Battambang, Cambodia- A Pleasant Side Note

Battambang,Cambodia is a place of contrasts. It is located in the lush countryside surrounded by villages, and yet is the second largest urban center in Cambodia next to Phnom Penh.  It has been a center of trade and development for a very long while. Battambangian rice is prized all over Cambodia and locals can be found transporting sacks of it to their respective locations. This town was the cause of a great deal of strife between Thailand and Cambodia with Thailand seizing control over the territory until resolved by the Allied Forces after World War II.

Battambang even has a story about its name. It means "Loss of Stick". There is a statue dedicated to this story on the outskirts of the town and you encounter this smiling villain as you enter or leave the town. Yes, you read that right, there is a statue to the villain of the piece. The story goes that there was a king who ruled over this province. One day a cowherd discovered a stick which gave him superpowers and thus he was able to overthrow the king and establish himself on  the throne. It was then prophesied that a holy man on a white horse would lead to his defeat. The cowherd went about systematically destroying all such holy men and at last a holy man did arrive on a white horse and steal his stick. It was none other than the son of the deposed king. The cowherd was left to lament his loss of a kingdom due to the loss of a stick leading to the name Battambang. The whole town is dotted with such strange statues, one of which looked like a mixture of Buddha, Vishnu and Shiva.

The first thing that strikes you about Battambang is how almost every hotel is located on the river and almost every government building most definitely is. You can find the remains of French shop fronts huddled over the present day shops, most of which seem to be selling wooden shrines or complicated cross stitch templates. The cross stitch templates were put into extensive use by the shopkeepers we encountered at the Psar Nath or the Central Market. The Central Market in Battambang is definitely reminiscent of the one in Phnom Penh, both built by French, though at a smaller scale and closer to the ground. The market was different from the ones in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap that were definitely positioned towards the tourists. This one was all for the locals. Even before you walk in you are assaulted by a variety of sights and smells- some familiar and some strange. Peeled coconuts, black long fish laid out in rows, vegetable sellers, people selling seafood crispies- the list goes on and of course like any self respecting tropical market it has its share of mango, tamarind and amla vendors on the street.

 So, lot of tourists don't come to this town, but here are some reasons why you shouldn't give Battambang a miss.

1. The Norrie or the Bamboo Train- The remains of a past era when according to my tuk tuk driver and guide it took 17 hours to go from Battambang to Phnom Penh. This now runs only from Battambang to a tiny village about 20 minutes. It's a single track train which now runs on a motor but was previously operated by hand. When two trains heading in opposite directions meet, the one with the lighter load has passengers disembark and they dismantle the train to allow the other to pass. A bumpy and beautiful ride.

2. Beautiful side trips on the countryside on a tuk-tuk to Wat Ek Phnom and the Bat Caves: I didn't make it to the top of Wat Ek Phnom. But the sunset view of the bat cave and the hourly ritual of bats leaving the cave is one no one should miss. There are a lot of people who annoy the bats by whistling and clapping to disrupt their movement. But the bats inevitably find their way back to the flock. We witnessed a great purple sky sunset and the exodus of workers into packed trucks and carts from the factories around Battambang.

3. Take pictures along the river and walk. You can find a play ground for children right next to the river and benches if you want to rest your feet. Feast your eyes on French architecture which turns out to be the Electricity Board or the bank. Take squiggly light pictures of the pretty lit up hotels on the river side.

4. See how real people live. This is not a town filled with tourists. You see real people going about their lives and you will probably be one of the attractions if you are from a non-European country.

5. Last but not the least, go for the food. Jaan Bai is a restaurant run by underpriveleged children and serves yummy food even for vegetarians. It was some of the best food I have had anywhere in the world. And one should not miss trying these miniature Battambangian oranges. They are awesomely sweet and thirst quenching, perfect for the hot days in Cambodia.

