thurs day 132

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With Jenna and I having a full day in Battambang we hired our tuk tuk driver for today to go and see the sights. Arranging for a not too early start of 10am we headed off to go and see the bamboo railway. Nowadays this is only really used as a tourist attraction, but as the name suggests it used to be used for the sole purpose of transporting bamboo. The 'train' is a a small flat surface ( made of bamboo) which is lifted onto two sets of wheels and a motor slotted in the top! We had the luxury of some cushions to sit on as we travelled the 15 minutes to a small 'false' village - again there for the tourists. The journey, if a little bumpy and a little loud was good fun - whizzing through the surrounding countryside with the wind rushing through our hair! As we stepped off the train at the village about half a dozen kids came rushing up to us again asking for food/money - anything really. Being handed a ring and a grasshopper they had fashioned out of grass, I gave them some riel - as did Jenna. Stopping off for a fresh coconut we sat with a lovely Cambodian family and chatted for a bit until helping to make up the train and being driven back. Back in the tuk tuk we were driven towards a temple, on the way stopping at a miniature Golden Gate Bridge ( pretty impressive seeing as it was in the middle of nowhere!). Hearing booming music, we drove past a wedding - sounded more like a rave! And through a muslim village before stopping off for a drink. Continuing on we stopped off at a vineyard ( don't see many of these in Cambodia) and finally got to the bottom of over 350 steps - leading up to said temple! Climbing the steps and passing a few adults and children begging with deformed limbs - or no limbs! And being fanned by a couple of kids who were also asking for money - its tough to have to say no sometimes. Id love to have enough money to be able to make their lives better but I don't, unless you're successful life is pretty tough out here. Making it to the top and taking a few pictures we started the descent. Stopping for another drink before heading off to the final stop which would be the killing caves and another temple - but this one with a view. We opted to jump on the back of a motorbike to the top of the hill as its too unsafe to get the tuk tuk up there! Being led by foot down to the caves by a couple of young boys - it was easily signposted - but we knew their intentions! The caves were beautiful and in part contained a temple with a reclining Buddha and also had many bats fluttering around. When the Khmer rouge were killing their own people in the late 70's, they would break peoples necks, arms and legs and push the half dead adults/children and babies into the caves to die. Now there are two shrines full of human bones in the cave - one for adults - one for children together with drawings and the horrific number of people who perished here. Jenna and I sat for a moment in silence - there was nothing to be said.

From the caves we were taken up the temple at the top of the hill, again on the back of the bikes. After having a wander round and looking at the lovely far reaching views we started the walk back down. Meeting up with our driver we were driven back to our hotel - it had been a good day so we tipped him. Grabbing a quick shower we then headed out to find a recommended restaurant - which we eventually found after both losing our bearings a bit! Had a lovely meal and we wandered back via the night market.

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