DAY TWENTY-THREE

After a wholesome breakfast, we jumped into the pool for a swim in the sunshine. What a great start to the day. Feeling refreshed, we headed into town to the bike hire company called Soksa bikes, and hired two Giant mountain bikes for 3 dollars each. We set of for the ancient village which was suppose lay the highlight to Battambang's cultural insight. After riding 4 kilometres,we ended up in jungle, which wasn't even on the map! Turning back we stumbled across it - the ancient village consists of three houses on a dirt road surrounded by tin sheds , that are owned and lived in by Khmer families. They really didn't look very special, so we dropped d shoulder and headed for the second destination which was 13 kilometers away. It was quite a good road to cycle in, new Tarmac (shock horror!) roads with paddy field as far as the eye could see either side, and promised amazing views and a complex of mountain top temples. Just before we arrived, the rains came down in true tropical fashion. It was like being pelted with ice cubes, so we found shelter under a small hut and waited for respite! The tropical storms are incredible - one minute it is sunny the you may have an hours rain where it looks as if it will never be sunny again. Once the rain has had it's say, sunshine then features again, as well as the humidity raising up to around 90%. We walked up over 1000 steps, which is tough after 15 km of bike riding. Along the way we passed through various small communities, that were incredibly impoverished, unfriendly and a ridiculous amount if rubbish scatters about....oh and beggars. I'm pretty sure that we were cursed by one of the beggars for lining his pockets. Once at the top, we were most definitely treated to magnificent views. We were approximately 200 metres up, with a panoramic view of the Cambodian countryside. Again, we were stepping over mounds of rubbish. This country could be a gem, but everywhere you go, a combination of terrible organisation, pollution and a very obvious attempt by many to scam the tourists is most definitely letting it down. Reading between the lines, Cambodia really hasn't recovered from what happened during the Khmer Rouge Regime. Hopefully in time it will, but it will take an idealistic and motivated government to drive it forward. We cycled back to the centre of Battambang, dropping off the bikes and enjoyed a very tasty grilled vegetable sandwich, which was much needed after nearly 30 km of riding! The afternoon was spent in the gym, then the pool. The decision was taken to eat at the hotel, to have a break from being hassled. If anyone gets a chance try chicken amok, which is a Cambodian curry and definitely a taste tantaliser!!