Sunday, December 26, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Battambang town is at the heart of Cambodia's 'rice bowl', and even though it is the country's second biggest town, it still has a very local, untouristed, provincial atmosphere. Much of the architecture is French colonial and traditional Cambodian. Few buildings are over three stories, and the main streets are shared by cars and horse carts alike. Unlike more touristic towns, the local economy is truly local - based firmly in rice, wood, sapphires and food crops - and is reflected in the character of the town. Similarly, as you leave Battambang by road, the scene quickly becomes one of small villages, rice paddies, and farmland, offering an excellent opportunity for the visitor to see a bit of 'unspoiled' rural Cambodia. The nearby countryside also harbors old pagodas, Angkorian era ruins, caves, waterfalls, and even Khmer Rouge period killing fields. Battambang means ‘disappearing stick’, and is named after a powerful stick used by a legendary Khmer king to achieve and maintain power in the Battambang are.
It consists of a small (perhaps 2.5m
x 4m), motorcycle engine-powered bamboo cart that rides the railroad rails
picking up and dropping off passengers, cargo, animals, motorcycles along the
way. When it meets on on-coming train or bamboo train, it can be disassembled
and taken off the rails in a minute or two, allowing the other to pass. When
touring the countryside ask your driver to take you to a rail crossing where
you can meet a bamboo train to take a ride.
Countryside Tour : The rural
countryside outside of Battambang is National
Geographic picturesque.
Within just a few kilometers of town the countryside turns into small villages
filled with stilted houses and rice paddies that stretch to the horizon. You’ll
see plenty of countryside on the way to any of the local sites. Check out some
of the local products in the making - rice paper, noodles and the fishpaste
market. It’s all very traditional if not a bit unhygienic and smelly, but a
interesting experience and adventure nonetheless. The roads are often rough and
during the dry season. always exceptionally dusty. Bring a good hat and a krama
to cover your nose and
Ek
Phnom
is an
11th century Angkorian-era ruin built as a Hindu temple under
Suryavarman I.
The temple consists of prasats on a platform with some carvings in
pretty good
condition. Wat Ek Phnom, a modern pagoda,sits next to the ruin. The
river road drive to Ek Phnom from Battambang passes through small
village and rice paddies and is an absolutely beautiful countryside
drive.
Phnom
Banan is a
mountain top, 11th century Angkorian-era ruin consisting of five prasats.
Peaceful location with a nice view of the area. Also L’Ang But Meas cave. Very
Pagodas
Both Battambang town and the surrounding countryside are replete with pagodas,
some of them very old and highly respected. See Ray Zepp's book Around
Battambang for complete information about visiting the local pagodas. old (150 years+) active pagoda at the base of the mountain.
Phnom
Sampeou Mountain :
steeped in legend, and topp ed by Wat Sampeou and a group of caves used as
‘killing caves’ by the Khmer Rouge, containing the skeletal remains of their
victims. The wat is unexceptional but the view is spectacular. Ask about the
legend of Neang Rumsay Sok.
Local
goods Marble sculpture from Pursat province, woodcarvings from Battambang and
sapphires from Pailin dominate the souvenir market in Battambang. Many of the
hotels as well as the small souvenir/art/curios shops on Road #1 on the river
in the center of town offer a selection of wood and marble products. The art shops
have a better selection than the hotels and a couple have very interesting
collections of curios, old trinkets, coins, antiques and oddities - well worth
a look.
Cambodian
sapphires and rubies mined in Pailin near the Thai border are brought to
Battambang to be graded, cut and polished. There are some good deals on stones
in Battambang but be very careful when buying. Fake and low quality jewel scams
are common so you need to know gemology or know your gem dealer very well. Gem
and gold dealers are located in the center of Psah Nath, in little shops
surrounding the psah, and in a few shops on Road #1.
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