Day 13/14: The journey's end

We had buried ourselves so far into the forests of the Cardamom Mountains that it took 36 hours, door to door, to travel home.  We went by boat, minibus, plane, train (well, monorail at Singapore airport), another plane, and car.

And IT'S ALL OVER NOW

TOP 3 MAGIC MOMENTS?

For Louise:

1. The walk up to Angkor Wat and seeing it for the first time in all it's majesty
2. Lunch at Knai Bang Chat
3. Siem Reep Night Market

For Ian:

1. Visit to the food market in Siem Reap
2. Strangler trees at Ta Prohm
3. Moped Madness

For Richard:

1. Cambodian Cooking course
2. The food market
3. Angkor Wat

For Jackie:

1. Angkor Wat
2. Kayak and Sunset Cruise
3. Cyclo Tour along the Meekong in Phnom Penh

FAVOURITE PHOTO

The end (until the next trip). 

  

Day 12: The sun sets on Cambodia

Designed for washing in minimum water

4 Rivers is billed as an eco lodge, with waste kept to a minimum and local people partners in the venture.  We were sad to hear that the energy is no longer solar powered as the massive (Chinese) batteries are not working.  Richard and Ian gave the manager a hard time on this topic but I think he held his own.  He explained that his main eco credential is that he could pack up the whole resort in 2 days and it would be as though it had never been there.  I was happy to do my bit to promote eco tourism - hey, the shower was even quite fun!  Louise and Ian discussed their bug problem with him and luckily that was resolved. 

The main attraction is nature's beauty - whether that is fishing off the jetty, out on a boat or trekking into the jungle.  Richard and Louise would have liked to do the spiders and snakes walk (ugh) but it has to be done very early morning and we didn't have any of those left.

A perfect moment of simple pleasure

Louise and I decided to chance our luck in a kayak and one of the staff recommended we both go in one boat, which not only gave us maximum rowing effort but afforded a sweet bonding moment. I was dead worried that I would topple the thing over as I boarded but all was well.  We circumnavigated the island in the river opposite the resort and by the time we reached the far side we were adrift from civilisation and our normal reality.  It was a thrilling moment when I simply felt in awe of our planet.  The fine weather lasted long enough for us to get safely back to shore before the drama of another tropical storm.  Louise swam home whilst the heavens opened.  Just imagine how I felt being trapped in the restaurant tent, with only Ian and the bar for company.

Richard finds a mate for the sunset cruise

We booked a sunset cruise along River Tatai. A simple boat, warm ocean breeze, a private tour just for us, two delightful local lads and a bottle of wine - a recipe for paradise. We got the chance to take a close look at the lush green forest and the unspoilt coastal mangroves.  Richard and his new friend chat away happily about how everyone starved during the days of the the Khmer Rouge and yes, they did eat the beating heart of a just dead cobra.  And anything else they could possibly find.We dropped anchor at a small sandbank and prepared for sunset. Wine was carried ashore and this is the moment, as specified in the itinerary, when 'you can snuggle up with your loved one for a romantic moment'. So, Richard goes off for a fag and finds an otter, which Ian is keen to photograph. Oh well, Louise can be my loved one then. 

The captain's table

I'm trying to do a Joanna Lumley

 

Another Moment with Louise

The sun sets on our tour of Cambodia

MARKS OUTTA TEN

Ian:  Best bits were the Sunset Cruise and nice staff.  Seeing Richard 'flying' (as per Titanic) with the cabin boy was an interesting moment.  Bad bit: having to book airline seats to go home, which was bad enough, but on a 2 inch screen using very narrow bandwidth (but I did it).  7/10

Louise:  Best Bits: Kayaking and the Sunset Cruise.  Swimming in the storm was exciting.  8/10

Richard: Sunset Cruise and Thunderstorm was the best. 8/10

Jackie:  Kayaking was brilliant and the Sunset Cruise was the most fitting finale.  9/10

  

Day 11: Floating on the Tatai River

Today we are travelling from Kep to Koh Kong

The idea was to make the latter part of our holiday restful and relaxing with a bit more posh than packing.  When Silk Steps put forward a couple of options to round off our tour we were flummoxed.  We liked them both and just couldn't bare to leave one out!  So, rather than chilling out in Kep for four days, this morning we were early again, packed, saying farewell to our indulgences and moving on to a second, relaxing location. Twisted bit of logic, I think, but hey ho. 

