..18.. battambang

today we woke up at 5:30 to catch the boat from siem reap to battambang, the second biggest city in cambodia. the boat took us through expansive monsoon-season wetlands, first with stilted houses, then, as the water got deeper with entire floating villages. children were everywhere, unclothed and waving furiously at us. there were no touristy shops or restaurants at all, and our boat was filled with mostly cambodians - such a nice change from the Disneyland at Ankor Wat! floating huts - again, the best kid's fort ever, though questionable shelter from monsoons - housed smiling families, lounging in hammocks or fishing out their windows. we navigated this forest canopy (the tree were tens of feet underwater, just peeking out since it's the wet season) dodging treetops and lillypads alike. most of the people we have seen have been children -half of the population is under the age of 15 because of the recent civil war and brutality of the Khmer Rouge.

battambang has no tourist attractions, so few tourists visit, which keeps prices low and salespeople calm. there's a fantastic food market kitty-corner from our hotel, and i think we've given all their desserts a try :) food is such an important highlight of travel for me -i don't understand how tourists could be tempted by McDonald's or Pizza Hut. tomorrow morning, tai chi on the riverbank, breakfast in the market, and a bus ride to Pnom Phen, cambodia's capitol.