http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Cambodia , North , Battambang en-us Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:37:43 +0000 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:37:43 +0000 After 11 hours on a bus through rice fields villages and towns change of bus at Phnom Penh we jumped on a tuk tuk straight to a hotel in serious need of showers food and a stretch. Battambang and the hotel Royal Hotel no less had a great feel to it very relaxed sleepy town obviously making the most of tourism with lots of visitors wandering around. We went for a wee walk that night http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-459874.html Are cycling days are now behind us. We arrived in Battambang this afternoon after cycling for the past three days. I know one little lady who is excited that the cycling is completed. She was complaining that 33c with 90 humidity is too much...The last couple of days have been our best from a cycling standpoint. We had the best roads today and yesterday with a wonderful tailwind set up sail http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-453471.html In our post last week we told you that we had a bus ticket for the 34 of our next trip to Sen Monorom far East of Cambodia... After that stop at 130km away from our destination we planed to catch a minibus. This minibus left our station 2 hours earlier than our bus... Not synchronized at all... So when we arrived at 1pm people in the station told us we had 2 options either sleep in the vi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-449672.html lonely planet describes Cambodia's second largest city as 'an elegant riverside town home to some of the best preserved french period architecture in the country'. in reality apart from a couple of dilapidated houses with French style shutters over the windows near the river i didnt see any preserved french architecture the only possible link to its previous residence is one wide road that has http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-441510.html Leaving Phnom Penh I arrived at the bus station with 40 minutes to spare. Thinking I would grab a coffee or something I made to leave and was instantly admonished and told to stay in your seat bus come very soon. The bus didn't some very soon it came at 1120 due at 10 and every time I made to move I was firmly told to stay put. Not quite sure why as other people came and went and then retu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-440686.html From the moment we arrived in town a fortyyear old Cambodian man had been hounding us to hire him for a motorbike tour through the countryside. Hersquod be waiting in the lobby of our hotel every morning when we came down and would ask if wersquod like to go for a ride today. His eagerness suggests the profitability of work with tourists over other traditional jobs available to him. We fina http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-433005.html After five fascinating though exhausting days in Siem Reap we took a bus east to Battambang. This bus featured one of the greatest signs I have ever seen. ldquoPlease take care of everything by yourself.rdquo Point well taken. The bus departed at eightthirty and by eleven had stopped three times. First stop was a peebreak by the side of the road. Second stop was a snack break. Third stop w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-432999.html 520 amWe tried going to sleep early yesterday but as we weren't tired we didn't succeed very well. Instead we ended up joking and laughing a lot. Perhaps that tired us out because after that we did manage to fall asleep.The next day the alarm went off at 520am of course not the most pleasant thing. We got dressed took our bags and got out of our room. The hotel staff was already up and swee http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-431374.html Dismounting from the boat at the dock in Phnom Penh we were met by a jostling crowd of hawkers hotel reps and moto tuk tuk and taxi drivers. We had a hotel organised and the address but they are not that helpful in Cambodia where street numbering seems utterly random. Perhaps this nation is psychologically secretive now and does not want an address to give away where they are. With our hotel http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-430586.html This morning we set off early to Battambang. Our minibus that was supposed to pick us up at the Banana at 710 our bus was at 745 didn't roll in until about 735 after Maly called them twice and I'm sure Maly was really happy to get a wake up from me to make that call as well. We were convinced we weren't going to make our bus but by some sort of miracle we made it. Battambang is north of http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-409744.html We had heard that the boat trip from Siem Reap to Battambang was very attractive but when we were told that it would entail 9 hours in an uncomfortable wooden longtail boat we opted to get a comfortable and relatively speedy bus that would only take 5 hours instead. When we arrived we felt like celebrities at a premier as the Battambang bus station staff had realised foreigners don't like being ha http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-404166.html 19.04.09 Our first day in Battambang we relax in the morning and then hire two guys as moto drivers in the afternoon. The names they give us Chin Chin and Tin Tin are hysterical but probably not their real names. The tour is four hours in the hot sunshine but it is made better by detours through all the shady back roads where the children look like they don't often see tourists as they all http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-397608.html A colorful homestay and community one of a kind in Cambodia. While experience the simplicity of Battambang Cambodia also experience and colors of battambang. Rooms begins at 20USD with private showers breakfast included. Book at mamaisongroupgmail.comNow 8 tents added to give you an even more natural feel. Bar pool table Flat Screen TV Ultimate Chill experience community.See pictures at http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-390367.html 11 hours worth of bouncy Cambodian buses later and i'm in Battambang the countries second largest city.........with approximately 3 bars Found a really good hotel with HUGE rooms massive and only 4 eachIt was already early evening so we went straight out for food and found a really good place. I ordered Beef Volcano. Basically really good raw beef salad rice a chilli peanut sauce http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-388979.html Monday we had the whole day to spend as we wanted in Battambang. This was the first time I can remember coming to a new place with almost no idea of what it would be like no map of the city layout in my head no idea what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to ride the bamboo train and and eat frogs but we had done that in our first afternoon. Now whatMr Kim had plenty of ideas. We said we wanted t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-386481.html Oh my what a dayhellip.Just hum the Gilligan's Island theme song while you read.We spent eight hours on a boat between Siem Reap and Battambang. Eight hot overcrowded hours with the most fascinating scenery along the Tonle Sap River. Small boats of all kinds fishing boats boats delivering goods and people and even delivering motorcycles from one side of the river to the other in the absenc http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-386391.html Well the quick shopping trip in Battambang turned into an hour and a half ordeal but we got makeup galore for the girls and toy trucks for the boys. Rey explained that these were things that their parents would not be able to afford to buy then so these items would be greatly appreciated.Church supposedly starts at 1000 and runs until noon. We arrived at about 1030 and there was no one around http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-386150.html I had emailed Som a couple of months ago asking him to arrange for a driver and car or van to take us to Battambang on Saturday take him along with Rey and the kids to Boung Priene for the night and pick us up on Sunday morning to take us to Boung Priene for church. Reyrsquos dad is the pastor of New Life Church there. It is where I stayed while I was in Cambodia in 2004. There is no hotel in t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-386129.html Both me and Lynn caught colds. I was a sorry sight of course being far more ill than Lynn ever was or ever could be. I nearly had to send out an S.O.S to the St John's Ambulance Service to come stir my lemsips for me. But it is unpleasant having a cold in heat and humidity. It felt like and in fact it was getting hotter by the day April being the hottest month in Cambodia. While I had this cold http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-385963.html Long moto rides and hikes up the the hills to the temples killing caves etc... And the heat is a killer with out the availability of water to go swimming in. I did try to go swimming with the locals after I jumped in the dirty water I quickly got out because of the smell taste and color. The local food not so good a little too dirty and cheap for me which I usually don't say. The White Rose http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-380227.html