Nigel: Battambang is a small town between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Whilst we were there we decided to go on an organised tour ran by the hotel that we were staying in. You had a choice of going on either a motor bike with a guide, or a tuk tuk. We bravely opted for the bikes. We set off from the hotel around 10am and made sure we were provided with safety helmets for the journey, even though Alison does look like she is about to do an armed robbery. Our guides took us through a series of small hamlets that were situated within the country side and they would stop at a couple of places of interest to give a brief talk. We learned about how the rice is produced and all the different types they grow (thrilling), we watched local fishermen catching fish with nets whist stood in the water, and we also stopped off at the local market. These places were ok but the next part of our journey got a lot more interesting. The first place we saw was the Killing Caves. The caves are perched high on a steep mountain which is only accessible by foot. Our guides told us that they wouldn't be coming up with us, so instead we paid one of the local children to accompany us and show us the way. The name Killing Caves originates from when the Khmer Rouge were ruling the country.They would send many thousands of Cambodians up to the mountain and push them down into the cave. This would include men, woman and children and they would still be alive when they were pushed. However, if they didn't die when they hit the bottom, the guards would throw rocks at them to kill them. You are able to enter the cave at the bottom and there are 2 cabinets where some of the skulls are kept. It was a horrific site but well worth seeing. We then ascended further up the mountain to see a temple. The temple was ok but the old saying 'seen one seen them all' did come into our minds. On the way down we passed an old artillery cannon that was used during the Cambodian revolution.  

Before we went to the next place, we decided to have lunch. We had brought food with us, but our guides bought something from the food stall. We had just finished our dinner when one of the drivers came over to show us a national delicacy. What looked normal turned out to be revolting. It was a plain egg to look at but when he opened it up it turned out to be a nearly formed chick. You could see the beak, wings etc. We did offer him a bread roll to put it in but he refused saying bread is disgusting. He explained that when during the war, food was at a shortage and starvation was a problem, they would eat anything they could find. He also mentioned that it acted like an energy boost for him. After this we went to a small temple. Luckily it wasn't to see the temple but to see the fruit bats. They are bats that live in the open and perch on the trees during the day and only move at night - or when the guide gets a stick and starts beating the tree. It made good pictures but I am sure the bats weren't too pleased.

Our last adventure took us to the so called Bamboo Train. The single track was built during the French occupancy and was used to transport goods. Over the years there has been little maintenance and the line has become warped through the searing heat. The locals still use the the track during the morning and tourists are allowed to ride it in the afternoon. The carriage is a bamboo platform with no sides. Due to the track being single, at any one time during the journey you come across an on coming train, the one with the least passengers has to alight and lift the carriage off the track. This enables the other train to pass by. We didn't encounter any oncoming trains but we did see the process take place when we got to the end. The journey wasn't as pleasant as we would have liked. Due to the track being bent and gaps between sections, you would get a bone crunching feeling every time you hit a missing section.

Alison: Battambang isn't the most picturesque place to visit but, as Nigel has described, there is quite a lot to see and do when you get out and about. The main focus of the town is the market area which was right near our hotel. We used it to feed our current satsuma addiction but apart from that we didn't really purchase anything. One place in town that we did find very interesting was a child care centre called Phare Ponleu Selpak which means 'the brightness of art'. Phare Ponleu Selpak is a Cambodian non governmental organisation which aims to support community development through providing social,
educative and cultural services to children and their families. There are 30 children who actually live at the centre and many more who are supported whilst living with their families. Phare Ponleu Selpak’s action is centered around artistic practice and the children are encouraged in visual arts, performing arts and music. The school has a very good circus act which travels around Cambodia, as well as to other countries. We were lucky enough to be in Battambang when one of the performances was taking place. The show was very impressive though there were some heart stopping moments when parts of the act didn't quite go to plan. We were a bit nervous when the fire show started but we escaped with our eyebrows intact! We really enjoyed the performance so we would definitely recommend anyone visiting Cambodia to go and see it and support the centre.