From Siem Reap to Battambang

Early morning, departure by boat to Battambang

The boat passes the floating village before reaching the Tonle Sap lake

There is even a floating church!

After passing the floating village, the boat crosses the Tonle Sap lake.

Even floating houses have their TV antenna's

We have almost reached the lake.

Crossing the lake is a bit boring, but it doesn't take long.

Afte crossing the lake, the boat enters the Sangker River.

At first the river is wide, almost like a lake.

Some houses have their own small garden.

The only transport is by boat

A fishing boat. The net is lowered in the water and after some time the fishermen pull it up agin, hoping for a good catch.

This house, including garden, was on the move to another place.

For kids this must be a very enjoyable life.

The water level in lake and river was very low, due to the drought. Navigation was difficult and we could not reach Battambang.

A floating shop

Clearly can be seen here how low the water level was!

And now... how to continue?

About halfway it was the end of the boat trip. Via a makeshift jetty we were transferred to 4WD's.

It was a miracle that nobody fell in the murky water

Loading the jeeps

Almost ready to go

The second part was a rollercoaster ride where the drivers did not seem to care about the well-being of their passengers. It was actually quite dangerous.

Here it still looks like a pleasure trip

But here you can see how rough the track was. There were parts were we had to walk because even the jeeps had a problem.

Here we have passed the worst stretch.

Battambang is the second largest town in Cambodia, but looks like a village.

The Central Market has an interesting architecture

The market was crowded and lively.

The open-air butcher shop

A nice display of fruits and vegetables

There are several bridges across the river for pedestrians and motorbikes. Notice the low water level.

In one of the temple complexes we talked a bit with a young monk and his friends.

Evening in Battambang

From the road signs it can already be concluded that Battambang is not a metropole...

Why do I have this morbid fascination with dental clinics?

State of the art shop window.