Bumming around Battambang

French architecture in Battambang
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We very nearly didn't arrive in Battambang at all, so this entry could have been from Bangkok!  When we got to the bus station at 6.15am we asked the driver of the Phnom Penh - Battambang - Bangkok bus when it was due to arrive in Battambang and he said 4pm. We checked - "Battambang" 4pm, holding up requisite number of fingers and he nodded vigorously.  So, when the bus stopped for lunch at 11.30 we thought we had a ways to go. Cathal was getting back on the bus when a moto driver came up to him and asked if he was going to Battambang, he said yes and the driver said "This is Battambang", obviously Cathal was sceptical. He found the driver, who had the grace to look abashed who confirmed we were just on the outskirts of the town and the bus would not stop at the station. Since there was no indication anywhere in terms of signs, I suspiciously got off the bus and agreed an (inflated) fare into the centre of town with our intrepid moto driver and his friend. Since we'd have been well on our way to Bangkok except for him we had no problem paying him a lot more.

View from the hill on which the stupa is situated, outside Battambang
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Having been deprived now for 3 weeks of hot showers we checked into an air-con, cable TV, hot shower equipped room and promptly acted like kids in a sweet shop, turning everything on!  Simple pleasures.

We very nearly didn't arrive in Battambang at all

The next day we decided to do a moto tour around the area. We visited a pagoda and cave where the bones of Khmer Rouge victims are displayed in a glass case, a stupa with lovely views over the area. An Angkor period  and a monastery with two Banyan trees covered with very large fruit bats. The trip culminated in a novel mode of transport - called the bamboo train. This is actually a cargo railroad built by the French for goods transport. It's a rather buckled railway which carries wooden pallets mounted on two sets of wheels which originally was pushed along by a bloke with a bamboo pole - hence the name. Nowadays there's a hole in the wooden pallet through which an engine resembling an outboard motor for boats is inserted and thar she goes!  Naturally we couldn't wait to ride this unlikely mode of transport - negiotated hard to pay the local price for us, our guides and got the carriage of two motorbikes free. We went on this very bumpy and noisy method most of the way back to Battambang, interrupted by a cart loaded with wood on the railroad, at which point we had to get off and complete our journey by bike.

Stupa
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The next day we lazed around and the highlight of the day (I'm a sad individual) was watching Lost on TV which I'd missed for months. I actually logged into the website to check the recaps so I was up to date - no point in having cable if you're not going the enjoy it.

Off early next day to Siem Reap by boat... next despatch once we've seen Angkor Wat!