DAY TWENTY-TWO

We have been very lucky so far with transport apart from a couple of hiccups, but today's bus to Battambang was....interesting. The bus was a complete farce - at least 40 years old, stunk of diesel, loads of mad people, screaming kids, and bus staff constantly shouting what I am not entirely sure! The initial bus station was awash with tourists who had absolutely no clue what was going on, as there were no signs and the staff wouldn't converse with anyone. There was a group of Aussie girls who were on our bus, and it turned out thought they were headed to Phnom Penh, which is the complete opposite direction to us. It was pure luck that I picked up they were on the wrong bus. Pointed them in the right direction and we headed onwards on our journey, with our eyes burning from fumes..not nice. We stopped after an hour and the driver and coach staff got off and disappeared without any word. After 5 minutes I popped my swede out of the bus, and there they were having a sit down meal! After 40 minutes we carried on the journey, and thankfully they did it on a full stomach!! I'm glad they were okay..... Throughout the journey, the driver must of sent a text every 5 minutes, obviously it was very important and the lives of the 50 on the coach were expendable! I don't mind doing it rough, but my advice to anyone thinking of travelling around Cambodia is to avoid the bus services, especially those to Battambang! After 5 hours, we reached our destination...The Classy Hotel (which I booked originally based on the saying from Ron Burgandy), which cost about £19 pounds a night. Something similar in the U.K or Australia would be 5 or 6 times more, what a place. Very suave, clean, modern with a traditional twist, a huge pool, a gym and the room was incredible! It actually contained a shower cubicle, which made a change from showering whilst sat on the toilet, or spraying the entire bathroom! The staff are extremely attentive and helpful, the beverage is inexpensive and they have an open rooftop lounge on the 10th floor. Decent, very decent. We had a wander around Battambang, and I must say, there is nothing here really,apart from mobile phone stores, street sellers and moped hire! There are so many beggars as well - I gave some money to a landmine victim, and as he walked away, he retrieved his shiny new iPhone from his pocket and made a phone call? This phone call surely had to have been to his fellow beggars, as wewere hounded mercifully for the next couple of hours. You live and learn!