The best way to get to Battambang from Siem Reap or Phnom Penh is by mini bus. I tried the bus and it was average but the mini bus was more comfy especially if you travelled up front. Hotels can help make your bookings if you call the reception in advance and most of them also pick you up from the bus stand. All in all Battambang is the perfect mix of urban and rural, tourism and life in general which makes it a great break for a couple of days.

Art Museum: Philly- An Inspiration

Poised high up on a hilly path, more often than not the Philadelphia Museum of Art is the first thing you notice as you enter the Philadelphia 30th Street Station on a train. It has become, thanks to the Rocky Movies, an icon in Philadelphia, the most recognizable landmark in this city. You can delude yourself that you are following in Stallone's footsteps as you huff and puff up Kelly Drive to reach this monument. The road from the city center is less picturesque and less Rocky like. You can only get the complete experience if you run up Kelly Drive and then confront yourself with the massive steps leading up to the museum. The steps are dotted with many aspiring athletes working out and even a "Yoga at Sunset" class proceeding on the side. In summer, more often than not you can find dogs running into the fountain and children wading barefoot into the water.

The view of the Philly skyline looks perfect from the steps, the curving Benjamin Franklin Parkway runs through right down to the city. This is the less scenic look and looks deceptively short, but is a far longer walk than the Kelly drive path you could take. Some of the flags planted along the sides of the road flutter in the wind closer to the Museum which is located in a particularly windy area while the rest of them hang limply. The Parkway has many museums and places of interest scattered along it such as the central branch of the Public Library, an interesting four sided sculpture replete with lions and other animals, humans and fountains, the Rodin Museum. The Eastern State Penitentiary and the Barnes Foundation are a stone's throw away.

 Next to the steps amidst the green foliage is hidden the Rocky Statue. You can see many people lining up in front of the statue to pose for photographs. The museum is built in a Classic style and draws heavily from Roman columns and forums. The exhibition that I had a chance to view were the plans to redesign the museum and give it a modern facelift by the architect Frank Gehry- famous for the Walt Disney concert hall in Los Angeles. It would be interesting to watch how this traditional structure transforms into its modern interpretation. The museum has a pay as you wish every Wednesday and on the first Sunday of the month. Wednesdays are a good time to visit as there are some cool activities from wine tasting to plays and performances.

Now that quite enough has been spoken about the outsides of the museum, let me do a highlight tour of the inside. There are permanent exhibits with rotating display items and special exhibits. Two of the most fascinating permanent exhibits are the Indian temple complete with stone pillars and a mock up of a medieval cathedral with carved wells and tiled roofs.

Special Exhibits generally have a large special area devoted to them. One of the special exhibits, I had a chance to look at was the China exhibit. There were rooms filled with video graphed books on the walls, showcases filled with ceremonial and everyday clothes used by early Chinese kings and common people. Specially built rooms filled with furniture displayed traditional arrangements in Chinese homes. Children were sprawled on the ground with detailed activity books in hand. The best part of all were the stand up interactive panels explaining the exhibits, every museum should get them for every exhibit, they are like a crash course in art appreciation. Finally, everyone, big and small, young and old got a chance to write their name in Chinese and take it home with them.

My top 10 favourite art installations

1. The Four Seasons - Leon Fredric

2. The Arab Chief- Mariano Fortuny y Carbó

3. Little Dancer - Edgar Degas
4. The Imaginary Illness- Honore Daumier
5. Given: 1. The Waterfall, 2. The Illuminating Gas-Marcel Duchamp
6. The Staircase Group by Charles Wilson Peale
7. The Crucifixion and The Gross Clinic by Thomas Eakins
8. Spring by John La Farge
9. The Pont Neuf- Camille Pissarro
10. Potrait of Madamoiselle Legrand- Renoir

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is not a sprawling mega museum like the ones in New York. It is a small cozy museum which you can get to know every exhibit and learn about all of the paintings, sculptures et al. But most of all, the Museum inspires awe and motivation, anyone running on Kelly Drive or driving past the museum at night can testify to that.

