First stop: we cycled for a while until we reached a family business of making rice paper. The family running the business had to leave the land during the war. But now they have returned and the business is up and running again.
Second stop: the second stop was a place where they made dry banana. This is another family business, and the dry banana was very nice.
Third stop: the third stop was a place where they make rice wine. We got to taste some of the rice wine. But it didn't taste like what we were expecting! The family alos keep pigs which is more profitable that the rice wine sales. Apparently the alcohol infuded rice keeps the pigs docile, making them fatten quicker. Rice wine production kept going over the Kymer Rouge time
Fourth stop: the fourth stop was a fish market, this was Jim's least favourite part. It stank there but they prepared fish very cleverly. Fish was very popular in Battambang and lots of people buy it, despite having to dry it for one whole day. The trouble was; the street to the fish market was blocked for a religious festival, therefor we had to take a massive Detore around rice fields. But it was nice cycling through the place.
Then finally we arrived home, had a drink of water, walked back to the hotel and flopped down on the bed for we were all tired from cycling nearly 40km.
Today we had enjoyed the day including a delicious lunch, a sleep in a hammock, tasty snacks like bamboo sticky rice and rice paper, a ride on a bamboo train getting to a speed of 40km per hour and nice relaxes and breaks.
Addendum by Jim
The bike ride we decided was definitely our best day in Cambodia so far. The company is a social enterprise set up by ex pats but now handed over to locals as a sustainable concern. It is staffed by university students who all speak good English. Our guide, called Mony, is in charge of bike maintenance and was previously a teacher. He knew the history of every cottage industry we visited, and what happened to the families as they were all displaced during the Kymer Rouge time. The day was pricey, but they share their profits with the families we visit so we were pleased to do this. Having lunch in the home of a (admittedly fairly middle class by Cambodian standards) family was a real highlight. In particular our opportunity for a 30 minute post lunch siesta in a hammock. Wherever you go, you see Cambodians whiling away their time in hammocks - shop keepers, bus drivers, you name it. Probably a combination of the heat and underemployment, roadside sellers probably just get a few sales a day so plenty of hammock time.
In the evening one of the kids suggested pizza (to our regret) Nic loves a challenge so whipped out his sat nav as he recalled cycling past one the day before. Length wild goose chase ensued, although we did walk past a very rich Cambodian party (super expensive Range Rovers and trappings of extreme wealth). When found, the food was a bit non descript and very overpriced. But is was fun as we are the pizza in booths, designed for canoodling couples of which there were many , clearly it was the places for dates!
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