Day 8: Up and Down a Mountain with Our Friends

After breakfast at our hotel, we, the Parker students, and our pen pals boarded the bus to go tour the Battambang market. We split into four different groups and made our way around the produce section. We saw a variety of pungent and unfamiliar meats and fish, fresh fruits, and dried foods. We saw a full pig with the head detached as well as live fish trying to escape from their buckets.

After touring the market and trying some Cambodian street foods suggested by our pen pals, we went back to our hotel for our cooking lesson. The hotel’s kitchen staff prepared a cooking class for us, teaching us how to make fried egg rolls, fish amok, which is a coconut curry and the national dish of Cambodia, and a coconut banana tapioca. First we filled egg roll wrappers with meat, then rolled them into a mini burrito, before frying them in a pot of oil. After making the egg rolls, we proceeded to make the traditional curry sauce for fish amok using a collection of spices the kitchen staff helped us prepare. The curry that we made with our pen pals was spooned into an empty coconut shell. Last, but not least, the staff showed us how to make Cambodian coconut banana tapioca, which was equally tasty. Best of all, after creating the three dishes, we were able to eat them for lunch, and wrapped up the meal with a quick ceremony in which we were given certificates from the cooking school for our efforts.

After lunch, we were given some free time before leaving for our afternoon adventure. Some students rested in their rooms, others went to get massages in the hotel, and the rest went out to walk around and check out the city. By mid-afternoon, everyone gathered together so we could drive to Sampeou Mountain and the temple atop, Wat Banan, about 30 minutes west of Battambang. Once we arrived, we joined our pen pals and our guide, Por Heng, as he led us on a steep hike up the mountain. Along the way, we stopped to enjoy several Buddhist statues and shrines, some of which depicted ancient myths that reminded the local people of their moral duties and values. We also viewed the "Killing Caves", another site of Khmer Rouge massacres. At the very top of the mountain, there was a beautiful pagoda that was home to both reverent Buddhist monks and families of monkeys. The view of Battambang from the mountain was amazing! We could see rice patties and farms in every direction, although not as much farming was going on because this is Cambodia’s dry season. It was a peaceful view until the monkeys jumped off trees to get a closer look at tourists, many of whom were sharing the ice cream, bananas, and fried crickets they had just bought at the small market near the pagoda.

After resting and taking pictures of the shrines at the top of the mountain, we walked down stone staircases to the bottom of the mountain. There, at the base of the mountain, we waited with our pen pals and dozens of others for the sun to set, so that we could see the famous bats of Battambang fly in a huge black cloud out of their cave to feed on mosquitos and other insects. Because the mosquitos are very common this time of year, we were happy to hear of the bats' journey. Thousands of bats flew out at once in formation, darkening the skies above us in an exciting scene that none of us had ever watched before.

Saving the best for last, we returned to the hotel for dinner and a going away party with our Cambodian friends. The party consisted of old throwback songs, country music, and a few recent songs being blasted on a very loud speaker on the hotel’s open-air top floor terrace. We sang and danced with our new friends past the scheduled time because no one want the time together to end. When the party finally ended, the Parker students and our pen pals took our last pictures, shared our last hugs, and said our last tearful goodbyes to the girls, whose stories of their lives in Cambodia touched us deeply. Many people were emotional and it was a sweet moment to share. It was a sweet farewell to a great week with our pen pals. Tomorrow we will leave for Siem Reap, our final destination before we head back home, and we do so with great memories and heavy hearts.

Hannah and Malli