Beware!

We travelled from the Vietnamese border to the Thai border through some of the most scenic countryside we had seen so far.  At first we took the main route from Kep to Kampong Som (Sihhanoukville), hugging the coast on our left, with the Elephant Mountains on our right.  Then we veered off through miles and miles of lush wilderness in Boutum Sakor National Park. This area belongs to nature and road signs take on an exciting dimension.  Sadly we didn't see any elephants, but an impressive sized lizard took a casual walk across the road.


My right of way, I think

This way madam

Our driver parked up about 20 miles short of Koh Kong, where we, and all our luggage embarked by boat for the last 30 minutes of our journey.  Boy, are we deep in the jungle and off the main drag at this point. I am just beginning to think the last leg of our journey was a big mistake when 4 Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge comes into view and I think, maybe this is going to be worth the journey after all.

Our resort comprises 16 tents and a restaurant

Our final destination is described on the website as an 'environmentally friendly resort that captures the imagination while offering the luxury and high-end facilities of a four-star boutique resort'. Our tented villas bob nonchalantly on the Tatai river: spacious, fully-functional, luxurious and the most innovative of all our resorts in Cambodia.  This is pure, unadulterated poshpacking! Our tents are next door to each other and Louise and I enjoy swimming between the two: I read later that Siamese Crocodiles, once thought to be extinct, have been seen in the river! 

Louise relaxes on her floating patio

A peek inside the pod 

Another position for Richard and Kindle

MARKS OUTTA TEN

Ian - no real high points but arrival by boat after the journey was great.  There are significant low points: the millions of flies in our tent, it's too hot and the drains smell.  6/10

Louise: highlights were the elephant signs and swimming in the river.  Lowlights are the bugs in our tent. 7/10

Rich: highlights?  None, sorry.  oh, I suppose seeing the tent for the first time was quite a thrill.  Lowlights: I don't like their menu (and there's no other choice). 6/10

Jackie:  I loved the swim in the river with the fish biting me!  I thought our arrival and seeing the tent was a big wow.   Lowlight: the 5 and a half hour journey.   7/10
    

Day 10: Kicking Back in Kep

Kep is a small fishing village and holiday destination primarily visited by Cambodians.  So far, international tour companies have preferred to send their clients to the livelier Sihanoukville, which is further along the coast and has sandier beaches and better snorkeling and diving.  Kep is on the edge of the South China Sea and is subject to monsoons from July to October, which can bring in lots of debris. As this was April it was too early for monsoons (thankfully) but during the night we had the most spectacular thunderstorm that I've ever experienced.  It was impossible to sleep through the thunder, lightning and the deluge of rain that poured down for hours.  I think it is terribly poshpacker-like to sleep under a mosquito net in a tropical storm.  Actually the net turned out to be nothing but a nuisance as I squirrelled in my book, glasses, glass of water etc.  Anyway, there weren't many mosquitoes.

My attraction to Kep is precisely because it is quiet and not touristy. It is an exclusivity that comes, not from being expensive, but from being in an out-of-the-way place in a yet-to-be-mainstream country. Our hotel traded on the natural beauty of the blue sea, the green gardens and exotic flowers coupled with the gentle friendliness of the people. The website declares that a 'sense of the divine exudes from its location'. My overwhelming impression was serenity and enchantment.  



 After breakfast by the sea, Ian, Louise and I pampered ourselves in the spa while Richard settled in for a long session with Kindle on the veranda.  The Khmer massage was a bit too firm for Louise and Ian's taste but, as the website promised, I was 'rendered into a state of pure bliss and true tranquillity in the company of the lulling sea. 

Pepper tree outside our room loaded with fruit

Close to Kep is another small town, Kampot, which is renowned for the quality of the pepper produced there.  Experts describe that, alongside the heat, there is a delicate, sweet, even floral taste that puts Kampot pepper in a class of its own. Apparently the micro-climate between the sea and the mountains and the mineral-rich soil creates this special flavour. It is the first Cambodian product to enjoy the E.U.'s protected geographical status, which certifies the origin of regional foods.  When I saw the tree growing right outside our room with all the peppercorns hanging like dreadlocks from each branch, I realised I'd never even seen a photo of this before.   We were given a bag each of black and green peppercorns as a welcome present by the hotel, which has added a little style to the steak and chips I dish up at home. 




