Photographing Battambang - weekend escapes from Siem Reap

View from one of the few hills around

It was time to leave the work "ball and chain" behind and head to the hills. Actually, let me rephrase: head across the Siem Reap province plains towards Battambang. It would be unfair to say that the 170km stretch of National Road #6 and #5 sees no hills but they are very few and far between.
Cambodia's second largest city can be reached in couple of hours - these days thankfully on sealed roads all the way. My first encounter with National Route #6 was in 2004 and this is another story altogether, so watch this space!

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There must be room for a little more!

I grabbed my camera, the hubby (who goes by the name Smiley and doubles up as "moto number 1"), my weekend bag and our trusty motorbike - in that order and at 6am on Saturday headed out.
Early mornings are lovely here if you can manage to rise. The golden light illuminates everyghing with happy glow, morning activities and routines are taking place, children are heading to school, markets are at their busiest. If you, like me, have your camera attached to your side at all times, this is a lovely time to be out, not to mention that it is still relatively cool.

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Filling up at Sisophon station

Whizzing through the countryside I take full advantage of being a passenger and enjoy the view with the occasional stops for a picture of this and that.
Sisophon, the capital "city" of Banteay Meanchey province is a dusty, unispiring market town serving a purpose only as a "tank up and stretch your legs"
spot more or less half way.
From there the slightly more tattered tarmack carries the label of National Route #5 and gives your bum a bit more work out.
When it became increasingly more painful and difficult to peel my backside off the seat in order to restore some level of circulation I knew we were almost there. Having survived few near "paint exchange" encounters with other objects and subjects on the road we finally reached Battambang. Horn still proves to be the most important part of your vehicle and ours was on the way out...

Central market, Battambang

Old Pepsi factory, colour co-ordinated

One would hardly guess the population of Battambang to be over 140000, there is a very relaxed feel to the city although in the last few years things have started to happen. Ambitious buildings are appearing where last year there was only abandoned land and tourism is on the rise.
But don't let this deter you from visiting Battambang, even if you are looking for Cambodia of the past. In certain parts time has stood still. This wasn't my first time in the city, nor the last. Having seen the "must sees" (Phnom Banan, Phnom Sampeau, Bamboo Train, Ek Phnom...) on a previous visits, I had a special agenda in mind: old colonial buildings and urban decay.
The weather Gods provided a perfect mood settings for such task, the blue skies of the morning turned in to patchy grey and rain was hanging overhead eventually turning into a drizzle. We headed to the abandoned Pepsi factory which has been left untouched since mid 1970's. Not knowing what to expect, we sneaked in and explored the complex of buildings; rotting concrete and maze of corridors providing living space for number of families, children playing, clothes drying and dogs too lazy to preted to care. Old wooden crates and bottles are still stored the way they were left on the last working day and to a collector's mind they whisper: cobweb covered treasure....secured by a rusty padlock behind old roller doors, ghosts from the past. 

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Pepsi factory

Unexpected flying Ninja

After the rains, Pepsi factory

Looking for a road...

When the rain has passed we headed out again, into the fields, enjoyin the green open spaces of the surrounding fertile countryside. Getting lost a few times, covered in mud, we eventually found a way back to the city.

 

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Cafe Eden's quirky decor

We knew exactly where to head for a well deserved early afternoon
chilled beer and some


snacks - Cafe Eden, where else? This is a lovely spot on
the river front, perfect location to watch the world go by and if you get bored by what is happening outside you always spend time admiring the quirky decor of the place, head upstairs for some air con or browse the boutique in the back. To be honest, this is our second home when in Battambang, breakfast, lunch and dinner....

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Vertigo wobbles on old wooden bridge.

In the afternoon we explored more of the city, picturesque little streets slowly getting restored to their former beauty, daily life taking place, admiring more old buildings and thinking: this is what Siem Reap used to be years and years ago.

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Train station, where time stood still

It was a flying visit.
The next morning, rising early with the chanting and ting-a-ling-a-ling wedding music (which follows me everywhere I go) we checked out of our cheap and cheerful hotel, had a quick brekky and were on our way again. Driving along we found another gem: the half restored Railway Station where a giant clock reads 8:00, unsure of the date. I could have spent hours there. Battambang also has a fair share of picturesque pagodas, but time was pressing.

Return journeys always seem to take shorter time than getting there and so, occasionally getting soaked by passing rain - nature's own airconditioning for the motorcyclist - we were back in Siem Reap.

Great weekend adventure with tons of photographs to get through at the end of it. It's a hard life...and I will definitely be heading back to Battambang soon!

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