bamboo...

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After a bum numbing 5 hours on the bus finally arrived in battambang, was desturbed by what the lonely planet describes as 'french colonial arcitechure', was wondering which era of french colonism they meant...the 1970's?
Anyway is a big city with the usual scrum of tuk tuk drivers. found a decent hotel for $8 and after much haggling booked him for a trip out the next day with an american and french woman..$3 each..
Next day went on the bamboo railway, was so much fun clanking along the old railway, think is mostly a tourist thing as everyone turned up at same time and were despatched down the railway for about half an hour through the country side on what can only be described as a fence panel on wheels. eventually arrived at probably someones cafe in the middle of nowhere for an hours stop. Of course the usual swarm of kids were there who must fine it fascinating to watch all these pail westerners ride into their village and sit around for an hour before going back. After much exchanges of hello etc they ask the usual 'where you from?' and after hearing me say 'manchester' they repiled for the first time ever with ' manchester city!!!' thus followed a mass arguement over which team was best and so the only way to settle it was an inpromptu game of football. which must be the only 'derby match' where the pitch had some railway tracks going through it. Of course man utd won. Then it was back down the tracks to where we all started from.. It was great fun and even got to have a go at driving on the way back, so fulfilled a life time ambition and drove a train... my mam will be so proud of me...
Then we got droped off at the bottom of a big hill and walked up to see the temple at the top and visit 'the killing cave', a guy told us the story of how the khmer rouge through their victims into it after hitting them over the head, leaving a pile of dead and decaying bodies.
Then back to Battambang.... And then another bum numbing trip to phnom pehn, my ass is really taking some punishment on this trip, but at least my bladder is now trained to hold on forever.....

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