Originally I had no intention of visiting Battembang. In fact, I had never heard of it, Cambodia's second largest city, until somebody told me about it. The town is decent, nothing special, but the countryside is one of two reasons people visit. The other, and the chief reason I was there, was to take what is supposedly Cambodia's most beautiful stretch of water from Battembang to Siem Reap.
The first day I was in Battembang I was walking through the local market for a small bite when somebody asked me what I was looking for. I told him. He said I could get that dish "over there" but that it was not too good (a statement like this is highly unusual as just about everybody knows just about everybody and gets a commission from everybody for everything). I said "OK, thanks, good to know." He invited me to sit down with him and talk and for some reason I accepted. This guy, Yali, works in the market during the nights and is a security guard (which probably means he just sleeps somewhere in the market). He said he often talks to foreigners such as myself and sometimes has some over to his home for dinner. I said this was nice of him. He invited me and, against my better judgement but in line with my instincts, I accepted. We would meet later that evening and he would take me on his motorbike to his home, we would eat, and he would bring me back. I was still a little hesitant so I made sure to leave my passport and all but US$10 in my room so that if something happened I would not be out much. Fortunately my anxiety was unjustified and his intentions were pure. Once at his home, Yali even showed my pictures of the other foreigners that had eaten there. One guy, he said, stayed in Battembang for a month and virtually all of that time with Yali.
After dinner he returned me to the market area (right near my guesthouse) and we agreed to meet at 11AM the following day. At that time, he would take me to him home again for lunch and would show my around the countryside. I took the same precautions
as I did the previous day, except this time I took about US$20 in case I needed to pay entrance into something.
The countryside fulfills its reputation. There are a handful of temples that are OK but the real thing to do is just stop and talk to random locals. And, with the help of Yali, this was no problem. It was a cool day and a break from interacting with other tourists. We also took a ride on the "famous" bamboo train in Battembang. It was a trip; going what felt pretty fast down a train track that has never been maintained on a platform made of bamboo with an engine. That is all. After an afternoon of exploring we returned once again to his home for dinner and then he dropped me off once again near the market. I would be leaving the following day so we parted ways. I gave him some cash for his efforts, which we had never formally discussed, but I felt that I should give him something for his time and the food.
While Yali presented no problems for me, he is not without issues. If my count is correct, he refered to three different wives and several different current girlfriends. All of that might be lies but it was still uncomfortable and weird to listen to, especially when discussed in front of his pregnant wife that does not understand English.
In the guesthouse that I was staying I met a Dutch guy, Rick, who was making the same boat trip as me and we decided to travel together. The boat trip was pretty awesome. It is dry season right now so the river is low so the ride takes considerably longer. There were several times when we got stuck in the mud. The first 1.5-2 hours were not enjoyable for me but after that it was good all around with great views and brief, but real looks into the lives of the people living along the river. Certainly glad I did it.
04 March 2010
Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Home of the best beaches in Cambodia, Sihanoukville does not disappoint. The shore is littered with beach after beach each its own personality. Sokha Beach is up-market, filled with resorts and middle-aged to elderly, rich white people. Serendipity Beach is the backpacker area. Ochheutal Beach is where the masses are. Independence Beach is nice and quiet. Otres Beach is out of the way and forgotten. I stayed in the backpacker area of Serendipity, which is kind of in the middle geographically. The first day I followed the coast north. I am not sure how far north I got. I intended on getting all the way to Victory Beach but I am not sure that I did. I decided to call it quits when I got to will be a huge bridge that was about 5-10% complete and was not allowed to pass by some pseudo-security guard. It was going to get dark soon anyway so I was happy to end there anyway. There is no road that follows the water for some reason and the sandy beaches north of Serendipity often give way to rocks that lead into the water. When there was no sand, which was most of the time, I proceeded over the rocks with the water crashing into them. It was fun and decent exercise and provided for some stellar views and pictures, which will be posted when I am motivated to do so.
The following day I ventured south with the goal being Ortes Beach, about 5km (3.4 miles) away. I expected to encounter more rocks as I did when I went north the previous day but I did not. It was almost all sand almost the entire way. I reached Ortes before I was ready to turn back so I continued on. Beyond Ortes, however, I do not know the names of any of the beaches, but each was stunning. Ortes Beach is truly amazing. A small stretch of Ortes has a small crowd and several business (guesthouses and bars) lining the white sand but Ortes is largely unvisited and often there was not another person in sight. I cannot explain this as the views are better than the more popular beaches and the water is cleaner (though this is probably because there are fewer people). Somewhere along the way I managed to get bit like crazy by ants on my feet. There are so many bites that my feet look swollen and as if they were dipped in pale red paint.
At some point I stumbled upon a small group of people shooting a commercial for some drink. I think it was an energy drink but I am just guessing. I inserted myself into the ad (we are in a small circle huddled over a little bit and on cue stand upright, reach for the sky with a can of whatever-it-is-called and shout). Lame commercial, I know. The odds of any of the handful of takes I did being the one that is selected to ultimately be the ad is small but it was fun all the same.
Both nights I was in Sihanoukville I went a small night market for dinner. The first night I ended up at some noodle place and ate some of the best food I have had in recent memory. I made a point of remembering which stand it was so that I could return there the second night. After eating on the second night I asked if they could show me how to cook the dish because it was so good. They induldged me though the lesson was not too productive because they did not know the English of about half of the spicies and I was unable to decifer them with my smell and taste.
I tend to get bored of beaches pretty quickly if there is not something else to keep my attention. Though beautiful, Sihanoukville was no different and I left to return to Phnom Penh (en route to my next destination) after only two nights.
