Battambang - where a "new race" is declared

---

The way to go from Siem Reap to Battambang is by boat. Do not take the bus. The boat gives you the chance to have a quick view of what the real Cambodia, the one living in the countryside, looks like. It's poor. Yes, in Siem Reap you have signs of poverty, but tourism has brought money and you can also see that. 9 hours on the boat, sharing it with local people, seeing floating villages, the landscape and the small house constructions on the riverside is really interested. However, do not forget to take earplugs and to sit on the roof when possible!

It has been in Battambang, a not so touristy town in the Northwest of Cambodia, where I have decided to declare a new race. I have been on the road for over a month now and I have travelled previously a lot. I have meet people from all types, races, nationalities and cultures so far. People understand and accept that we are all different, and that there are races or types of people with different features, some of them common for a certain group of people. But only people of one nationality do not seem to understand that my features do differenciate theirs and make always the same comment: "Pero que blanca estas!" ("You are so white!")

It is funny that it had to be an elderly Spanish woman in Battambang who made such an intelligent comment. Therefore, ladies and gentleman, to make it easier to Spanish people, and specially to spare them making further comments that make their IQ tumble in high speed, I have decided to declare the existance of a new race: the REDHEADS (Redhairds, ginger, auburns, all in the same pot). Redheads do not get tanned. Redheads have white skin. Redheads have some frekles on their white skin. Redheads are redheads. You do not tell an afroamerican how black he is. The same whith redheads. You do not tell them how white they are. And I am a redhead. :-))

Now, what do redheads do in Battambang? They got on Battambang's famous bamboo train and risk their lifes standing on it (not sitting) while it is driving. They aldo go to see the cave where the Khmer Rouge killed over 10.000 people (I still can not believe that the Khmer Rouge probably killed over 1,5million people simply because they were educated people (teachers, doctors, lawyers, business people), not because of their race, nationality, culture, religion or territory. They killed their own people withthe intention to have the most basic population as possible). Redheads in Battamnang also wait until sunset to see the millions of flats flying out of the cave that creat a huge black flying snake in the sky before flying to the lake in order to eat mosquitos.

Battambang is small, has still a Frensh touch of the colonial times, does almost not have restaurants and bars and is focused on local people (you almost do not find souvenir shops). It's nice to go to Battambang (I stayed at the Royal Hotel - clean big rooms), but do not stay too

---

Photos

My friend on the boat
During our 9 hours of boat ride, we became good friends. She actually slept on my lap! Quien me ha visto y quien me ve!! ;-)

Khmer Cementery
This is actually the first cementary I see in my whole travels...

Incense making
I was walking on a street when a woman with a baby in her arms stops me and tells me to follow her. So I do!! She shows me a incese workshop!! Really interesting!

Letting one train pass by!
If two bamboo trains cross each other, the one with less load has to get off the trainrails and let the other pass by.

Comments

[Blanca Silva]

Hola
Vikyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jajajajaja como me he reido con lo de que blanca estás!!! Que verdad más grande!!!jajajaja acuérdate que en vietnam hasta brillabas en la oscuridad!!! ;-) Oye te mandé un mail por facebook...lo recibiste?? Sigue disfrutando! Besossss

[Santi]

Muy bueno!
arriba las pelirrojas! por cierto espero que no te comieras las ranas xq tienen una pinta horrible ;-)