'There's pepper and then there's Cambodia's Kampot pepper' Time Magazine Jan 2012

The afternoon was dedicated to the infinity pool

. 

and the evening to quiet contemplation of fishing boats returning home

And we were so chilled that we forgot to give marks outta 10. 
 So maybe it ought to have 10?     

Day 9: Knai Bang Chatt

Today we are travelling from Phnom Penh to Kep



After all the dedicated sight-seeing since we've been in Cambodia, we're now entering the decadent section of our holiday.  After a leisurely 9am start we take the 3.5 hour drive from Phnom Penh to Kep.  We have a new driver, who is pleasant enough but there's a foul smell in the back of our minibus and Richard suggested he is probably sleeping in the van (and farting in there too, I'm guessing).  The air-con takes care of this little problem.  It is a good while before we clear Phnom Penh as we are moving along slowly with the commuters and general city life, but we're not in a hurry and it's good to simply people watch out of the window.  Soon enough we are back out in the countryside with the paddy fields, water buffalo and houses on stilts but it looks a little different this time.  I don't know - maybe the villages are a bit more prosperous?  Kep is the nearest beach to Phnom Penh and was established as a retreat by the French colonists in the early 1900s.  The elite of Cambodian and French society had holiday villas along the beach front and, although these were destroyed or ransacked during the troubled times, now that the good times are rolling back Kep is a popular seaside getaway again.  The road from Phnom Penh to Kep was mostly good quality, just a little bumpy for the last 15 miles, and the towns we passed through were bustling with life and trading.  Louise has resolved a little concern of mine - most houses have a hammock and there is ALWAYS someone lazing in it.  Don't they have work to do rebuilding the country?  Louise suggested that as there is only one hammock per household, and they tend to live as extended families, then the hammock has to be time-shared!  OK, at ease, so they are just taking a well-earned rest.    

Our hotel is Knai Bang Chatt meaning a rainbow encircling the sun.  If it sounds a little out-of-this-world that's because it is.  I insist that you click on the link to the hotel because I want you all to be jealous of where I've been.  After a perfect  welcome with a glass of ice cold passion fruit juice, we were taken to our luxury rooms with a veranda, seaview and fully working air-con inside.  We convened in the beach bar and, with nothing whatsoever expected of us for the rest of the day, we decided on a full-on lunch.  Seafood salad for me, goats cheese salad for Lousie and beef loklak for the men and a bottle of Sauvingon Blanc (or was it two?).   We were the only lunch guests and the staff were friendly and efficient.  It was all laid out on a white-clothed table by the sea with the lush garden behind us and tropical palms swaying gently in the sea breeze.

In the afternoon Louise and I did the circuit of places to park our bottom: poolside loungers, deckchairs, veranda chairs, day bed, hammocks and hanging wicker pods.

Next stop - Happy Hour in the sailing club (it's all go).  Louise had a Snake in My Swimsuit (so to speak), I had a Sunset and the men had a Pina Colada.  If I remember correctly we had another one. Who knows what we did next.... 

All looking windswept and interesting

MARKS OUTTA 10

Richard: Upside - driving past temples and not having to stop.  Walking into our new hotel room.  Downside: Journey was long and bumpy.  6/10

Ian: Upside - arriving in our hotel room and banging on the air-con.  I also enjoyed watching the people, villages and countryside on our journey here.  Downside: I'm not feeling well and not sleeping.  7/10

Louise: Upside - Lunch by the sea shore chatting with my friends, good food, good wine, relaxing.  Downside: Mosquito bites.  8/10 

Jackie:  Upside: Incredibly, the hotel is living up to the marketing blurb in every respect!  8/10

Day 8 pm: Cyclo Tour of Phomn Penh

There was mix-up over our itinerary and the guide thought we just had a half day booked.  I produced the relevant paperwork about our afternoon cyclo tour and, fair play to him, he got it all sorted out and 5 men turned up on pushbikes with Victorian perambulator-style attachments for us to sit in.  It was so hot and the men were so skinny that I felt sorry for them having to pedal us around all afternoon.  Ian made a joke about who was going to get the big guy and once our guide translated there was much joshing around.  The Cambodians seem to be such straightforward, unaffected people and all it took was a little light humour from us and a convivial atmosphere was set up for the afternoon.  This was lucky, as our lives were in their hands!  My goodness, the roads were busy with everything from livestock to fast cars.  The highway code was a little different to ours - nobody worries about what's behind and well, it all seemed to be based on a game of chicken! We were crossing 3 lanes of fast traffic with no more indication than a gently waving hand and no more acceleration than a flattened flip-flop and yet it was fun.  I had that holiday feeling.  I was off-the-leash, unfettered and (almost literally) laid-back.

