Heading to Phnom Penh in the south from Siem Reap , we had two pit stops. First up, Battambang, population 200,000, second largest city in Cambodia. Situated on the Sangkae River in the north-west, it is the capital city of the leading rice-producing province. Picturesque with reminents of French colonial architecture, laid back, mostly bypassed by tourists, it was a easy to just hang out here (helped by a lovely pool at our hotel, Delux Villa).
Left: Beautiful Wat Tham Rei Saw, barbequed rats on roadside grill , fabled black man with magic stick (see below if you want one of several versions of story about this); right: disadvantaged children’s circus, bats at dusk.
We spent an evening at the Phare Ponleue Selpak NGO whose students regularly out on a circus. This organization gives children from disadvantaged families the opportunity to access various art forms. The young people were delightful, bragging and talented.
Riding on the single track bamboo train; middle left: oops! what next? Yup… We and our cart get derailed! Bottom left: products at visit to sticky rice family business; Top right: sobering history: temple turned interrogation center by Khmer Rouge who also used Phnom Sampeou mountain, (middle right) for atrocities. Bottom right: me and my chinese sign (rat).
The bamboo train is mostly for tourists nowadays (and disbanding in a month we were told) but up until recently it was actually used to transport goods and animals. Our go cart went over 40 kph and was anything but a smooth ride but what a blast! Took us to a small farming village that had a couple of defunct brick-making operations.
……..
So what about the black man holding a stick? There are as many versions to this tale as locals since it has been verbally handed down over generations. I like the one told at curbside by our driver, Peter, as it seems to be the only one that explains why the man’s skin is black.
The city is named after Ta Dambong who was an army cook. As this version goes, one night he cooked the rice so long, stirring it with his stick, that it burned. Ashamed, he decided to eat all of the rice thus leaving no trace of it. However by doing so his skin turned black and he grew very big and strong. To make a long story short, Ta Dambong rebels against the bad king who taxes the people unfairly, and then becomes the leader. Meanwhile the stick he used to make the burnt rice turns out to have magical qualities. At some point Ta Dambong disappears with his magic stick (details very fussy on this point).
Ta Dambong is considered to be the guardian of Battambang. People visit him to seek blessings during festivals or when down on their luck.Needless to say, luck has been in short supply here in recent history.
Kerry Travels 