The bus journey from Phnom Penh to Battambang was relatively comfortable, that is if you didn't look out of the front window at the suicidal overtaking and terrible road conditions. We saw our first fried crickets at one of the stops and tried some delicious green mango (artfully cut up and almost better than the ripe mango).
Upon our arrival in Battambang we were set upon by a túk-túk driver and a moto driver who followed us all the way to the hotel reception desk demanding to know what our plans were. The hotel staff didn't intervene, only meekly watched the interaction and our attempts to rebuff the inquisition by trying to check in. We hadn't actually decided what to do at that time and wanted to research our options a bit more. We did however take the hotel (and the drivers) up on their suggestion of tickets to see a show at a nearby circus school that evening. I had read positive things about this initiative, Phare Ponleu Selpak, a school which teaches the local underprivileged children art and circus performance. We were really glad that we went. The show was a performance by an older group of students who had already left the school and who in fact had already toured both in France and the UK. It very movingly depicted the turbulent recent Cambodian history through dance, acrobatics and painting. We both left enthralled.
The following day was a busy one. We had booked ourselves onto a cycling tour of the villages around Battambang. With our guide, a young student, we visited a variety of local businesses such as a families making rice paper, rice wine and dried bananas. Some of the money from the tour helps support these families. The cycling was also a low-impact way to experience everything and we were taught a bit of the Khmer language. Our guide then introduced us to some delicious Khmer treats bought from the roadside, such as bananas in sticky coconut rice cooked in palm leaves, sticky rice with beans cooked in bamboo and steamed fish in palm leaves. We were also taken to the fish market where the local delicacy, fermented fish paste was produced (thankfully we weren't offered any to taste). Before heading back to Battambang we cycled to another killing field memorial. Although made for tourists, we both felt this tour at least gave something back to the community as well as being a great experience for us.
In the afternoon we asked the túk-túk driver to take us to the 'bamboo train'. The train consists of a narrow gauge track on which bamboo platforms on four wheels are powered along by small motors. The rail tracks used to run all the way into Battambang but were badly damaged by the Khmer Rouge. Anything from rice, locals and tourists now gets transported on the rickety tracks. Hurtling through the countryside at 30 km/h on a bamboo platform would probably be banned for health and safety reasons in any western country but it was great fun! When we met with an oncoming bamboo train, one set of passengers had to dismount and the two drivers dismantled one of the trains to allow the other one to pass. The two drivers then speedily put the dismantled train back together. At the end of the line we found a small and poor-looking village. The local children made us crickets out of palm leaves in return for some money.
Although a beautiful evening we decided to head back to our hotel to prepare for the adventurous boat ride on the Tonle Sap to Siem Reap. We weren't quite sure what to expect after the contradictory reviews online but it would be an experience either way. All in all Battambang was a great side-trip and we enjoyed having avoided the usual 'banana pancake' trail crowd a little.
*Steph