Battambang
Battambang is the second-largest town of Cambodia, but still a village |
A village with an International School |
Our hotel in Battambang |
We rented two motorbikes + drivers for a day to explore the surroundings of Battambang
These vehicles can be loaded much, much hihger! |
Taking petrol before the trip starts is a good idea. |
Around Battambang it is real countryside. |
No idea what is in the plastic bags, but it sure is colorful. |
Bovine Paradise... |
You will not see this in Malaysia! |
Our first destination was the temple complex of Phnom Sampeu.
The temples are on the top of a steep hill. |
Did we mention already that Cambodia was very dry? |
View from the top of the hill. |
The temples have a peaceful atmosphere, but bad things have happened here.
This was a stronghold of the Khmer Rouge. Many innocent victims were killed here.
The prisoners were dropped from the top of this cave. |
Grisly memories of the past. |
This anti-aircraft gun was used in the fighting between Khmer Rouge and government in 1995 |
The next destination was Wat Banan, ruins with Angkor-Wat-like towers.
You have to climb an eighty meter high hill to reach the ruins |
Nice, but you are spoilt after Angkor.... |
The temples were probably completed between the tenth and thirteenth centuries. |
Then it was time to go back to the hotel
Kampung life. Wat Banan in the background |
Bridge over the Sangker River. |
Kalongs (Fruit Bats) roosting in a tree |
An evening walk in Battambang to see if any colonial architecture remained.
Only a few French colonial buildings have survived. |
A "state of the art" children playground. |
The stalls sold a large variety of fried beetles, grasshoppers etc. I was invited to taste it, but I declined the honour... |
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