Day 13 - Out and about in Battambang

Today we were planning to hire bicycles and ride around the outskirts, however it was a very hot day so we ended up hiring a tuk tuk to take us on a tour of how various things are made. It turned out to be an excellent decision as our driver was more a professional tour guide than tuk tuk driver. 

He stopped along the way and explained various things like how the large cement water pots that people use to collect rain water in the rural area, are made.  He told us that you need to special order the pots and pay extra to get a good quality pot that will last, otherwise they have too much sand and not enough cement in the mix.  They are also reinforced with iron.

We saw how rice wine was made and told that the maker doesn't earn much money from producing the alcohol but they make money buy growing pigs and feeding them the rice that is left after the process.

He took us to the oldest buddist temple in Battambang.  It was turned into a prison during the Khamer Rogue era. There are crypts around the outside for ashes of the dead.  Families can build their own or there is a public crypt.

Sticky rice with kidney beans cooked in bamboo is popular and we sampled the product while our guide explained how it was made. He also told us that the ones made in Kratie are better - I have to agree.

We watched a woman make rice paper. 

Metal worker making farming implements from scrap car metal.

Dried fish

Pig transport from farmer to slaughter house. 

The tour ended up with a visit to a crocodile farm.  They sell the baby crocs for export to places like Vietnam.

This evening we went to see a performance at the local circus school.  This was very entertaining and a worthwhile cause.

Tomorrow we are off on an 9 hour bus trip to the bottom of Cambodia - Kampot & Kep.