Off the beaten track
Trip Start
Apr 16, 2008
1
24
55
Trip End
Apr 15, 2009
Battambang,
Cambodia
Monday, July 14, 2008
And it was right. After getting a few things out of the way on the first afternoon, we headed off for a tour of the local countryside by moto. Things began on "Highway" 10. The worst road of my trip so far - and they have the balls to call it a highway. Well, we hammered on down this road on the back of the bikes clinging on for dear life not knowing hat to expect next. Thank goodness we were only going 10km and one way too.
We visited the 'killing caves' - yet another site of terrible Khmer Rouge attrocities - and the nearby Buddha cave. Then we went onto Phnom Banan, site of some 10th century Khmer ruins. The local kids here really know their market well - as we climbed the 350 steps to the top of the hill they ran along side faning us. That was one deserved tip. We finished the day with a trip on the Bamboo train. This is a local improvisation on the little used train lines - a pair of railway axles, a bamboo platform and a motorbike engine. It is mainly used for carrying produce for the locals but has also become popular with the visitors.
After a few nights chilling out with some Anchor beers on the rooftop bar of our hotel, it was time to move onto Siem Reap (by boat) and our rendezvous with Paddy, Downey and Noel.
