Battambang

The drive to Battambang was lovely. As soon as we arrived we went for lunch in a little place where they also hold cookery courses for tourists, and then headed to a meeting. That evening we met some of the volunteers working on the project and had more delicious food in a French restaurant. 

My dish was squid stuffed with minced pork in a lemongrass and saffron cream sauce... washed down with a beautiful glass of French white wine! 

The hotel was great - with various 'towel animals' throughout the three days. 

Looks like a grand hotel but was very cheap!

View from the hotel

The hotel overlooked the river, and Battambang had a very French feel - the old French buildings with shutters at the windows, and the layout of the town by the side of the river. I jogged along the river on two of the mornings (to counteract the huge amounts of food I am eating!). It's very unusual for me to go for morning runs, but it really was the best time of the day - by the evening it was often raining, and perhaps it was still the effects of jet lag but I felt wide awake in the mornings and enthusiastic about seeing the city as it woke up. I wished I was able to run with a camera, it was beautiful to see the slightly misty river and the Buddhist monks gliding by in their saffron robes. 

Most of my time there was in meetings, doing community events or talking to / working with / having dinner with volunteers, but I did get some time to myself to walk around the city and take some photographs.