72 wanderlust.co.uk October 2019repairedthetracksandbuilttheir
owntrains–simplepalletsseton
wheelssalvagedfromdamagedtanks
andeitherpuntedalongwithpoles
orpoweredbywater-pumpengines.
Thebambootrainsstoppedrunning
in 2017 whenworkonrepairingthe
railwaybegan.Nowtheyrunagain.Cambodiareborn
PhnomPenhwasalong,slowdrift
awayfromBattambang–acrossthe
TonleSapriver,pastnewlybuilt
Buddhisttemplestoppedwith
prangsdecoratedwithswirlinggilt
dragons,andendlessricefields.Then
camerowuponrowofvastgarment
factories–theindustrialdriveof
Cambodia’srebirth.Despitethe
seeminglyconstantyellofthe
Klaxon,ayoungmaninablack
t-shirtsnoozedagainstthewindow
alltheway,lulledbythegentle
rockingofthecarriage.Itwas
night-timewhenwereachedthecity,
whichfeltfreneticafterthecalmof
Battambang–awhirringbuzzof
mopeds,tuk-tuksandKoreancars.If
thetemplesandbambootrain
representedCambodia’sruralcharm,
PhnomPenhwaswheremodern
Cambodiawhirred,buzzedandspent
itsnewindustrialmoney.
ThenextdayIdecidedtohurl
myselfintothewhirligigwitha
motorbikemarketfoodtour.Myguide
wasalocalfilmfixer,Mey:tiny,with
apermanentsmile,perfectEnglishand
astonishingskillbehindthewheel.We
beganwithasedateboatridetothe
meetingoftheTonleSapandMekong
rivers,towatchthesunsinkbehind
thepagodasoftheRoyalPalaceand
theneonsparkle-onaroundthe
glitteringnewChinese-fundedglass
towers.Thentheadrenalinbeganto
flowasIrodepillionandMeyglided
deftlythroughthetrac,effortlessly
dodgingoncomingcars,cartsand
bicycles(alldrivingonthewrongside
oftheroad).Westoppedtosample
increasinglybizarrefoods.
“Cambodiafrog?”Meyasked–
presentingmewithasteamingplate
oflittlelegscookedinastickysauce.
Itwasdelicious.
“Cricket?”shesmiled.Iclosedmy
eyes,poppedoneinandchewed.It
wasgoodtoo-likegrass-flavoured
porkscratchings.
“BoiledEgg?”Icrackedopenthe
topwithaspoon,expectingagolden
yolk,butitwasmeaty.
“Babyduck,”saidMey,tuckingin
tohers.“Youafraid?”shemocked,
seeingmehesitate.Itooktheplunge.
“Mmm.Verynice.”Butthethought
stillmademewince.Citylights
Ihadtwomoredaysbeforeheading
south.IvisitedtheEclipseSkyBar
wherethecityglistenedin
corporateglassbeforeme,andthen
theGrandPalace–ancientrococo-
carvedstupas,polishedteakand
goldenBuddhas.TheTuolSleng
KhmerRougetorturemuseum’s
starkhorrorleftmewandering
numblyalongthebanksofthe
Mekong,hopingforsomethingto
restoremyfaithinhumanity.
IfounditatthePhnomTamao
WildlifeRescueCentre,a40-minute
drivefromPhnomPenh.Therewere
gibbonscallingtoeachother,clouded
leopardswithmottledpaisleycoats
andamassivebullelephantwho’d
losthisfootinaforestsnare.He
walkedthankstoaprostheticlimb.‘If the temples and bamboo train
represented its rural charm,
Phnom Penh was where
modern Cambodia whirred’