The Silver Pagoda

Our first stop was the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, the home of King Norodom Sihamoni.  Thankfully this complex was granted dispensation by the Khmer Rouge, although many of the treasures were looted.  It was all very beautiful - gold, jewels, fine costumes, beautiful pagodas - just how Siam looked in The King and I!  The centrepiece of the Silver Pagoda is a 17th century emerald Buddha statue and in front of that a 90kg golden Buddha, conforming to the vital statistics of King Norodom and studded with 9584 diamonds. 






Next stop the national museum; a colourful tropical building that housed some interesting pieces, dated and explained, as is the way with museums.  I'm glad that a selection of statues and sculptures are being kept safely indoors as so many in Angkor Wat and other temples are being stolen, beheaded and defaced.  However, the statues in the museum didn't have half the impact as those in situ.

 One mystery was solved! They had lingas, and when you look at them from the correct angle they do indeed look phallic.  It's all to do with perspective (Richard has explained that to me before).  Viewed from above, for example if they are on a riverbed, they look like roundabouts, but NOW we can see what all the fuss is about. 




Our cyclo men took us home along the Mekong River and from the comfort of our pram we could see and feel the mood of the Cambodian capital.  The French Cafes, markets, boutiques, orange clad monks, moped madness and chickens scratching about, all fused together in a magical melting pot. OMG - are we about to go the wrong way around this roundabout?  Yessum. 

Back at the hotel we enjoyed a cool dip in the pool.  Even though we are in the very centre of a busy town, the hotel has been exceptionally well-designed and has a secluded 'secret garden' feel about it.  Unfortunately the fact that no food or drink is being served is a complete let-down.  We have been told that it is Cambodian New Year and the staff are on leave.  Huh?  And in any case, surely the guy at reception could open a bottle of something?  One good outcome is that we have no choice but to venture out for our evening meal.  Phonm Penh has seemed very safe and friendly to us, but we surmise from the guards and barbed wire around the buildings we pass that things are not all they seem.  We were lucky enough to be within a few minutes of the very fancy Malis restaurant , which has a reputation for fine dining and contemporary Cambodian cuisine and was featured in Gordon Ramsay's Great Escapes on Chanel 4.  We hadn't realised this, so imagine our surprise to see a photo of the man himself stuck right the middle of the restaurant.  I enjoyed a scrumptious Langoustine and Tamarind juice with Wok Fried Morning Glory. Mmm - mmm.  Louise and Ian were in heaven with their decent cup of coffee.

MARKS OUTTA 10
Louise: The cyclo ride along the river and the Coronation Room at the Royal Palace are worth a special mention.  The problem today was the muddle over the itinerary.  7/10

Richard: The cyclo bike ride was the best thing today but the museum was a pain in the neck - I've seen enough statues to last a lifetime.  7/10

Ian:  I found the photos at S21 very interesting as each face carried so much emotion.  The cyclos were great as they gave me lots of opportunities to take traffic photos.  The problem today was the museum - dull, dull, dull.  9/10

Jackie:  I feel that the memorial stupa at Choeng Ek was a fitting expression of remorse and respect.  The violence and depravity of the Killing Fields and S21 contrasted dramatically with the wealth and splendour of the Royal Palace - a perfect example of the out-of-the-ordinary one sees when travelling.  The hotel is letting itself down badly on service. 8/10

Day 8: The Killing Fields

The Killing Fields is the name given to the mass graves created by the Khmer Rouge during their rule of Cambodia 1975 - 1979 when they killed over a million people, or two million if you count those that died of starvation and disease.  There are many, many Killing Fields across Cambodia but Choeng Ek, 10 miles out of Phnom Penh, is probably the most famous.  I tussled with my conscience about this visit.  On the one hand, I do not want to be any part of making this sad and serious place into a distraction on the tourist circuit or to be disrespectful to the victims or their families.  On the other hand, I understand that friends and families do not want the atrocious things that happened to be forgotten or ever allowed to happen again.  I decided to take a look, and I am relieved to report that the site has been sympathetically restored to its former serenity as a cemetery.

