Settling into Battambang life

Battambang is the second largest city in Cambodia but it doesn’t feel like that.  It feels rural, sleepy and has a very small-town vibe to it and so far is a very friendly and relaxing place to be.  We can wander around its easy grid system without hassle and feel like locals even after a few days. 

We went biking yesterday and the traffic is chaotic but in a similar relaxed, sleepy, rural way so it is not as scary as it initially seems. There seems to be no set lanes, no set way of who goes where when but amazingly it works and I don’t find myself panicking and shouting at Taran at every junction to look right and left because that isn’t the system.  If you cycle into the middle of the road then everyone seems to acknowledge that it is your turn to go.  Well so far that has worked.  I am shocked though when I see women carry babies with one arm on motorbikes or sitting on laps as they drive.  

The French have definitely left their mark here as the place is a beautiful example of French colonial architecture.  We are staying at one of these old houses nestled in one of the back streets and near a few popular gig venues as every night loads of mopeds and bikes are parked up in rows outside them and loud (sometimes tuneful, but often not so tuneful) khmer singing can be heard from various bands inside.  We started off here in a bit of luxury but move next week to our $12 a night roof top room at The Coconut Hotel.   Kelty and Taran are very excited about it as there is a rather dusty and antiquated looking oven so they want to start trying out some Khmer cooking.  I’m going to have to adjust my standards and get used to our 1ft sq bathroom (couldn't even swing a cat) and hope that the room isn’t a furnace.  Kelty intends to hitch up a shower on our balcony/living room which Taran is pleased about as he says ‘it is real travelling’ (backpacker in the making).  When we were doing the deal with the manager had a glint in his eye as he said ‘top room, very very hot’ as if we were mad to take it.  It does look like no-one has stayed there for a while….

Battambang will be our home for the next 7 weeks and I am happy about it.

I’m researching how to get into local life.  I’ve joined an ex-pats forum and reluctantly gone back onto Facebook, looking for some friends for us and especially some kids for Taran.   Taran is going to start French classes.  I’m going to try a weekly yoga session at the popular backpackers hang out and feel like everyone’s granny!  We aren’t getting much exercise here in Cambodia except for bone rattling tuk tuk rides.  Kelty and I have good intentios of joining the daily sunset street aerobics by the river and yesterday Kelty and Taran went to the outdoor gym.  Taran and I also found some street machines (see below), which were a challenge in 39 degrees but the locals of all ages use these on a regular basis.  There are plenty of art galleries I want to explore and there is a weekly quiz night we might try. Why not?