Gun-metal Naga and Other Battambang Memories

Battambang province is a very cool place, except that the vendors have collaborated somehow or all agreed to sell their water at a slightly higher price, 100 riel more than usual. As I was thirsty trying out of principle to get the normal price for water, walking with Leah, we stumbled upon a gun-metal naga, a 5-headed serpent made out of recycled guns, donated by Japan and other kind folks. It was really cool-looking.

Then we went to the market, here are some photos: it includes the entrance, where you walk past little hills of pineapple.

And inside the Battambang town market, there are 2 stories almost solely dedicated to clothes–wedding dress rentals for girls young and older alike.

It was amazing how many sparkling, far-from-subtle wedding dresses there were. You forget you’re walking in a market and not a rainbow of some sort.

Sometimes the natural light spilled in the center where the stairs led up, and around the edges of the floors, fluorescent light reflected shiny applique of the dresses.

As I got closer to look at one of the outfits, a lady asked me in Khmer when the wedding party was, if I wanted to rent or buy the clothes (for not very expensive) and I replied that I was just looking around.

Many tailors upstairs (there are 2 stories) were sewing and making more dresses than seemed necessary. It was the most dense concentration of wedding outfits I’ve ever seen in Cambodia.

Also there was a salon among the chaos of work clothes fabric and wedding clothes tailors. After a dozen haircuts in Cambodia, I’ve made some notes that apply across most of them:

- Bangs are loved
- Bangs are cut with a razor
- Layers are created very far from each other. It seems like the higher layer is about a foot or more away from the rest of one’s hair. It is a very popular style
- People here love straight hair
- Babies get hair dyed often, usually a blond or auburn color

Okay, that’s my little digression on Battambang.

Overall, the night life for food-ing disappears pretty quickly. You get in the evenings stories open selling curtains, baby toys, clothes, and fruit. Restaurants, however, are closed at 6 and 7. Few stay open.

And before I forget, Battambang has the best coconut stands, ever, in all this Kingdom. It’s meticulously shaved down to take-out easily and no bargaining required. The folks behind the shaving sit it seems all day hacking down coconuts in perfection and when asked, how many perhaps were cut, the wife of the coconut cutter said, “About 100!”

It’s so much work and I appreciated there being a coconut central in the town. It’s only 3 stores but it’s art I admire as I tote away 3 a day during my visit. Leah and I went out of our ways to return for coconut drinks for our dinner, very lovely appetizer too because the coconut meat is icy cold and usually the drink is sweet. Nothing like the old coconuts with fermented coconut water inside.