Lesson #2. (Bat-tam-bong). Well - didn't we take a amazing little journey today?! There are a few ways to get to Battambang. Drive (takes forever), Speed boat (for grey haired tourists) or the boat that transports goods and locals. Naturally, we opted for the slow boat to Battambang from Siem Reap. A 5-12 hour (yes, they said 5-12 hours) journey depending on water levels, breakdowns and how many stops they need to make. The locals use the same boat as a taxi service from one village to the next which are all true floating villages.
Living on the water all year round, everything truly happens in boats. We departed at 7am and began in Lake Tonle Sap to get to a set of waterways that lead up river to the West- sometimes squeezing through narrow waterways and passing through protected wetlands. You see littke kids boating around instead of riding bikes, swimming off their porches and chicken coops and pigs kept in houses because there is no yard.




Did you notice the satellite dish mounted on the house? TV and Internet??? From Rod Sherman, on Nov 25, 2012 at 05:26PM


What else are they going to do.....ride their bikes, play in the sand box, etc.? From Paul Sherman, on Dec 5, 2012 at 07:26PM

When we arrived in Battambangwe were bombarded by the usual suspects getting off the boats on the docks. Tuk Tuk and Taxi drivers begging for a fare - Still, much less agreessive then any other country we have been to thus far. Instead of stalking you, it is more like "you need Tuk Tuk? Taxi? Hotel? no? ok - moving on". I hope that laid back attitude doesn't go away as tourism infiltrates deeper and harder here. Our hotel was ok. clean, and Battambang itself was ok as well, nothing to write home about. Simple. Deteriorating colonial buildings that remind you just how much Cambodia has lost due to decades of war and turmoil. We had a nice dinner - 2 glasses of wine and 2 beers wine in a nice place -it felt like home and it was all $30 which is expensive here, but to home standards - a great deal.









that a girl. dirty street food. From pavone, on Nov 25, 2012 at 04:32AM
That's almost worse than the guinea pigs in Puru!!! 🙁 From Jill Mozer, on Nov 25, 2012 at 05:00PM






Creeeeeepy!!! From Other Cowles, on Nov 25, 2012 at 04:07AM
Totally! From Brian and Marisha Cowles, on Dec 4, 2012 at 08:01AM







That is a great find! Trip looks awesome guys! Keep the posts coming!!! From Sunny D, on Nov 26, 2012 at 02:11PM
Beautiful pictures. The whole venture sounds so great. You really know how to travel and enjoy the culture. From Rod Sherman, on Nov 25, 2012 at 05:09PM