These things are best decided on a personal basis.   Our guide apologised (unnecessarily) for having to leave us to wander around alone as he has family who lost their lives in Killing Fields and finds it difficult to remain detached.  Louise waited patiently on the boundary as she didn't want to see any of it. I kept my viewing of the central glass tower, or stupa, at a distance.  Richard and Ian went inside to see the skulls, bones and clothes that have been exhumed from the site and are now reverently displayed within the tower.  In the heavy rains clothes and bones are still surfacing and you are invited to place these onto a collection pile so they can be transported to their final resting place in the stupa.  It's a difficult place to describe in words.  Who wouldn't be moved by the tree labelled as the one used by Khmer soldiers to kill the babies by smashing their heads against it? If you have not seen the film of The Killing Fields I would recommend it as a true story and accessible account of these terrible times.

We travelled back into the centre of town for the second part of this tour at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.  This has been set up in the former Office S.21, used as a detention centre for interrogation, torture and killing of detainees considered to be enemies of the Pol Pot regime.  On show within the tiny rooms used to cage the prisoners were shocking torture tools, photographs of all the victims (methodically taken and archived by the Khmer Rouge) and other reminders of the evil that took place, such as blood stains and barbed wire fencing stretched from the balconies to stop the prisoners committing suicide.

'Keeping the memory of the atrocities committed on Cambodian soil alive is the key to build a strong and just state'
 (quoted from the official pamphlet accompanying the visit to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum)

  

Day 7: Road Outrage

Today we are travelling from Battambang to Phnom Penh

We packed up at La Villa hotel and started the 200 mile drive from Battambang to Phnom Penh.  Rather than waste a day travelling, our itinerary gave us a few stops on the way, the first of which was a floating village at Kompong Luong.  As the minibus pulled up to our boat we could see an appealing scene of busy waterway life.  As we stepped outside the vehicle the unappealing smell of rotting fish knocked us off our feet.  Undeterred, we climbed aboard and the captain, who was all of 16, cast off.  All the comings and goings of what was clearly a thriving community were intriguing and captivating.  Not only were the house-boats attractively maintained as living quarters, but each had a dual role such as shops selling fresh vegetables, fish, fishing gear and a place to get your outboard motor fixed.  There was a pool hall, that also sold mobile phones, a town hall and a temple, complete with an on-going service attended by 30 people.   Over 10,000 people live here and because each dwelling requires between 1m and 4 m of water in order to float they have to relocate twice a year to accommodate the wet and dry season.  As usual, H&S was kept to a minimum and there was a lot of hopping between boats and dipping into the water (not by us, you understand).  At one point our captain actually became completely disconnected from our boat, which everyone thought was highly amusing (including us, when the crisis was averted).  

The local supermarket

One of the prettiest houseboats

Collecting the morning's catch of fish

 












The next stop was lunch at an open-air cafe adjacent to a petrol station, so I suppose it was the equivalent of our service station.  It had the most authentic menu so far, including stir fry with frog, snake's head soup and rice with black ants.  I have to own up that our choices were relatively conservative. 

Third stop was Oudong Mountain to see the royal tombs at the top of Fortune Hill.  500 steps, so the kids who became our tour guides happily informed us.  As they skipped alongside I wondered how many times they went up and down in one day, and whether I was actually going to make it at all. Gasp gasp, sweat sweat - I reached the top!  The view was good and the children very entertaining, telling us all about the tombs that we were looking at and how they love to practise their English and how they have never seen Angkor Wat even though they live just a few hours away.  Louise and I were pleased to hand out our sweets and presents again. 

After 7 days of rural backwaters, driving into the capital city was a culture shock.  Hot, dusty roads with traffic jams and pollution.  We just could not believe the vehicles that we were seeing. 

