Battambang, blown away by the bamboo railway and the crocodiles

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Another long journey and another tale of woe! Our posh minibus from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh broke down half way there. That meant a late arrival and when we arrived at our hotel (Hotel Number Nine for those wanting a black list!) we were offered a room with a ventilation shaft right outside the window. We were assured that the noise, which was so loud it prevented conversation, would cease around midnight. We had a 7am bus so there was no way we could stay in that room. Instead we were shunted into a tiny single room where you couldn't swing a mouse, let alone a cat. The next morning the tale of woe continued as our 7am pick up didn't turn up. There had been an accident we were told. Fair enough but rather than wait around into the afternoon (we had already checked out) to see if another pick up arrived, we went to the bus office. There was no accident, unless you call forgetting to put our names on the list of passengers an accident. We stood our ground and eventually they put us in a taxi all the way to Battambang. Well, it was Trish's birthday and a nice hotel awaited us. We didn't want to waste the day!

On arrival in Battambang the taxi driver couldn't find the hotel. A tuk-tuk driver helped out and soon we were drinking a cold fruit juice at the Phka Villa. This turned out to be a fantastic place to stay. Ok, so it was a little more pricey then what we usually go for ($45 a night) but it was peaceful and had an amazing pool. The rooms were lovely too with fresh hibiscus flowers strewn around on a daily basis to act as a natural air freshener. We were so happy we ended up staying 4 nights and could easily have delayed our departure further. That night it rained incessantly so we decided to celebrate Trish's birthday with a steak and a bottle of red in the hotel restaurant. It was well worth the splurge. After dinner the rain had stopped so we decided to walk into town for a drink. The road down to the river is dark and unmade so our torches were a necessity. We had to wade through some unsavoury puddles and past some unsavoury restaurants where the girls were waiting in a row outside. That wasn't the unsavoury part though, the karaoke going on was the killer for us. In town we found a great bar called Madison Corner where we went for a drink every evening because it was so good.

The next day was a bit damp. We decided to explore the town rather than go out on a day trip. There's actually quite a lot to keep you busy. The Buddhist temples are worth a slow wander around. They are colourful and picturesque, and nobody bothered us at all while we were there. That's always a bonus in our eyes. Battambang also has an abandoned railway station which you can visit. Cows now graze where the rails are buried deep under the pasture and there are some intriguing buildings crumbling away which are good to peek into. Unfortunately we were not allowed into the rail yard where, according to guide books, rusting wrecks of locomotives await you. From there we had a walk (via more temples) to the old colonial area to see the Governor's Mansion. It was nice but you could only see it from the outside. No visitors! We popped into a couple more temples on our way back to the hotel. They were fascinating and a real taster for what was to come at Angkor Wat.

The hotel had arranged for us to spend the following day being driven around the countryside on a tuk tuk. The weather was almost perfect and we were soon whizzing down dusty red tracks in the middle of nowhere. All of a sudden we drew to a halt and we were at the famous Bamboo Railway. The Khmer Rouge regime saw the end of Cambodia's railway network. Some enterprising locals created the bamboo railway to transport goods around the countryside. Using the existing tracks they constructed platforms to move along powered by old motorbike engines. Nowadays goods are still transported but the main cargo is tourists. For $5 you can sit on a bamboo platform and be shaken along for about half an hour to another village. Along the way you have to stop when you meet oncoming traffic. One of the platforms is lifted off the rails to allow the other to pass. Two pieces of advice - bring a cushion and keep your mouth shut unless eating bugs (and not deep fried ones) is your thing! At the far end we were swamped by kids and adults alike wanting to sell us trinkets and teeshirts. It's impossible to avoid them. We failed and bought a teeshirt and a couple of bracelets. We only bought from the girls though which led to quite a bit of whinging from the boys, especially as their nicknacks were cheaper. "Why you buy girl? I boy. I cheaper but you only want girl" should only be read in the context of this paragraph please!!!

After a quick look at the brick kilns it was time for a bone shaking return to our tuk tuk. Our driver then took us to an "Ancient House" which is a wooden structure more than a hundred years old. It is built on wooden stilts to protect the family from the floods. Their translation software could do with an update though because everything was made from "a type of hard wood". Next up was a hanging bridge over the river which has transformed the lives of some of the villagers who can now get across with ease. At each end a list of donors states how much cash was given for the project. It really did swing as we walked across. After that we were taken to the winery. We use the word wine in the very loosest sense. Maybe Argentina and Spain have spoiled us with their delicious reds. Cambodian red left us reeling. You can only imagine then what the brandy did to us! And as for the ginger and honey juice, well at least it had a recognisable flavour!!

A scenic drive then took us to Phmom Banan. It was hot but we had no choice. 358 steep stone steps took us to the top. The stone temples there are said (by the locals, not by archaeologists!) to have been the inspiration for Angkor Wat. It's easy to imagine this to be true but there seems to be little evidence really pointing to it. Climbing back down we were in desperate need of a fresh coconut juice before our journey continued.

The countryside is stunning and riding along dusty tracks on a tuk tuk is an exhilarating experience. This ride was death defying at times. The track our driver was taking had suffered heavy damage in recent rains. At times we were afraid we might tip over and end up in a paddy field. Our driver showed incredible skill and we were left thanking our lucky stars to have made it to the other side! There we stopped for lunch before more steps to climb up to Phnom Sampeau. It was hard work but the reward was a network of several temple complexes with amazing views over the surrounding area. Bizarrely there are also two artillery guns left over from Khmer Rouge struggles. One is German and one is Russian and they were used by the Vietnamese as they forced the KR out. They are not easy to locate but if you know they are there, you will find them. Before descending back down the steps we got chatting to a monk who was telling us all about his project. He has built a school in the vicinity but in the end it had the air of a sales pitch, especially when he got his book out detailing exactly how much had been donated and by whom. We then made it back to Battambang before the worst of the rain came.

Our hotel had some bicycles that we could use so, with the weather holding up, we headed out of town on our final day. First up was the disused Pepsi factory. Unfortunately you can no longer go inside and have a rummage about. A sign outside says strictly no entry, but we had a look in through the windows. It seems that all the bottling equipment has gone now and they appear to be working on getting the building ready for another use. Nearby we visited a crocodile farm. We were amazed to learn there are 200 of these farms in Battambang alone. For $2 we were given a tour where we saw the tiny baby crocs which you can handle if you wish. On another site just a few hundred yards away are the adults. There were hundreds of them and they are fed fish and water snake once a week. We had expected it to be a horrific place but we left feeling that the crocodiles are really quite well looked after. These are "ethically" farmed crocs so they will eventually be used legitimately for meat, handbags, wallets and Chinese medicine!

Another fine find in Battambang was the Gecko Cafe where they do great Mexican food. You can sit out on the first floor of a colonial shop-house drinking beer and chilling out to mellow music. A special word must also go to the White Rose restaurant. Cheap and cheerful we enjoyed several typical Cambodian lunches there. Their menu is unbelievably big so take some time to browse it before making your selection.

Battambang, we love you and hopefully we will be back!

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Happy Birthday
The wine looked like a good idea. Glad they gave you a cab ride.

[Samuel David]

Good one
Like it. Was good.