Moon Over Battambang

We arrived in Battambang with the new moon.   Only a three hour drive from Siem Reap, but what a remarkable difference!  It is surposed to be the second largest town in Cambodia but that must include the surrounding farmland as the town is not so very large.  Much slower pace of life, less trash, no wild party streets like Khao San Road in Bangkok or Pub Street in Siem Reap.  A river, very shallow this time of year, runs through the city, and there is an esplanade along each side, much cleaner than in Siem Reap.  Families enjoy the evening air and there are small playgrounds and many food carts. People ride their motorcycles at a mellow pace and there are only a dozen or two simple restaurants where tourist drink and eat.  Angelina Jolie is filming a movie in town, and the first night we stood along the closed off streets watching the fake Khmer Rouge solders marching across the bridge complete with vintage cars and green army vehicles.  Streets are numbered. The main road along the river is #1, the next parallel is #2, the next #3.  But charmingly the very small streets in between are #1.5 and #2.5 and #3.5.  We stayed our first two night in a restored French colonial villa built in 1935.   It was a last glimpse of what times were like during the Indochine era. Seven rooms, a glass domed pavillion on the back enclosing the dining room and curved zinc bar, with a garden and outdoor dining.  Beautiful petite pool.  Sadly new high rise hotels have been built on either side, but within the grounds you felt the elegance of a bygone time.  We had the small room in the back nearest the pool.  Very deco furnishings and carved Chinese doors.   After our stay there we went out into the countryside about four km to the Battambang Resort.  A young Dutch man and his Cambodian wife built this well thought out architectural resort with modern rooms, traditional gardens and the best huge saltwater pool.  Such a retreat from the constant noise and activity of the town.  Ron and I spent every day relaxing around the pool.  Then in the evening we took the tuktuk into town for drinks and dinner and fun.  Everyone wants to sell you a tour of the bat caves, or the bamboo railroad, or the temples, but we have seen enough and elected to stay quiet and alone beside the pool.  And I mean alone because most tourist get up early, breakfast and leave before I even make it breakfast.  We had the place to ourselves most days.  Really a wonderful idyllic time swimming, reading and listening to the Cambodian music coming from a house nearby for two days as there was a wedding party.  I have a feeling this small town will never be too small again.