Top Ten Things we saw on a moped, in reverse order of incredulity:

• a door
• passenger side-saddle, dangling flip-flops and texting
• youngest driver approx 10 years old
• youngest standing passenger approx. 18 months old
• refuelling whilst in motion
• 5 people on one moped
• 3 dead pigs
• a lit barbecue
•  a passenger with a plasma drip (connected)
• AND COMING IN FIRST PLACE 13 MATTRESSES

You can see a whole heap of these marvellous photos in  Ian's Moped Madness blog

Unfortunately there was a mix up over our hotel reservation and we were bumped onto another hotel.  In itself not such a dreadful thing, but it took ages to sort out when we were hot and tired and it was well past wine o'clock.

MARKS OUTTA 10

Louise:  I enjoyed the boat trip and the views from Oudong Mountain.  I liked seeing the paddy field with water buffalo, a typical scene I've seen so often in photos.  The service at the lunchtime restaurant was not so good.  7/10

Rich: I enjoyed the boat and was pleasantly surprised with the hotel we ended up with, after all the shenanigans.  My ear was blocked up and I couldn't hear a bleedin' thing until they made me walk up 500 steps to see a stupid temple or something, but then my ears popped so something good came of it.  6/10

Ian:  6/10
Good Things:
1.  Not crapping myself in public
2.  The floating village people - the kids were lovely and nobody asked me for a dollar
3.  Kids at the royal shrine.

Not so good:
1.  Kerfuffle about our hotel reservation
2.  Having to PAY for the tuk tuks to transport us to our second hotel
3.  Fishy drain smell at Kompong Luong

Jackie: Floating village was great but today was just about getting from A to B for me.  6/10

Day 6: The Bamboo Train

Vidotours provided comfy cushions for our posh bums

We were allowed a bit of a lie-in this morning as today's tourist attraction is just a few miles from the hotel. Battambang's Bamboo Train is a very simple bamboo platform on 4 wheels, powered by a small motor. The system was set up by the locals to carry goods and passengers as there was no local transport but it also happens to provide good fun for us tourists! It was a 5 mile rickety ride, getting up to a speed of 25mph, and gave us a great view of the luscious landscape without hiking through the undergrowth. There were paddy fields, banana trees and jack fruit as big as rugby balls. As there is only one track, if two trains meet, the one with the lightest load has to be taken off the rails so the other can pass. We disembarked at the next 'station', to visit a delightful little village. We were escorted around by the children, who gave us presents they had made from blades of grass. One older man, complete with what looked like old bullet wounds and other torture marks, spoke a little English. He urged us to 'share our money with the good people of his village' by buying their wares. I'm not sure that advertising your competitors fits into any Havard business model, but it filled us with a warm feeling. Louise and I were pleased we had brought along our gifts of sweets and pens for the children. I gave an older girl a pack of lovehearts and she shared them out with all the ittle ones. Ahhhh.

Seriously sweet little girls with their grass-hopper presents

Wow, that's a big pair!   Jack fruit

Louise spreading some of her hard-earned cash

Richard looking very pleased with his purchase

The kids were clearly thrilled with our presents

Here's a youtube 3 minute video from The Asian Development Bank, who are investing in Cambodia's railway showing how Bamboo Trains Make Way for Modern Railway (published in 2010) and a 2 minute touristy clip of the train ride showing just how far we flouted Health & Safety in the name of having fun. And talking of fun, here's a game to build a train track.  Nothing to do with Cambodia.  For the competitive among you, it took me 3 games to get the train in the station.

Swimming and relaxing by the pool

On the way back to the hotel we made a short stop at a local NGO that provides schooling for street kids and then enjoyed a very welcome afternoon at leisure, which was spent at our pretty, colonial-looking hotel. In the evening we went walkabout to soak up the atmosphere of Battambang.  As recommended by the guidebooks, we headed for the market, which was lively even at 6pm with people picking up groceries on the way home from work.  This town definitely isn't as touristy as Siem Reap, but we did find one road that had a few shops that we could browse and a street cafe for a drink.  There was a stall with ladies selling Khmer handcrafted eggs and jewelry, part of an AIDS project supporting communities suffering from HIV and poverty.  They seemed genuinely excited that I wanted to buy their goods, which I thought were very attractive ( I hope Carole & Danielle did too).  None of the three optional restaurants that Louise had selected from the guidebook worked out (one was closed up, one sold just drinks and snacks and the other we couldn't find), so we ended up back at our hotel for dinner again.  This wasn't such a bad option as the food was good and the staff extremely friendly and in any case, Ian and I were pleased to be near the facilities - if you know what I mean.

