Climbing Cambodia

We are still in Battambang, but if you want to drop by for a drink, we have moved hotels. We are now staying at the Stung Sangke Hotel which is good because both Genevieve and I have been stung. Me on the foot, and Gen on the face by some nasty little insect. The bite hurts and swells a little, then seems to sort itself out. Perhaps tomorrow we will wake with great sores, but for now we are fine.

We now have a pool, a gym and most important of all an elevator. The exercise of ascending five flights of stairs at the last hotel was doing us good, but the stairs were uneven and winding. The hand rail simply did not work as a means of support and many of us had taken to coming down one step at a time. I am certain that the image of a bunch of middle aged women carrying all sorts of bags and boxes containing teaching materials up and down the stairs made a great image. Indeed our mission of providing entertainment for the locals has well and truly been fulfilled. Most of us had taken to coming down very slowly, one step at a time. We look really stupid but all of us fear coming down the stairs the fast way.

Today was a big trip out to a small ruin from ancient times, a visit to Cambodia's first and only winery, and a visit to see a few bats. The temple ruins were lovely once you reached the top of the mountain. There are hundreds of steps. Tiny Cambodian people make a living by walking along with you and fanning you as you walk. Genevieve was most ably assisted by a girl who claimed to be nine but looked like she was 5. She fanned, carried the water bottle and then, to top it all off massaged Genevieve's legs each time she stopped to catch her breath. She was like a miniature sherpa. There was little more the poor girl could do short of giving Gen a piggy back. I dismissed all offers of assistance because they just made me nervous.

The wine was absolutely awful, sort of like honey made from petrochemicals mixed with cordial and a few grapes. I suppose you have to start somewhere with a new industry, but this was just terrible. The bats might have been interesting if you have not seen bats before. The people living in dust and piles of rubbish upset me, but that is Cambodia, I suppose. Lunch was overpriced, less than ordinary French food. Dinner was underpriced Cambodian chicken and lemon sour soup. The company of the group is wonderful and we seem to spend a good deal of time belly laughing.