Bamboo Railway
We left Siem Reap and travelled to Battambang and had a chilled afternoon by the hotel pool.
Next morning we hopped on a tuk tuk and rode along what felt like the world’s bumpiest road to Battambang.
Our destination was the Bamboo Railway.
We arrived in blistering heat and looked on as some men laid two axles on a single line track and mounted a platform and motor.
Within moments we were sat on it and off we went, only to abruptly stop.
Someone realised that the day’s train to Phnom Pemh was heading straight for us!
We backed up and our little platform was deconstructed and removed from the line.
Not long after a mighty diesel train lumbered into view and pulled up at our spot, before crawling off on its journey.
With that, our platform was rebuilt, we resumed our sitting positions and we were off, this time properly.
It was great trundling along in the heat, with the put-put of the motor behind us and the da-ding-da-ding, da-ding-da-ding of the track below.
Suddenly a dark shape appeared in the distance.
As we continued it became clear we were heading straight into the path of an oncoming platform.
Luckily for us, it turned out we had right of way and the other lot had to deconstruct their platform and lift it out of our way.
After about 20 minutes we arrived at a little station, complete with clothes stalls, and watched as several tourist-laden platforms pulled in.
Moments later the platforms were all turned around and we all set off on the return journey.
What a fun experience.
Unfortunately, the threat of redevelopment hangs over the railroad and means it is unlikely that the bamboo train will continue to exist indefinitely. In some cases, such as between Poipet and Phnom Penh, the restoration of rail services has already ended the use of traditional bamboo trains, however, a modernised version of the train has since been rebuilt for tourism purposes.
An estimated 189 bamboo train operators will be impacted by the closure of the bamboo train service and there has been a fund set aside by the Asian Development Bank (ADP) to offer compensation to their families.
It was hardly surprising when, as we continued on our way, our tuk tuk blew a tyre.
The roads were bumpy enough to rearrange your internal organs.
What was more surprising was our driver and guide, Dara, was able to arrange a replacement tyre, on a Sunday in the middle of nowhere.
We paid him so he could attend to the tyre and as he did, he arranged a jeep for us to go on our next visit whilst it was being repaired.
Killing Caves
It was here that out day trip took on a darker tone, as we went up to the Killing Caves of Phnom Sampeau.
At this place the Khmer Rouge murdered men, women and children and threw them underground.
It is a sombre place, especially as a large glass cabinet deep in a cave contains the skulls and bones of some of those poor souls.
An awful time in history. May they rest in peace.
Bats
As dusk set in and we drove down from the caves and the mood lightened.
Our guide Dara turned up with the tuk tuk, pleased as punch with a brand new tyre.
He thrust a few cans of beer our way, and some crisps, and we waited for the climax of the day.
All of a sudden it happened.
From a cave nearby, millions of bats streamed out in a curving black line across the sky.
They just kept coming, on and on and on, to the delight of the many tourists who filmed and took phtotos of them.
We had experienced man’s ingenuity at the bamboo railway, and man’s inhumanity to man at the Killing Caves.
But is was all superceded by the power and the beauty of nature as the sun set.