The last days in Battambang went by too quickly. We would have loved to stay more days but our visa was running out.
One day my uncle took us to lake Komping Poy (or so). As soon as we arrived we were surrounded by women and children, wildly gesticulating, pointing here and there. All of them were trying to convince us to visit their restaurants. One of them offered a boat trip on the lake. Since there wasn't much to do here, we went for it. The lake is quite big but full of lotus so that you can't really see where the lake starts and stops. The lake and its environment are lovely. It's a good place to spend some time and relax. We were told that people from Battambang came here for picnic. Despite the beauty of this lake, there is a sad side about it. During the Khmer Rouge regime people were forced to build a dam here. Some of my family members used to work here too. Although people worked hard they didn't get much food. So many people died - or rather, were killed - here.
Back in Battambang we demonstrated our equipment. Everybody was very eager to see our tent. My aunt said that tents were not available in Cambodia. So we pitched the tent and everybody went in and out. Absolutely great fun! Also the sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses, cooker and fuel bottle were highlights.
Although it was Christmas time, we didn't feel like Christmas. While in Phnom Penh we did hear Christmas music and saw artificial Christmas trees in the shopping malls, there was nearly no indication of Christmas in Battambang. On the 24th (Germans celebrate Christmas on that day) we suggested to have dinner altogether. My aunt invited the rest of the big family. Early in the morning we went to the New Market to get ingredients for the hotpot. Sarah insisted on buying Christmas presents for the kids too. The hotpot event was nice. We sat altogether in the front-yard on the bamboo mat and did sweat a lot because of the hot and spicy but delicious hotpot.
Another day my aunt came up with the idea to ride the bamboo train. She said that it was one of Battambang's tourist attraction that would disappear sooner or later when they would start to build the new railway line from Phnom Penh to Battambang. Bamboo train sounds more exciting than it actually is. It is a simple bamboo mat on four wheels running on old railways. Still it was fun to ride this bamboo train. The fare, however, was with 5 USD per person extremely expensive for what it was. Luckily we got a cheaper fare and paid only 10 USD for 6 people altogether. We still cannot get used to the enormous difference what foreigners and locals pay.
