The bus ride during night from Phnom Penh was ok, although the streets were not in a good condition. I shared my bed with a nice cambodian lady but did not sleep a lot because I was too scared and always thinking that there will be an accident… Thanks god we all survived. With three other backpackers I got out in Battambang (the bus went straight to Bangkok), we shared a TukTuk and the driver brought us to a hostel (Here be Dragons, dorm with comfy beds, 3 US Dollars).
After having breakfast in a nice cafe I went on a TukTuk ride to see the Phnom Sampeau which consists of a complex of temples. The view was fantastic. It’s also home for many monkeys. The golden stupa at the summit is from 1964.
Next to the summit there are the Killing Caves of Phnom Sampeau. Down the cave a golden Buddha lies peacefully next to a glass-walled memorial which contains the bones and skulls of some of the people killed by Khmer Rouge and then thrown through the cave. A very sad place!
There is a very nice spectacle every day at dusk, when millions of bats come out of one of the caves. I stopped counting them…They return again around 3:00 AM.
Battambang is a very nice town. I went there because in Morocco I got to know somebody who was a real fan of Cambodia and especially Battambang. People are really lovely. I met some foreigners living in Battambang and teaching English. There is still a lot to improve and to develop and I wish I could contribute. I got the contact from a local teacher and bought a bunch of books and pens which he will distribute among the children, when school will start again after the holidays.
