Knocking about Battambong.

1/4 - Nobody played an April fool on me as I had a pot of Darjeeling and too much fruit salad for breakfast, then I hired a bike for 75p a day, all from the same place. I hopped onto the bike and headed for I don't know where. My first stop was on a road bridge, partly to take pictures and partly because I couldn't get over the rise. A wagon full of dirt came over while I stood there and the bridge bounced like billyo. Time to move on in case another comes along. I came across Wat Kandal, a big old pagoda, so I rolled into the big grounds. Before the temple there are some old French style houses. I found out these are the monks housing. They were a bit rundown, but still nice buildings.
After circling the pagoda, I sat in some shade to do a bit of writing and after a few minutes some of the monks joined me to practice their English. If they want to study abroad, they have to have good English as the teaching abroad is in English. Cheang, the first monk to come over, is a bit shy and keeps covering his teeth. I thought it was because he has buck teeth and when I told him not to cover them, he told me it is because he has bad breath. THere's honesty for you. A second monk, Macchem joined us and stole the show. His English is very good and after Cheang left he wanted to practice more, so we wandered around to his room around the other side, it is cooler and has a table outside with chairs. It turns out Macchem is a supervisor monk, so has a better pad. I didn't go in, but saw through the door, a PC, stereo and lots of books. He showed me some of the books, I even took down a couple of titles. I may become a monk, but it is more probable that I'll just get a monk on. I bet I spent a couple of hours chatting, so have probably set Macchem's English back about 5 years. I was surprised that he smoked. He is 26 and tells me he is doing alright in the brotherhood, if he is to be believed. COME ON, he's a monk of course he can be believed. It seems a lot of poor, young lads become a monk for the free education. Macchem seems to have been fast tracked through the monk boy, (attendant) and novice phases and now does an hour a night on the local radio station, DJ Monk, when people phone in with questions on Buddism. He told me they have to get their own subsidies, but I left without giving one. I felt a bit guilty, but obviously not guilty enough. I can't subsidise everyone, I'll end up taking refuge in a monastry. I cycled a little further and found another pagoda, it was almost next door. Some young lads waved me in, so I went. More English practice, this lad had lost his Dad, so wanted me to be his godDad. I explained I wouldn't be around to be able to do so, I don't know if he understood.
THere was a commotion going on down a track, so being a nosey git, I went for a look and bumped into my nearly godson. There were lots of rides for small kids and food stalls. The lad explained it is for the opening of a new pagoda and an opportunity to give donations, so I did a quick exit. I think I am turning into a Yorkshireman. When I got back to the main road a moto made a swerve in my direction and when I crossed over he swerved back. This one is an English teacher and wanted me to stop, but I felt a hit coming on, so I declined. He then offered a visit to his village to see the children. The visit to the village may have been good, but I am sure it was a hit on the whiteman's wallet. Anyway, I thought I had better get back to my side of the river, so I crossed the pedestrian and bikes bridge, no dirt wagons here. I checked out a statue of a multi-headed serpent and it was made from weapons handed in after an amnesty and after the Pol Pot times. I decided to go for a beer at the Riverside bar, but luckily enough missed it and ended heading out of town and found ANOTHER pagoda. The paintings that adorn these temples, mostly of Buddha, look very basic to me, almost childrens work, but I guess that is some kind of style. The engraving around them is very detailed and more becoming in my eyes. I thought they were moulded, but spotted 2 ladies creating the engravings in a wall of still unset cement.
I carried on a bit through lots more waves, smiles and hellos and came to a rickety looking railway bridge. This is the main Phnom Phen line. I stopped for a gander around the river. THere were kids and adults down there playing and bathing. A couple of real scamps walking over the railway bridge, it is only used once a day in one direction, spotted me. They scurried over the bridge shouting HELLO HELLO, so I returned the gestures. I have never seen people get so much fun out of saying hello to a whitie. The 2 scamps, or more acurately, the head scamp, shouted for his mates to come see the Barang, foreigner and 6 turned up in the end. The last being the tiniest and snottiest. I bet he sits at the back of the class, if he goes to school. They laughed and shouted having so much fun it was infectious. After I took their photo and showed them it, they became even louder and 3 old fellas on perched on their motos by the bridge were laughing too. Eventually, they scampered off home, so I thought I'd do the same. This time I found the Riverside bar, so stopped for a gander and a beer. Out here, nearly all the houses have huge clay pots. I wondered what they were for. Water storage is one use, as 2 young lasses, barmaids I reckon, at the Riverside were in sarongs and soaked, they had washed their hair and were dipping into their makeup bags, just like back home. They had a good giggle when I took their photo too. I asked first. I had my beer in a very nice veranda bar overlooking the river. I bet that is where the name comes from. I'm not daft me. Then I went for a bit more roaming and took the bike back. It had to be back at 17:00 and belonged to a cafe, where they sell cakes, so coffee and cake it was.
After a shower I thought I'd head for the Smokin' Pot for some FOOD, but it was full, so I ended up back at the White Rose, as last night. One of the ladies was there with her kid and gave me a big smile as I went in. Then I felt guilty eating food while she sat on the kerb. Especially with loads of kids running around the restaurant with ice creams and everyone ignoring her. One lady looked to give her some money.
The table next to me left all sorts of food, so when they got up and left, a young lad came in with a plastic pint pot and helped himself. He crammed all sorts into it and went off a happy lad. I was going to get a take away for the lady, but gave her the money. I figured she can probably get more that way. I'm at a loss with this, I can't get my head around it at all.