MARKS OUTTA 10

Rich:  The train was the best. Nothing bad today.  7/10
Ian:  The train was great.  Unfortunately I am still getting too hot and not feeling well.  7/10
Louise:  I liked the train ride and also the village.  Not finding one eating place in Battambang was disappointing.  7/10
Jackie:  The train was good and I feel like I've met some real Cambodians today (as opposed to tour guides and waiters).  I am still a bit too wobbly to enjoy our evening stroll.  7/10      

Day 5: Down in Battambang

Today we travelled from Siem Reap to Battambang

I would like to go home and cosy up in my own bed.  The inevitable has happened and I have the gyppy tummy.  For breakfast I had Alka Seltzer, Ibuprofen and peppermint tea. I just couldn't manage a last taste of the excellent artisan bread and jam made from all kinds of exotic local fruit.  I was sad to say goodbye to The River Garden hotel.

Traditional Cambodian blue house on stilts to avoid flooding

Typical family transport

The journey from Siem Reap to Battambang took about 3 hours on a fairly decent road and we got to see rural Cambodia.  There was a lot of general poverty but we also saw happy people getting on with their simple lives.  Houses varied from shacks to modest wooden constructions on stilts, plus some extravaganzas.  Everyone has a scooter and it's not unusual to see the whole family on it together.  The landscape is very lush and green.  Our local guide, although heavily accented, has been most conscientious in looking after us and explaining in great detail about all the places we visited.  She took the opportunity on the long drive to get more personal and tell us a bit about her life under the Khmer Rouge.  She was a young teenager at the time and lost 4 family members - her father, brother, sister and uncle.  It was heartbreaking to hear her enthuse over her two lucky breaks.  The first was when she wandered into the woods because she was feeling unwell and when she returned she found that her group had been rounded up and taken away for extermination.  She walked many miles back home to her mother, after which she hid in her own house.  Her mother would sneak extra food back home to feed her but was eventually apprehended by a soldier who fortunately turned a blind eye.  Her second stroke of luck was at the end of the war when a neighbour got her a job in which she learnt to speak English, and that has resulted in her current 'privileged' position as a tour guide she explained.  Her sad description of the dark day they took her father away choked us all.   It's horrifying to read about how many were killed during the Pol Pot era, but her personal account tugged at my heart strings all the more.

Upon arrival in Battambang we checked into hotel La Villa, in the centre of town opposite the Sankei River.  Battambang is the second largest city in Cambodia (after Phnom Penh) and has an air of commerce and burgeoning modernisation about it.  There is an excellent article in the Telegraph called Cambodia: beyond the Killing Fields, in which Christopher Hudson compares modern day Cambodia with the one that existed when he wrote the famous book. He also stayed at La Villa  and says 'Our hotel, renovated in Thirties style, is understandably described as “one of Cambodia’s most romantic and evocative boutique hotels”. But when we arrive, it is to find that La Villa is now dwarfed by two massive hotels, one of them under construction just feet away. Good food, in a shady courtyard, restores our spirits.' He was there just one month before us and his tour is remarkably similar to ours, except we paid half the price.  Thanks Silk Steps!  The comfortable bed in a cool room was too much to pass up and I skipped lunch and the afternoon's activity to sleep off my stomach problems.  I was disappointed to miss out on Phnom Banon (a mountain with a temple on top), Phnom Sampeu (caves) and a vineyard.     

Big Buddha

Reclining Buddha

Caved Buddha

MARKS OUTTA 10
 

Louise:  The views from Phnom Banon were impressive and the little girls who showed us the caves with their torches were sweet, but I'm bored with Buddha now.  4/10

Ian:  If I say that the spag bol for lunch at the hotel was the best bit, you'll get my drift.  I did enjoy seeing the countryside on the drive here, but the rest of the day involved long journeys to see nothing much.  4/10

Richard: Arriving at the hotel and having lunch was a high point, as was the top of Phnom Banon (ha!).  The vineyard was disappointing.  3/10

Jackie:  The best thing about today was having a nice hotel room to be ill in.  2/10