Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Babes, Bicycles, and Bamboo Trains

Our first morning in Battambang- relaxed, breakfast, taking our time. It really helps me to have companions while traveling, so I don't feel all the responsibility for myself to decide the what where and when and for how long, and in what order. So, Lucila (Argentinian) and Molly (Puerto-Rican-American) were GREAT, and we were all on the same page. We could be found in different locations that morning between 7-10am, sometimes doing our own thing, and sometimes at the same breakfast table.

When we were all done eating, we tried to rent 3 bicycles from our hotel. After test driving a few, we decided to get our bicycles elsewhere. Even for SE Asia standards, these bikes were crap! Only one brake on one, and the chain was fallen off, another had wonky steering, and the 3rd had a bell that didn't work (this is not something I would entirely reject a bicycle on, but, it was all adding up for us as a whole).

So we went nextdoor to TWO different bicycle rental places, and test drove almost every single bicycle in the crowd of ten or fifteen bikes. We found two bikes from one place, and one from the other, for $1 for the day, and we were set. We got directions to the 'Bamboo Train', the one tourist site I knew about and basically came here for, and we were off. It was only about 4 or 5 kilometers away, and we had fun navigating our way through the streets and roads of Battambang. When we weren't sure where we were, we'd just ask for 'Nori' the word for 'Bamboo Train' and we would get pointed in the right direction.

After about 20 or 30 minutes, we were there. We were greeted by some sort of security guard/overseer, and he told us the deal. $5 each for a ride on the train, half an hour out, and half an hour back, with a 10-15 minute stop at our arrival place. It was very official how he described it, but it was quite amusing because we were basically just downhill off the side of a dirt road, with one little shop-stand selling water and snacks, and the two railway tracks.

The train-compartments themselves were as simple as could be- literally just a single wooden platform built by hand, that was then placed on two barbell-like structures that would roll along the track. We were excited for our ride, but first we sat down and drank and ate the meat of one coconut each, and made small-talk with the locals selling it to us. The overseer was becoming impatient and asked us 'Okay, are you ready?' so we finished our coconuts and got on board.

They placed a large straw mat normally meant for picknicking on, I believe, on the wooden boards of the platform. We sat in a triangle facing forward with our legs crossed, and they told us to hold on to our stuff. Our young driver started the engine, and we were off! The train went quite fast, actually, much faster than we expected, and it was exhilerating! There we were in the blazing hot sun, with the high wailing sound of the train track beneath our wooden platform, and we could feel every bump whenever the wheels ran over an interruption in the train track. It was fast, hard, furious, bumpy, and GREAT! We were all laughing and smiling, hair blowing in the wind, big smiles plastered on our faces.

The most fun thing about this ride is that there are many bamboo platform trains running all day long, and only one train track, so, when a platform is coming from the other direction, basically both trains have to stop, and the train with the fewest people on it have to get off, while the two train drivers work together to dismantle the 'submissive' train platform, taking the platform off, and then the two heavy barbell-like wheel thingies. So, it was entertaining to watch, and then the two conductors would put the other train back together on the other side. This happened about 2 or 3 times on our ride one way, which is probably why it took a total of 30 minutes instead of say 20 or 25. . . anyway, it was thorougly entertaining, and so OLD SCHOOL!!!

Our destination was a couple of stands offering cold drinks and snacks. There was also a small brick factory! We turned down the offer for cold drinks, but then an 8-year old little girl offered us a tour of the brick factory. I was expecting some huge operation, but it turned out to be a relatively small operation underneath a house, sort-of underground. She took us underneath to this outdoor basement, and her 4-year old little friend (a boy) followed along. She explained in impressive English (for such a young girl!) how the brick factory worked, and showed us the completed bricks, the room where bricks were made, the machine where the material for bricks is churned up, and more. All the while, the 3 of us ladies were snapping photographs of these two kids left and right, and having such a fabulous time. The little boy was ominously silent but had eyes that spoke volumes, and he was walking around barefoot with nothing on but a tiny pair of yellow underpants- he was SO cute. At one point he took my hand, and that was how I was guided around. I felt so honored at his affection!

At one point, the wind started to blow, and all of the dust and dirt from the factory began blowing hard into our faces and eyes, and we all had to turn away. Needless to say, from all the heat of the day and our sweatyness as a result, we were gritty and covered in dirt for the rest of the day. It made us feel happy, though, like we had really 'gotten into it.'

When we returned to the shop area, we accepted the lady's offer for a cold drink, and wound up sitting down and chatting. Her name was 'Wow' appropriately enough, because, this lady was so great! We wound up talking quite a lot, and the 3 of us travelers wound up playing with all of her sons and daughters that kept showing up one by one, mostly naked and playing and being goofy. We all began trading bracelets, and I was giving the kids candy that I bought from the mom. I drew a picture of a kitty cat for that first little boy, and he loved it. I wound up talking to Wow for a while towards the end, and we were hugging many times when it was time to go. She was so warm and beautiful, and we all blew kisses to each other after hugging some more, and as the train pulled away (at this point we had been there for a good hour, much to the dismay of our train driver, who, would probably never have asked us to get a move on). Wow waved and waved and waved, and we all waved and smiled and laughed. As we made it the rest of the way on our full sensory experience of the train ride back, we were all silent with large smiles on our faces, and I could feel that each of us was alive with the wonderful connections that we had just made, and felt no need whatsoever to talk.

When we came back to the 'station', we said our goodbyes to everyone there, and wished each other well. Just super nice people, and one tuk-tuk driver who said he'd take us around the next day, with vouchers from all of his friends that were there. We thanked him, but told him we'd be on motorbikes the next day, but if we needed a tuk-tuk, he'd be the one we'd call. They said they liked us a lot, and that 'Americans are always so friendly'. I must say, this is the first time I have heard such positive feedback along the way on my travels! It was nice to hear something positive for once!

So, we rode back into town, and decided we needed some food. After grubbing it up, we decided to go to the local market, and wandered the endless aisles for a good hour. It was fun. From there, we found a good 'ol restaurant across the street from our hotel at the 'Coconut Cafe', as, we had quite a full and sun-absorbing day, and didn't feel much like walking around the town. It was great, because we just sat and talked for hours, and some of the local Cambodian guys hanging out there helping their friends who worked at the restaurant wound up joining us to chat and wanted to practice their english. Even after they left (and it was lots of fun talking with them) the 3 of us girls stayed and talked until we could no longer keep our eyes open. We were tired again! So, we said goodnight, and decided on another start time for the next day, when, we would explore by motorbike! Girl motorbike posse! Yeah!

We went nextdoor

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