Southeast Asia Day 4: – Market, Sandstone Statue Carvers, Vanna’s Family Farm & Lunch, Battambang Hotel Search, Bamboo Train, Kids Circus Phare Ponleu Selpak, Indian Food Dinner

We covered a lot of ground on our 4th day in Southeast Asia. We were packed and on the road by 8:30 am. We planned to make the 3+ hour drive from Siem Reap to Battambang, Cambodia. Before going far we made our first stop at the Puok Market. Kirsten wanted to see some of the Cambodian spices we had been tasting in our local dishes. There were plenty of items from soap, seafood, vegetables and so much more in the market. As one lady batted the head of some eels (snakehead fish), another fish flopped out of the tray and into a bucket of water. As we checked out some local produce, a motorcycle squeezed behind me in the narrow market aisle. Vendors had a small wood-burning fire to cook breakfasts for customers, and there were lots of people wandering around for their day’s shopping. It was fun to see this local hub of action. As we exited the market, our guide purchased some coconuts for us so we could enjoy some fresh coconut water on our drive Westward.
Halfway to Battambang, there was a roadside shop selling enormous sandstone Buddha and other religious carvings. We stopped and talked with one of the carvers who make $12 per day for his expertise. The detail of the carvings was amazing. There were also some tables and square blocks that looked like wood but were made from heavy stone.
Our guide Vanna had arranged for us to stop at his mother’s house where many family members were gathered for lunch.

Before the meal, however, we had an opportunity to wander around their small farm to look at and sample the things that they were growing. In the front yard, rice was drying in the sun in preparation for the mill. Rows of salad greens were growing. And in the orchard, pomelos, green oranges, white guava, bananas, and papayas were all part of the many samples we enjoyed. His family was very gracious as they shared their wood fire-cooked local dishes with us.Just after 1 pm, we arrived at our hotel, King Fy. We were not there long as it looked a bit run down and you could feel the springs in the bed, so we called our guide who then took us on a tour of a few alternate hotels. The Classy Hotel was much better and only a block away, but we opted to go a bit out of town to the Ravorn Villa Boutique Resort. It has seen better days but probably due to Covid-19 has not been upkept in some time. It was however very comfortable for one night until we could get a room at the Battambang Resort for our final night in the city.We checked in and dropped off our belongings to experience the local bamboo train at 4 pm. The bamboo train is how the locals transported their goods along the railway tracks. Avoiding the times of the regularly scheduled train service, they put two sets of rail wheels on the track, place a board on top for sitting on, and then attach an engine to the contraption. It is an effective mode of transportation that had us zipping along the railway line on an open platform. At one point in time, another group was coming toward us in the opposite direction. As fewer people on our “train”, we had to get off while they moved the parts to our train platform off the track, pushed the others past us, and then rebuilt the train on the track so we could continue on our way. While this makeshift train certainly did not meet any safety standards, it was fun to experience a unique form of transportation developed by local villagers to fit their needs.

In the evening, Circus Phare Ponleu Selpak had just reopened following 2 years of Covid-19 closures. This circus has sponsors that help support underprivileged children learn the arts. They develop skills in theatre performance, acrobatics, and dance. They also have an opportunity to learn English for free at this community project. The child performers had many of their local friends and family in the audience which was obvious based on the cheers from the crowd. Performers must have been from 8 to 17 years old and were incredible. They danced with hula hoops, performed contortionist moves, balanced on moving objects in the air, and danced using strands of fabric hanging from the ceiling. In between performances, two emcee clowns entertained us with various antics. It is a well-worth performance to watch and support.