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Published: December 24th 2006
Battambang has a garlic - I mean Gallic - feel to it, as it is made up of French colonial buildings set along a riverside. Another temple strewn landscape, we decided to visit only one of them, and along with our drivers, we mounted our motos - our only real transport option here - with trepidation. We wore helmets, which was a rare sight in Camodia considering the lack of safety-consciousness regarding the roads. Along the way we saw children as young as eight or nine riding around on motorbikes, and they give India a run for its money, for the 'number of people that can be crammed onto a vehicle' award.
Riding on the moto was easy, you just had to relax! (despite the rocky, dusty roadways and weaving motos). We arrived, windswept and dusty, at the foot of the temple hill. Climbing the 350 odd steps was easy-peasy for us hardened hill-climbers, and it was made easier still by the tribe of fan-waving kids who get back from school and go up and down the hill four or five times a day for pocket money every night. Wat Banan at the top was a ruined temple site with
views of the surrounding hilly landscape. We were keen to get to the famous 'Bamboo Train', so we were down the hill and off.
At last! We had arrived at the 'Bamboo Train' station. The delapidated train line between Phnom Penh and Battambang nowadays runs only a weekly service, and doesn't even carry passengers as it is too slow (About 20 km/h). The locals consequently adopted the line in these parts for regular cargo transportation - bricks, cattle, rice, motorbikes and tourists! The 'Bamboo Train', as it is known by tourists, is made up of two car axles, a flat bamboo base and a motor attached by belt to the axles.
After having read the Lonely Planet entry, Louise was expecting a white-knucke rollercoaster thrill, but instead, it was a bumpy but quite safe-feeling, scenic ride through countryside. The biggest risk had been whether we would have to leap off because of a train coming in the other direction, but thankfully that didn't happen.
That night we visited a restaurant where we were served by a small boy of about 10. He didn't speak much English but we managed to communicate well enough to order a delicious
meal. The communications with the boy reminded us of the fun of travelling, and how important it is to visit the smaller towns and eat in the local restaurants. The experience made us appreciate the welcoming and friendly nature of Cambodians; he enjoyed our interactions as much as we did and he was eager to satisfy each of our requests without hiccup.
The next day we were booked on a cookery course and after a trip to the market to see some peculiar foods, we headed back to 'Smokin' Pot,' our restaurant, to learn how to make beef lok lak, hot and sour soup and chicken amok. The Amok was the tastiest, a rich coconut curry - yum! Armed with complementary recipe books we arrived back at the hotel for a relaxing afternoon. That night we returned to 'Smokin' Pot' for another helping of Chicken Amok to fortify us for the next day's journey to Siem Reap.
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jos again!
non-member comment
June's work colleague
I am having such a laugh reading your photo comments - some of them should be published! Loved the dam dam sign and the Nut packet! how funny! and the porridge!! Most amusing - better entertainment than on tv reading your blogs! I did not like any of the references about the dogs nor that photo - found that most upsetting and yes it has confirmed the way they feel about their animals..sadly. Apart from that keep up the good work and your photography is just amazing!