Happy to leave
Siem Reap, a town that seems to revolve around tourism, I arrived in
Battambang. Although I appreciated the ability to eat ice cream, muffins and party with western tourists, I was ready for real Cambodia again. I
dont really dig towns where the energy of the locals revolves around tourism, I much prefer to be a spectator of the local cycles and energy of a town.
Battambang was unassuming when I arrived: the usual dusty streets, rather busy, a bigger town then I expected. I spent the first night wandering around. I was lucky to hit the long riverside park around dusk to see the local people doing aerobic routines en
masse (a hilarious and
surprising sight the first time you see it) and enjoy the scene of everyone gathering to snack at the street vendors there. Other than that I was a little unsure how I would spend my time in
Battambang: My next and last stop would be Bangkok and I
didnt want to rush out of
Battambang only to be stuck in Bangkok for too many days. Plus it would be my last stop in beloved Cambodia.
I remember an offer I
received from a couple I met in
Kratie.
Maurin and Eddie were volunteering at an
NGO in
Battambang, called
FEDA, which is a school, and were starting a kayaking project for tourists. So I hauled myself 11K out of town to
participate in kayaking. When I got there, I was happy to learn I wasn't the only person: I met Jerry, a professional storyteller, clown, teacher, among other things, from California. We got a tour of the
FEDA school then hit the kayaks. It was a rather long journey down the river, about 3 hours (thankfully a local
FEDA rep was paddling with me), with a few pit stops to play with the locals kids who were swimming in the river. Jerry had brought with him a bag of tricks, literally. He would whip out a scarf to hide in his hand and recover under one of the kids shirts, a paper bag in which he would throw an imaginary ball that made a sound when hitting the bag, hide a pen in his ear, etc. Even just having a ball, we could play catch with the kids. It was great fun. I never thought of magic tricks as a way of connecting with people who
dont speak your language.
That afternoon and next two, we took
tuk tuk rides through the countryside and saw a variety of sights: a few
wats (temples), small workshops (woodcarving, stone
masonry - both amazing to witness, rice paper making), the bamboo train (a clever contraption created by the local people that takes advantage of the rail tracks...like riding a flat version of the rickety
Astroland roller coaster) , and ending on the third day with a hike up a hill to a majestic
wat.
Two experiences stand out on those trips. On the first day, me, Jerry and the
tuk tuk were caught in a huge thunderstorm. We took shelter under a the tarp of a small restaurant and there our driver offered to tell us his story of surviving the Khmer Rouge. Fascinating and so deeply touching. It seems like such a cliche to use the phrase, but how else to
describe the feeling when
someone's story can really stir up deep emotions and sympathy? After the story, we took off on
tuk tuk again, but the rain came stronger. This time we were forced to dock at the home of a local family who lived off the road. They kindly invited us in. We removed our shoes and sat on a
wooden platform about waist high, with no front wall, that served as their living room. They turned on a
florescent flashlight. (I wondered how they spend their evenings typically - 10 people sitting in the dark quietly?) We smiled and they smiled and we all just sat there in silence for a few minutes. Then Jerry took to his routines, this time telling some
folktakes, translated by our driver, doing
origami, and more tricks. They seemed very happy to have us there, despite their calm
demeanor. It was a wonderful night.
The second moving experience of the trip was at the Killing Cave. On that last hike when we climbed up to the
wat, we stopped at the Killing Cave, where the Khmer Rouge took women, children the the elderly to be
slaughtered. A chilling place. Sitting in a dark pit a few stories below ground level, looking at a pile of human bones, you are overcome with feelings. Such sadness and sympathy. As hard as it was, it feels important to reflect on what
happened, to feel some unity with the people who passed.
For the second day of the tour, we picked up a couple that we met in a cooking class: Thea and
Raminder. They were from California, a dentist and physical therapist, respectively. They came on the trip up to the
wat and killing cave and on the bamboo train. They were really cool and together the four of us had a great time. Jerry would also whip out his tricks for the kids in the villages. One day we visited another
NGO called Don
Brasco, a catholic organization worldwide, that is doing amazing work for local children outside
battambang. We met his German guy, a farmer in his 70s who volunteers in agriculture projects related to the organization. He has participated 7 years in a row, since retiring. I was really touched and inspired by him. I hope I can do as much good in my life.
And yes - the cooking class! We took a class at "
Smokin' Pot" which was great, where we met Thea and
Raminder. It was the cheapest and best class so far. They even gave us a printed cookbook :)
The finale of the
Battambang trip was a night at the circus. Run by another
NGO,
Phare, from France, the circus is one of a number of classes offered to local kids to train them in the arts. A wonderful concept - I
dont know how to explain it in a way that doesn't sound cheesy, but the arts are so valuable, making people feel rich on the inside. We can choose to help the the poor by providing basic material needs, and that is so important, but
dont they also deserve the luxury of self-expression and beauty? Prior to the circus was an art exhibit that blew my socks off. The paintings were advanced conceptually as well as
technically. The circus was also a delight. It focused on acrobatics and flexibility, as well as juggling and balance. There was an overarching theme of "school days" and plenty of humor strung throughout.
Maurin and Eddie from the kayaking place where there, as well as Thea,
Raminder and Jerry - the whole
Battambang family!
I was glad to be able to leave Cambodia, and essentially end my trip, on such a good note. I hope I can keep the feelings I had on this last day vivid inside, to combat the upcoming onslaught of decisions and reality that surely awaits me at home. Of course, many good and exciting things await me at home too. I feel very lucky to be able to go back to a "new" life. So new, in fact, that it's not even
conceived yet :)