The following day I ventured south with the goal being Ortes Beach, about 5km (3.4 miles) away. I expected to encounter more rocks as I did when I went north the previous day but I did not. It was almost all sand almost the entire way. I reached Ortes before I was ready to turn back so I continued on. Beyond Ortes, however, I do not know the names of any of the beaches, but each was stunning. Ortes Beach is truly amazing. A small stretch of Ortes has a small crowd and several business (guesthouses and bars) lining the white sand but Ortes is largely unvisited and often there was not another person in sight. I cannot explain this as the views are better than the more popular beaches and the water is cleaner (though this is probably because there are fewer people). Somewhere along the way I managed to get bit like crazy by ants on my feet. There are so many bites that my feet look swollen and as if they were dipped in pale red paint.
At some point I stumbled upon a small group of people shooting a commercial for some drink. I think it was an energy drink but I am just guessing. I inserted myself into the ad (we are in a small circle huddled over a little bit and on cue stand upright, reach for the sky with a can of whatever-it-is-called and shout). Lame commercial, I know. The odds of any of the handful of takes I did being the one that is selected to ultimately be the ad is small but it was fun all the same.
Both nights I was in Sihanoukville I went a small night market for dinner. The first night I ended up at some noodle place and ate some of the best food I have had in recent memory. I made a point of remembering which stand it was so that I could return there the second night. After eating on the second night I asked if they could show me how to cook the dish because it was so good. They induldged me though the lesson was not too productive because they did not know the English of about half of the spicies and I was unable to decifer them with my smell and taste.
I tend to get bored of beaches pretty quickly if there is not something else to keep my attention. Though beautiful, Sihanoukville was no different and I left to return to Phnom Penh (en route to my next destination) after only two nights.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The reason I went to Chau Doc, Vietnam was to take a boat up the Mekong River into Cambodia and, with the assisstance of a bus, to get to the country's capital, Phnom Penh. The boat ride was OK; not as scenic as I had expecpted and hoped but nothing bad either. A boarder crossing on a river was kind of cool. The boat pulled to the shore, I had my passport inspected then sat in a room for about 1.5 hours, got back on the boat and continued north. There was some confusion over the whereabouts of my (and other travelers') passport. We had been told to give it to the operator of the boat, but then he, and presumably our passports, were nowhere to be found. I still do not know what happened or how I got my passport back, really, but I did and that is what mattered to me. All in all, it was a pretty decent trip with nothing really to complain about and nothing really too exciting to mention either.
Phnom Penh is an OK city. It is pretty compact which lends itself nicely to walking around except that it is crazy hot. The heat is really discouraging from doing much. I find myself trying to do stuff early before the sun is too strong and in the late afternoon and evening in an attempt to avoid being outside when the sun is at its apex. That said, I am still usually outside and doing something during those hours. There is not too much here. I went to two highly regarded museums which were good but small and too expensive.
I think my favorite part of Phnom Penh is the food. This is probably more of something I like about Cambodia and not specifically the city but I cannot speak to that yet. Everything I eat here is at least good and I find myself eating more than I need. The first dish I had in Cambodia was the local special, called amok, which is a curry with a subtle coconut flavor, generally with fish but sometimes chicken, and rice. It was outstanding. I have had it several more times since.
[Warning: Especially boring paragraph.] After months of needing to do so I finally got around to having my camera cleaned. It needed a cleaning badly. If you look at some of the pictures I have posted, particularly the ones that are zoomed in, there are spots all over the right side. Just a couple blocks from my hostel I noticed a small shop that had a sign for camera repair. I inquired if they do cleaning as well and of course they do. I told the guy that I wanted to watch him do the cleaning out of interest. The real reason was that I wanted to make sure that none of the parts of my camera were replaced with inferior parts of another camera or spare parts. Two and a half hours later I have a clean camera and a new fascination of cameras.
The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek is a must-see when in Phnom Penh and this is the only reason I went there. I knew I my stomach would be turning the entire time I was there and I was right. I do not want to talk about it.
Phnom Penh is an OK city. It is pretty compact which lends itself nicely to walking around except that it is crazy hot. The heat is really discouraging from doing much. I find myself trying to do stuff early before the sun is too strong and in the late afternoon and evening in an attempt to avoid being outside when the sun is at its apex. That said, I am still usually outside and doing something during those hours. There is not too much here. I went to two highly regarded museums which were good but small and too expensive.
I think my favorite part of Phnom Penh is the food. This is probably more of something I like about Cambodia and not specifically the city but I cannot speak to that yet. Everything I eat here is at least good and I find myself eating more than I need. The first dish I had in Cambodia was the local special, called amok, which is a curry with a subtle coconut flavor, generally with fish but sometimes chicken, and rice. It was outstanding. I have had it several more times since.
[Warning: Especially boring paragraph.] After months of needing to do so I finally got around to having my camera cleaned. It needed a cleaning badly. If you look at some of the pictures I have posted, particularly the ones that are zoomed in, there are spots all over the right side. Just a couple blocks from my hostel I noticed a small shop that had a sign for camera repair. I inquired if they do cleaning as well and of course they do. I told the guy that I wanted to watch him do the cleaning out of interest. The real reason was that I wanted to make sure that none of the parts of my camera were replaced with inferior parts of another camera or spare parts. Two and a half hours later I have a clean camera and a new fascination of cameras.
The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek is a must-see when in Phnom Penh and this is the only reason I went there. I knew I my stomach would be turning the entire time I was there and I was right. I do not want to talk about it.
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