Down River to Battembang

Well we are the lucky couple. After deciding to do the river trip from Siem Reap to Battembang and purchasing the tickets we read the Trip Advisor reviews of the experience. Many were scathing but most said that although it was an uncomfortavle and long trip it was worth doing but not worth repeating. We had previously gained a  few hints so I had prepared by buying a couple of garishly coloured cushions at the market  and ordering a "picnic" lunch from the hotel.
Our travel agent had told us we would be collected from the hotel between 6am and 6-30am so we ate breakfast quickly in anticipation that we might be summoned to leave. 6-30 and then 6-45 arrived so the hotel staff said they would phone for us. Back came the message that our pick up time was 7am and it was on the ticket. Sure enough written on the butt was 7-00. So we waited. At 7-30 the staff phoned again to be told the pickup was near. Sure enough  at 7-35  a tuk tuk arrived. This was a specialised one. The motor bike towed a tray back similar to a ute tray with bench seats , open sided but with the usual soft cover roof. We were the first aboard and our bags were stowed under the seats with back pack, cushions and lunch around our feet. We knew what was coming!
Next stop was two French women with enormous soft packs, after that the next stop were a no show. Bob had peered at the drivers list and he was supposed to collect 12 people. The feat would have been the act of a conjurer. Our last stop was for two young Germans whose medium size packs and them just squeezed in.
We arrived at the boat dock and our French companions were directed to a large enclosed ferry going to Phnom Penh. Thank goodness fate has decreed that we did not do that trip last year.
We were ushered around the big ferry to a smaller open sided boat with cushioned bench seats and only 5 other passenger, all young Germans. None of us could believe our luck when without further delay out boat departed. We spread out and prepared to enjoy the trip. The entry to the Tonle Sap Lake was via passage ways through the fresh water mangroves and full of bird life. The lake itself is enormous  as it is almost the end of the wet  season and it was easy to see how it could reverse the flow of the river down to the Mekong. In the dry season the Mekong is dominant and the water flows into the Lake. As we crossed the lake  we caught up to a larger smarter looking boat that was full to the gunnels with people.  It was then we realised that we were the overflow customers and really settled in to enjoy the ride. The young Germans were chatty and eager to practice their English in between naps as they sprawled along the seats.
We collected one local passenger and a container of live fish rather than the horror stories of crowds of locals with chickens and many parcels. The fishing villages along the river or floating on the lake were frequent and intriguing. The big boats aren't exactly welcome due to the wash they create but our skipper was thoughtful when we were going through villages or passing other boats in the narrow passages. We stopped for lunch after three hours and the meal of rice and stir fry looked quite appetising. However the larger boat caught up to us just as we were due to leave and there was no way all those passengers could have been served with more than a drink so I was glad of our packed lunch.
The trip took from 8-30 till 2pm which was much quicker than some predictions. And we loved it though the lack of a decent back rest meant I was a bit stiff despite my cushion.
Our hotel is very comfortable, even luxurious for $45 US per night but the restaurants around town seem very Asian basic on our walk around last night. We eventually found one of the Lonely Planet recommendations and the food was delicious.
More later, hopefully some of my photos are fit to post on a separate blog. Gail