Life in Battambang

I'm on a three day trip upcountry, near the lake, but beyond where I went last week, about 5 hours by bus from Phnom Penh. Battambang is the second largest Cambodian city at about 150,000 people. Today I went out to several villages along the river, which is the lifeblood of transportation and commerce (fishing) in the area. Let me tell you, I'm not in Kansas anymore.

I just wish you could be with me for an hour to experience this country on the back of a moped, to see for yourself what flashes before your eyes as you pass life by...a narrow dirt lane, a group of naked children swimming in muddy water, two saffron-cloaked monks holding umbrellas in the scorching sun, children swaying to and fro on oversized bicycles, mopeds with three-four-five passengers, three goats blocking traffic, disbelief and yet wide and smiling eyes as the "barangue" passes by (colloquial for Westerner), a massive tent being erected in the yard for a coming wedding (big deal here), ramshackle shop after shop in the small village market area, thatched homes on 8 foot stilts, men wrapped only towels, ancient pagodas dotting the landscape at the heart of each tiny community...

Behind each "snapshot" of life is a rich story of how life is in this part of the world and how it has been for centuries. It is life being lived out in the simplest ways but with incredibly purposeful action, a response to life's challenges so that man can survive. I can only tell you that it is a depth of experience for which words come not easily.

I love Battambang because it is Cambodia in daily life, not for the tourist, but for themselves. Nothing spectacular, simply life being lived in a way that is truly not of the world as I have known it. And what a treat it is for one who takes the time just to behold it.