![hive2.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/jokeyes/23vhwwh4eSTDoJmHzyrZTmbuc2y8yuYDSgng4q1U2rkMjAyNuDU67YvLjoMogAxQSBc3J.JPG) ![](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/jokeyes/szFlQ3pM-jobis20squiggle202.png)

![I was surprised by how much you can fit in a Tuk-Tuk](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/jokeyes/Ep5o9p9rUWSFCDk1vGTccRC5cV3aXo22NMnkmWWam9Ey1mpUDFs8EEEe4SLjTi2gJRM.JPG)

Last week, we (@Srey-Yuu, @JustinParke, @Sreypov, @Sakana, Sam, and I) crammed into the Tuk-Tuk and drove from their home in the Cardamom Mountains to Battambang. It was a long drive - picnic and pee-stops included, it took six hours. Had it not been for the coconuts and iced coffees, I might not have made it. Battambang literally means "loss of stick". The name refers to a legend about King Dambang Kranhoung, who is said to have thrown his wooden staff all the way from Angkor to Battambang. ![](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/jokeyes/szFlQ3pM-jobis20squiggle202.png)

![IMG_9011.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/jokeyes/2423sLX4vvZUmLA6tos36GojZnJ6BehJtjb623yrztJmTojxdBq4Koc83RJDWrNc1utGK.JPG) ![Can you spot the kitten?](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/jokeyes/23wWvpa4gq3bbfpHhhMLMNdfe4F8ctHQrrDVwjifu6b8T3hh6qs6984jS5GGffBMkPWAc.JPG)

Our **first stop in Battambang was Boeung Chhouk market**, or "Lotus Lake" market in English. The market might have been built on a lake, but nowadays the name and the swarms of dragonflies are the only reminders of a more rural past. I'm pretty sure that you can **find anything** at Boeung Chhouk market. After only a short time, I had seen stalls selling everything from **fresh eels** to **gold jewellery**. The novelty had almost worn away when I noticed a **kitten crawling through a pile of mangoes**. I didn't need any eels, or jewellery, or mangoes, or cats, or any other miscellaneous items for that matter - **I needed a hat**. I left Boeung Chhouk market with not one, but **two new hats**. I was very glad to have Cambodian escorts with me, they bargained on my behalf and made sure I got a very **fair price**. ![](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/jokeyes/szFlQ3pM-jobis20squiggle202.png) ![IMG_9013.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/jokeyes/242Xy2Vtf8MZbkq6aivpPd8nhT1NmQcei7xHezMrszG7znaJPG6yWodEvpr8TyFFGdEoc.JPG) After being introduced to the **"Cambodian market experience"** at Boeung Chhouk market, we were swept up into a **complete sensory overload**. In preparation for a **boat race**, a huge market lined the river in the centre of **Battambang**. There was a **fair with rides, loud music, and bright lights**. A group of munks were blessing the market through loudspeakers, while a band was playing traditional Cambodian music, and it was all drowned out by Cambodian pop music and overshadowed by advertisements for Ganzberg, German Premium Beer. In all the **madness**, I didn't manage to get my phone out and take any pictures - but I can guarantee you that it was a **chaotic experience**. All that being said, I enjoyed **Battambang** and the markets. We slept the night in a **guesthouse** and journeyed onward to **Siem Reap** the next day, more about that in my next blog post. ![](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/jokeyes/szFlQ3pM-jobis20squiggle202.png) **🙏THANKS FOR READING🙏** **If you enjoyed this post, please upvote and reblog.** ![](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/jokeyes/szFlQ3pM-jobis20squiggle202.png)