South East Asia trip 2014: JANUARY 20, 2014: BAMBOO TRAIN, COUNTRYSIDE TOUR, DINNER-FLAVORS OF INDIA

January 20, 2014

We have breakfast at our hotel. Fruit, toast, egg sandwich, and coffee for $7.75. A bit pricey considering our room rate is $17 per night! I'm sure there are other cheaper places but this is convenient for us so..... Tin introduces us to his brother Nani who will be our tuk tuk driver for today. Nani is friendly, speaks good English, and is not only our driver but guide with all his knowledge that he shares with us. It made for a great day.

We set off at 9:00 am and return to the hotel at 5:30 pm. It's been a very full day. Can't remember the order of what we saw but here goes-fish drying, sticky rice in bamboo, Somroung Knoung/Well of Shadows, fishpaste factory(very smelly), making rice paper for spring rolls(we sample these), silk & cotton weaving(I buy some cotton krama scarves for relatives), lunch at the WHITE ROSE, WAT EK PHNOM temple/ruins, Capitol Bus office where we purchase our bus tickets for tomorrow to Phnom Penh, National Bank of Cambodia, Ta Dambong statue, rice fields, Ancient House, Governor's residence, old bridge, new bridge, Wat Kandall, Peace Monument, and I think Wat Sangker.

Charcoal

Fish drying

Sticky rice

Sticky rice in bamboo

Somroung Knong

New temple-Somroung Knong

Panel-Well of Shadows

Well of Shadows

Fish paste factory

Rice paper

Making rice paper

Spring rolls made from rice paper

Silk & cotton weaving

Very pretty!

Krama scarfs for sale

Big Buddha-Ek Phnom

New temple-Ek Phnom

Ruins-Ek Phnom

Detail on ruins-Ek Phnom

Ruins-Ek Phnom

Details new temple-Ek Phnom

Beautiful ceiling in new temple-Ek Phnom

Lunch-White Rose

Noodle soup with vegetables

French fries

Big noodle soup with chicken

Capitol Bus office

National Bank of Cambodia

Wat Kandal

Arch-Wat Kandal

Top of arch-Wat Kandal

Ta Dambong statue

Rice fields

Ancient House

Governor's residence

Old bridge

New bridge

Peace Monument

Maybe Wat Sanker?

Wat Sanker?

Market

The BAMBOO TRAIN is what I really wanted to experience. It was a blast! I know it's a novelty and touristy but who knows how much longer it will be around. Cost is only $5 per person. It consists of 2 sets of railway wheels, a platform where you sit that is covered with a bamboo mat & cushions. It is powered by a small motor. Sometimes the ride was scary as it's bumpy, uneven, and you can receive a jolt or two. If you meet a train coming in the opposite direction, one train has to be taken off the tracks (dismantled) and then put back on once the other train has passed and continued its journey. We had to get off and do this 2 or 3 times going but not coming back.

Bamboo Train

We are ready to go!

It was a surprisingly long ride.

We had to get off.

Putting the train back together.

Looks easy doesn't it?

Some parts were scary.

We are back and all these people are waiting to go!

We have done so much today and thanks to Nani we have learned a lot about Battambang's past and its present. It's been a wonderful day. Cost for our tuk tuk driver/guide for the day was $20 and Nani was terrific! After getting ready to go out for dinner we decide to check out the sunset on the hotel's rooftop. Unfortunately no luck with a mind blowing sunset but it was a great day none the less.

Nani

We decide to try FLAVORS OF INDIA for dinner and it was a good decision. We have naan with garlic and chicken with spinach. While waiting for our food we hear music. My husband decides to check it out and I give him my camera. When he returns he tells me that just down the street a ways there is some sort of celebration going on with costumed dancers. Our food arrives which is very tasty. Cost for our meal is $14. Think the tuk tuk round trip was either $2 or $3 round trip. Upon our return to the hotel I decide to go to the pool and soak my aching feet. The cold water feels good.