Battambang–Cambodia

On our way to Battambang we stopped off for lunch, what a view aye!  We found panorama setting on camera.

We arrived fairly late, so went for a walk, where a tuk tuk driver suggested we go see the circus.  It started in 1986 at one of the big refugee camps on the Thai border, a French visual arts teacher set up some workshops.  In 1992 some of these kids started the circus group in Battambang.  The school provides free education to 1300 children, it has a library, art centre, animation lab, theatre group, public school and circus school, and has a residential centre to support around 30 children for daily needs and psychological support.  (These children are the victims of human trafficking and orphans)  The show was performed by 14-17 year olds, and was amazing!!!  The hour flew by!

              

Some videos of the fantastic acrobatics of this high energy troop

Next day we did a tour of the town by tuk tuk, great driver.  First off we paused in the middle of the roundabout to get a photo of King Dambong (means stick)…..1100 years ago there was a farm boy in charge of looking after the cows.  One day he found a stick/staff that if he threw in the direction of the cattle he could control their movements.  Years passed and he got bored, so he decided he should be King, left the cows to go overthrow the monarch.  With the help of the stick he was victorious, the old King’s son retreated into the woods and became a monk, he fell sick and almost died.  Meanwhile the King Dambong had a dream that he would reign no longer than 7yrs, 7mnths, and 7days and that a holy man riding a white stallion would overthrow him.  So he sent a notice inviting all the holy men in the area to come to the palace, with the intention he would kill them all.  The prince, now a monk, heard about the order to attend and decided to go even though he was sick, while on his way he met a religious hermit who insisted he use his white stallion to continue his journey.  The prince rode the horse and discovered his sickness had left him, further to his amazement the horse took flight, dressed in his orange robe the prince flew to the city. On seeing the stallion and rider arrive the king threw the stick at the advancing pair, but the stick didn’t work, so the king escaped and was never found.  The stick was never found but is said to have landed on the riverbank of O’Dambong River, which is why the city is Battambang (how is how it is said in English) Bat – lost or disappeared Dambong – stick.  The mythical villain is now know affectionately as Ta Dambong (Grandfather stick) and he got a really big statue!

    

Then onwards to the bamboo train (Norrie) It was first started in the 1980’s, having just emerged from the Khmer Rouge roads were really bad, and only buses and motorbikes as transport.  So they started the Norrie able to haul products produce and people at minimum cost.  They used to be muscle powered using poles like a gondola but a few years ago, small petrol engines were introduced.  In the 80’s locals say there were more than 1000 Norries operating along the 600km track.  It was really cool

        

Some videos of the train being dismantled, and some of our ride featuring my bamboo jewellery!

You go for about half an hour, then arrive at a small village, O’Dambang.  The kids greeted us with necklaces, rings broaches, made out of bamboo leaves.  Was very sweet, then they took us to see the rice factory.  One little girl was able to tell me all about the different rice they sort, who and what eats them.  She was an awesome tour guide and must have been 6 years old.  So the following photos are of us exploring the rice factory with the kids.

           

The Norrie is a bamboo/wooden platform with wooden struts resting on the axles of salvaged railway rolling stock wheels, the 6HP gas engine sits at the back with a fan belt attached to a flywheel on the axel.  When you meet another train coming the other way, one stops, takes the platform, engine and wheels to the side, other train passes and you reassemble your train and continue on! (video after the photos)

         

insert video

Then we got taken to the only vineyard in Cambodia, Chan Thai Chhoeng.  Lovely place to stop for a glass of wine, but I am desperately missing my sauv blanc!

        

We saw a tree filled with fruit bats, and a baby one in a cage nearby (it can’t fly at moment so they are looking after it)

       

Wat Banan, or Temple Hill.  358 different sized stone steps lead up to the temple.  I had a young lad fan me the whole way up, I did not want to be fanned,even the monks laughed as they could hear me try and say no, and he would just fan harder!  Wat Banan was originally Hindu in 1050, but was later rebuilt using the same stones as a Buddhist Temple around 1219, its built from sandstone and laterite.  Laterite is brown sediment rock with lots of small holes and have seen at a lot of temples.  Locals claim Wat Banan was the inspiration for Angkor Wat.  Was beautiful, and I got fanned all the way back down the 358 stairs.  Wat means temple

            

     

The buddhist temple where Pol Pot put prisoners before taking them to the nearby cave.

         

The Killing Caves of Phnom Sampeau.  This is the place where supporters of Pol Pot murdered local people by the thousands by throwing them down the cave alive. Every town has a place similar used to execute locals. The cave is peaceful and well looked after by monks.

              

Summit of Phnom Sampeau has some cool temples, but we did get mesmerised by a pet monkey.

                        

The monkey was fascinated by the hair on Andre’s legs (Asian men don’t usually grow hair on arms, legs or face) but when it came time for me to pat, it rolled over and wanted its belly patted, like a certain dog I know.  So not such a great photo, but was very nice sitting there patting a monkey!

    

Then we went to see the bats leave their cave, there was millions upon millions of them pour out from the small cave in a hill.

              

The tuk tuk driver took us to the rice fields nearby to see the bats, in the photo you can just see black streaks in the sky, or black funny whisps of clouds….that’s the bats! The video following shows it really well.  The end of a very long day!