Last week, we (@Srey-Yuu, @JustinParke, @Sreypov, @Sakana, Sam, and I) crammed into the Tuk-Tuk and drove from their home in the Cardamom Mountains to Battambang. It was a long drive - picnic and pee-stops included, it took six hours. Had it not been for the coconuts and iced coffees, I might not have made it.
Battambang literally means "loss of stick". The name refers to a legend about King Dambang Kranhoung, who is said to have thrown his wooden staff all the way from Angkor to Battambang.
Our first stop in Battambang was Boeung Chhouk market, or "Lotus Lake" market in English. The market might have been built on a lake, but nowadays the name and the swarms of dragonflies are the only reminders of a more rural past.
I'm pretty sure that you can find anything at Boeung Chhouk market. After only a short time, I had seen stalls selling everything from fresh eels to gold jewellery. The novelty had almost worn away when I noticed a kitten crawling through a pile of mangoes.
I didn't need any eels, or jewellery, or mangoes, or cats, or any other miscellaneous items for that matter - I needed a hat. I left Boeung Chhouk market with not one, but two new hats. I was very glad to have Cambodian escorts with me, they bargained on my behalf and made sure I got a very fair price.
After being introduced to the "Cambodian market experience" at Boeung Chhouk market, we were swept up into a complete sensory overload. In preparation for a boat race, a huge market lined the river in the centre of Battambang. There was a fair with rides, loud music, and bright lights. A group of munks were blessing the market through loudspeakers, while a band was playing traditional Cambodian music, and it was all drowned out by Cambodian pop music and overshadowed by advertisements for Ganzberg, German Premium Beer. In all the madness, I didn't manage to get my phone out and take any pictures - but I can guarantee you that it was a chaotic experience.
All that being said, I enjoyed Battambang and the markets. We slept the night in a guesthouse and journeyed onward to Siem Reap the next day, more about that in my next blog post.
