On Wednesday, Shanti went to Battambang (fairly large city of 150,000 in the Northwest of Cambodia, not all that far from the Thai border) for work. Being unemployed and eager to see the Cambodia that lies outside of Phnom Penh, I graciously accepted the offer of her co-worker, Vuth, to join on the trip.
Only a half hour outside of Phnom Penh, the landscape was dramatically different. The road was fairly good - smooth and wide enough for two trucks - and lined with an odd variety of modern shacks, thatch huts, and roadside stands. Just beyond these structures, however, was a long, flat, green landscape of rice paddies and palm trees. The heads of workers could be seen among yaks and oxen, dotting the paddies. Truly a sight to behold.
After about four hours we arrived in Battambang and I took off on my own while Shanti and the others went to a meeting. Just wandering around, I could tell that Battambang was much poorer than Phnom Penh, but the people seemed much friendlier and the moto drivers were far less pushy than in the capital. Shortly after I took off, a moto driver stopped me and asked if I would help him teach English in his village for an hour. While I didn't agree, I promised him that Shanti and I would come back and allowed him to take me on a small tour of Battambang - to the Museum which housed relics dating back 1500 years and to the touristy bamboo railroad where a shack full of kids shouted "Hellooooo," "What's your name?," and "I loooove you."
Back on my own, I wandered into Wat Phephittam (a wat is a Buddhist temple and all of the wats in Cambodia are beautifully ornate). An English-speaking monk waved me over and chatted with me for a few minutes before asking if I'd like to see the inside of the temple. Before showing me, however, I was led into a classroom in which another monk was teaching English to a group of ten Cambodians about twenty years old. I quickly went from the subject of amusement to the teacher, helping to work on pronunciation and basic conversation. Good times.
One final anecdote from Battambang: I was stopped by a family living on the street - parents and four kids, all of whom were adorable. After saying hi, waving, and giving the kids some candy, I asked to take a picture (with my digital camera). I took it, and then to the delight of the kids, showed them the picture on the camera. They couldn't stop laughing in delight and posed for several more pictures (including a full family shot) until my camera batteries died.
Conclusion: I liked Battambang very much.
Only a half hour outside of Phnom Penh, the landscape was dramatically different. The road was fairly good - smooth and wide enough for two trucks - and lined with an odd variety of modern shacks, thatch huts, and roadside stands. Just beyond these structures, however, was a long, flat, green landscape of rice paddies and palm trees. The heads of workers could be seen among yaks and oxen, dotting the paddies. Truly a sight to behold.
After about four hours we arrived in Battambang and I took off on my own while Shanti and the others went to a meeting. Just wandering around, I could tell that Battambang was much poorer than Phnom Penh, but the people seemed much friendlier and the moto drivers were far less pushy than in the capital. Shortly after I took off, a moto driver stopped me and asked if I would help him teach English in his village for an hour. While I didn't agree, I promised him that Shanti and I would come back and allowed him to take me on a small tour of Battambang - to the Museum which housed relics dating back 1500 years and to the touristy bamboo railroad where a shack full of kids shouted "Hellooooo," "What's your name?," and "I loooove you."
Back on my own, I wandered into Wat Phephittam (a wat is a Buddhist temple and all of the wats in Cambodia are beautifully ornate). An English-speaking monk waved me over and chatted with me for a few minutes before asking if I'd like to see the inside of the temple. Before showing me, however, I was led into a classroom in which another monk was teaching English to a group of ten Cambodians about twenty years old. I quickly went from the subject of amusement to the teacher, helping to work on pronunciation and basic conversation. Good times.
One final anecdote from Battambang: I was stopped by a family living on the street - parents and four kids, all of whom were adorable. After saying hi, waving, and giving the kids some candy, I asked to take a picture (with my digital camera). I took it, and then to the delight of the kids, showed them the picture on the camera. They couldn't stop laughing in delight and posed for several more pictures (including a full family shot) until my camera batteries died.
Conclusion: I liked Battambang very much.
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