.

As we get to the Battambong bus station on the southern outskirts, the bus is swamped by tuk-tuk drivers. I am in the window seat and a tuk-tuk driver is running alongside with a laminated sign saying "50c any hotel".  Sandy is off first and surrounded by drivers, and remains next to the cases. I take one look at her and see she is not enjoying the claustrophobia and then the "window-driver" is plaintively calling "You saw me first!"  I look left to a quiet chap and reach out touch his shoulder softly and say "Hello, do you know Sovannaphum Hotel"  he says yes and we're off.  Desperate for the drivers, as they meet every bus with the same approach.  Punyan takes us to our underwhelming $15 a night room in a six story narrow hotel, no common areas, no pool, no breakfast, across the river from the town centre. 
 
Its just a room but I understand now that we need a few more facilities to make our stay a bit more amenable. And the bed is a concrete block, a real se asian bone bruiser.

We arrange for Punyan to take us to the world renowned Phare circus later that evening for the 7pm show.

Anyway we wander the eastern bank around the corner from the hotel, big karaoke places or this quiet place which we settle into, have no language and just get beers.  The waitress seeems intent on us ordering food, no thanks, get some mussels wok tossed in chili and morning glory, pay $5 for beers and food we didnt want, and fiddly to consume. Thanks wont come back to 'Mario'

6.45 and Punyan is waiting for us with a big smile, softly spoken and very good english.  His is probably the fastest tuk-tuk in Battambong, after so many more reserved riders in Siem Reap, this comes at a bit of a eye opener.

Phare is outstanding - acrobatics, humour, juggling, dance.  I was grateful for the opportunity to watch their skills.  Sorry the pics are grainy I had to push the ISO to 1600.

Punyan drops us off at the Smoking Pot for dinner after the show, with an agreement for him to come back on Sunday morning for a day tour. A nice meal, but back to the Cambodian blandness, or subtlety of flavours.


Punyan comes back at 8.00 and takes us via a patisserie, where we stock up on savoury and sweet treats which we munch down as we scoot about the southern burbs of Battambong.

The bamboo train is a hoot.  About 6km of raggedy track through rice fields on a wooden frame mounted on two solid axles, one of which has a flywheel attached.  On the frame they have installed a 5hp four stroke motor with a power take off and fanbelt.  The clutch is a stick which maneuvres the engine back and forth applying tension to the fanbelt attached to the rear axle.
Get to the end and there are many small local shops. I make do with a Khmer coffee and Sandy buys some shirts, I buy some wristbands off the kids. 

Back along the track and then we are off to an "ancient house" where the family were decimated by the Khmer Rouge but he the remaning family  are struggling to keep the unique architecture in good condition.  Its starting to heat up, Punyan takes us to see the train station, sadly not in operation, and then to a corner where the private taxis gatheras we have made the decision NOT to go 12 hours by bus to Phnom Penh.  Punyan interprets for us, we organise for a driver to take us Monday morning at 8.00am. The car trip should take 6 hours, in a very clean SUV with cold ac and plenty of leg room

We walk through the town and although this is Cambodia's second largest city it is clear that neglect is part of the operating principle.  Its clean enough but there is a general feeling of neglect or lack of funds in the built landscape, the careworn nature of the facades, the general delapidation of the streets, the dirt in the air, the condition of the roads and footpaths. The city itself is quite busy but on Saturday and Sunday night at 9pm it was very very quiet, even the night market. We stop for lunch at Madison Cafe, for cold beers and a burger.

Battambang Governor's buidling

Always 08:02 train station

Cambodian Train Network

The railway to the capital

Madison Cafe - takes time to create the ambience

Grab a random tuk-tuk back to the hotel for a freshen up and a chill before we head out again at 3.30pm where we head south to the Killing Caves. It's still very hot as we move, yet in a tuk-tuk the breeze keeps us cool. Get to the base of the hill, get a couple of lads on bikes to take us up the hill on motorbikes, 400 steps with my left knee? No.

The Killing Cave is an opening at the top of the hill where the Khmer Rouge would take enemies of the state and bash them with a bamboo pole and cast them into the chasm below, a limestone karst cave. 10,000 or more killed this way. Awful. 
 

Quick Robin!

Looking north to Battambang

 There were many buddhist temples around on this hill, and a couple of artillery pieces, one German, one Russian which were aimed to the south west.

Back down the hill and a beer and sit and wait for the bats to emerge from one of the openings in the side of the hill. 5.40pm they start streaming out, small bats, maybe ten million of them, I didn't try to count, but was informed that they were too small to eat.  I hate monkeys, this one was relatively placid. Ugh.

 

Monday will see us drive to Phnom Penh - 6 hours in car beats 12 hours+ in a shitty bus