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Published: August 11th 2007
Day 116
There were two options for our journey to Battambang, the bus or the boat. We had been told that the boat ride was beautiful and we were a little bored of buses so despite the fact that it was a bit more pricey we had opted for the waterways. Yet another early start and we were in the reception of our hotel for 6am waiting for our transfer to the boat to Battembang. Boarding the bus we were told to squeeze into the most unrealistic places (Chrissie settling uncomfortably between two seats with most of her butt hanging in mid air!) as we sped down an increasingly bumpy mud road. Relieved to be able to get our feet back under us, we got our bags and settled on our small boat for the trip.
We got chatting to a nice English couple, Pippa and Bryn, as we passed a floating village and crossed the huge Tonle Sap lake entering the river systems to take us across north-western Cambodia.
Stopping for a food and toilet stop at a floating shop on the river bank, we thought it wise to use the local amenities as we still had
a long jounrey ahead of us. Around the back of the floating shop we found the loos which were basic ... well, just a hole in the wooden boards heading straight into the river! You could see the fish swimming underneath you as you peed - nice!
Back on the boat and our once quite wide river was getting narrower and narrower until we were going through what was more like a brook than a river with branches of trees from both banks scraping the side of the boat at the same time. This, added to the fact that you couldn't see the water through the number of floating plants, gave the impression of driving on land rather than floating on water ... quite surreal!
Eventually after a couple of times where we had to dislodge ourselves from the bank, the river once again widened and took us safely through to Battembang.
Checking into our hotel we explored the town a little before getting some local food for dinner and washing it down with a local beer with Pippa and Bryn.
Day 117
After a welcome lie in we went to the White Rose cafe,
The White Rose, Battambang
the best fruit shakes in the world!recommended to us by Paul who we'd met in China, for some of their fruit shakes for breakfast. We had a quiet morning planning our next travelling days and catching up on the internet and then we found our way back to the White Rose for lunch - their fruit shakes were inspired!
We then hopped on the back of a couple of Motos for a tour of the stunning local countryside. We were then dropped off by the start of the Bamboo Train. This is an old, disused railway line which is mostly used by local farmers to transport rice, workers and sometimes cattle. An excellent sideline for them is to transport tourists like ourselves who fancy a bit of an unusual experience. Simple carts are constructed by placing two sets of wheels, a bamboo platform and a motor together (it took them about 3 mins to build it from scratch on our arrival) before loading it up with us our motos and drivers and hurtling us down the straight but bumpy track. It was hilarious! The platform was really close to the ground and unforgiving on some of the badly connected joints adding greatly to our amusement. On the way we had to stop for some local kids, a heard of cows and another bamboo train coming the opposite way on the same track. We were at a bit of an impass until we were told that thecustom was for the lighter of the two carriages to dismantle their train wait for us to pass and then rebuild on the other side. With two motos, two moto drivers, three bamboo train owners and two giggling westerners - we outweighed them about 10 to 1. They dismantled their cart and we continued thundering on down the tracks. We had to admire the simplicity of it!
Ariving at the end of the line we both were really glad we had gone out for the afternoon to the train. A short moto back to Battembang and we had some dinner and a couple of beers before bed.
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Simon King
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Hi MnC, Where you been? This is my first blog in aobut a month. Think you've been censored by the North Koreans. Just to say keep having a top time and a big thiank you for my Gyoza Key ring. Ii nearly ate it the other day it was so good. More pics please...