Battambang

We continued our trip through Cambodia. On the 30^th of March, we decided to visit Battambang. We left very early in the morning because we had to drive for five hours. 

When we arrived in Battambang, the weather was very hot. By noon, the temperature reached 30 degrees. We were not used to that because in Britain, the temperature stays around 10 degrees during this time of the year. While we were walking through the streets, we saw people sitting on the roof of their houses, looking at the sky. We had no clue what they were doing so we asked an inhabitant for more information. After her explanation, it all became clear: the people were gambling on rain. It’s a phenomenon that’s spread all over Cambodia but in Battambang people do this very often. People guess how much rain there will fall at a certain place at a given time and put money on it.  According to us, it was a strange game. 

There are also some interesting things to say about the economy in Battambang. The province produces a lot of rice, that’s why they call it ‘the rice bowl of Cambodia’. As Thomas said, Padang relies heavily on its cuisine. In Battambang, it’s the rice that is very important. The people there produce and supply rice for domestic consumption and export. The total production size is 500,000 tons per year. In addition to rice, the people also plant crops, cultivate fruit, breed stock and harvest fish. 

Of course there’s more than good weather and economy in Battambang. While we were walking through the city, we visited some curiosities. We visited two temples: the Wat Ek Temple and the Ba Nan Temple. Besides the beautiful 11^th century architecture, there was nothing special about those buildings. Our last stop was at the Sek Sak Resort. Compared to the temples, this natural resort was really worth the visit. We were completely amazed by the plants, trees and bamboo-green nature.

  

To end our day, we ate something at Angkor Tom. We had already eaten a lot of Asian food, so we decided to eat a pizza. To our surprise, the pizzas were well prepared and similar to those that we eat in Britain. Yes, we must admit that those Asians know how to cook! 

 

Ulrike 

Sources:

http://www.tpd.gov.kh/cambodiaproduct/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=154%3Abattambang-paddy-rice&catid=49%3Abattambang&Itemid=191&lang=en

http://www.cambodiancommunityday.org/index.php/en/provinces/north-west-region/battambag

http://www.travelfish.org/location/cambodia/western_cambodia/battambang/battambang

http://www.travelfish.org/eatandmeet/cambodia/western_cambodia/battambang/battambang/eat

http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/battambang.htm