Cambodia Part 2 - Battambang and boat trip to Siem Reap

We had a few days in Battambang and whilst we were there we went to Phare Ponleu Selpak, which is a wonderful organisation that provides a child care centre , social services and a leisure centre. It also has a music school, a visual arts school and a performance arts school. We went to see a performance in the evening that was being performed for the first time and it was incredible. It told the story of the Khmer Rouge and the dancing and circus skills were amazing. The story was also very moving and the music and art pieces (painted during the performance) were wonderful. These young people have so much talent.


We also did a day trip to see some of the sights in the area. Our first destination was Phnom Banan, a temple at the top of a hill, we got there early so we could climb the 358 steps when it wasn't too hot. Next we went to Phnom Sampeau and we had to ride on the back of a 'moto' (motorbike) to get up the hill, as the alternative was a long, sweaty, uphill walk. On the way to the top we stopped to look at a temple and the Killing Caves. The Khmer Rouge killed about 10,000 people here, including about 3,000 tiny babies. It's one of the saddest places I've ever been to and I was overcome with grief when I went inside the cave. The way they killed these people is beyond belief. There is now a beautiful Buddha and a memorial inside the cave. May all the people who died here rest in peace.


At the top of the hill we had great views and a beautiful temple and pagoda to explore.


Later on we made our way to the Bamboo Train station. The Bamboo train = bamboo platform + engine + 4 wheels, and it's amazing fun. The 20 minute journey is very fast and bumpy and if someone is coming the other way one of the trains has to be removed and then reassembled. We arrived at a village, had a beer with a lovely local lady and our driver and then headed back.


We decided to get the boat to Siem Reap. At the end of the rainy season the journey only takes around 6 hours but as we were going at the end of the dry season we knew that the journey could take 10. Anyway, we're so glad that we took the boat because we got to see lots of floating villages, very friendly people, beautiful wetland birds and stunning scenery. Our boat had a few problems and crashed into the banks a few times but this just added to the sense of adventure! Here's a few of the many many photos we took:






When we arrived, we had a 1 hour tuk tuk drive to our hotel and this was wonderful too. The people in the village were so excited to see us and everyone waved and smiled. What a welcome!


We're in Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat and the other many temples here.

This blog is dedicated to my lovely Nan who died in November and who I thought about, with the rest of my family, on Mother's Day.