Philadelphia in Food

I spent the best part of this summer in Philadelphia, working. Like all my travels and most of my posts, this is all about the food I experienced in this very friendly city.

Lunches at Potbelly and Corner Bakery.. Enjoying a hurried mushroom melt and trying to eat crunchy chips quietly in a client meeting. Actually finding choices, vegetarian dishes I like in the office cafeteria..

Madelines with my friend.. Midnight snack and accompaniment to long overdue catch ups..Roti Canai at Banana Leaf with a foodie co worker.. Conversation was better than the food.. Missing home and succumbing to Philadelphia Chutney Company.. Living to regret the moment of weakness. 

Enjoying my share of farmers markets on Rittenhouse Square.. Knowing basil lemonade Popsicle could taste so good and getting complimented on my 'spring' shirt. Tasting veggie hot dogs as you listen to weird music at the Old st market.. Discovering you happened up on to the Old st market by mistake.. Trekking on purpose to the Ben Franklin parkway for the Fair on Parkway and getting disappointed with the 2 food trucks.

Experimental tasting with tasty kake and orange fair trade chocolate... Loving the icecreams at Franklin Fountain. Veggie burgers at Devil's Alley and Hip City Veg. Vegan cupcakes and OJ at Animo.. Falling in love with wok stir fries at Honeygrow on my first day and coming back many times.. Finishing up with a Smore melt in the mouth cookie from Insomnia Cookies..

Stumbling on to a perfect Italian place BYOB like most in Philly that I can't remember the name of because I went around looking at so many menus before I walked into one. Discovering super relaxed fine dining down the road from your house.. Having a Parisian breakfast at Parc Rittenhouse looking at the park, feeling Parisian with all the dogs around. Trying to repeat the experience at Devon and failing miserably. 

Having one pastry of each kind with Mom at Metropolitan bakery. Trying mojito icecream at a weird gelataria on 20th street.. Buying my friend tiramisu from Miel. Marvelling and getting disgusted simultaneously over chocolate pasta at Max Brenner. Having had too much of a sweet thing, biting into red chillies at Han' s Dynasty. Finally trying and liking Indian food in the US at Indeblue. Realizing a childhood obsession with Dr. Seuss having French toast breakfast at Green Eggs and Ham

The Brotherhood in the City of Brotherly Love- Masonic Temple Tour in Philly

The Freemasons are a guild that have surrounded themselves with mystery on purpose than by accident. We have all heard of them, if not in medieval history books, in the books of Dan Brown. Masons have hazy origin stories, historians offering different opinions, from the Knights Templar to the workmen guilds or unions of past days. While they may have been unnaturally fond of symbols and we in the company of Robert Langdon see things that aren't there, a  thank you is due to  the Masons is for the buildings they made. The Capitol building and the Library of Congress are beautiful testimonies to the skill of Masonic architects. The emblem of the masons is the compass and the ruler, they are steeped in science and building techniques and mathematics. Philadelphia boasts of a fairly large Masonic temple on one of the large streets in the city.There used to be an ancient temple of Solomon in Philadelphia which was destroyed and this new temple was built in place.

As you can imagine, if the buildings built by the Masons are so beautiful, how beautiful the building which they meet in would be. Also they are supported in furnishing and making their buildings by a long lineage of very powerful, rich and well traveled Masons. Interesting masons include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and many other members of the Government and various divisions of military. I walked past this temple and decided to step in on an impulse. I got the tickets for the next guided tour from a very twinkly eyed gentleman who looked a little like Santa Claus. It is generally one of the members of the temple who volunteer to give these tours and we were a group of some 10-15 people from various parts of the country and the world who took the tour. We had a funny, entertaining tour guide who even offered to show the "secret treasure" hidden in the dungeon for a small fee.

The Masonic temple sprawls over two storeys above ground and I do not know how many below. Each room looks like a work of art decorated with interpretations of various cultures- Byzantine, Egyptian, Arabian and colour based rooms as well.The Byzantine Room below is decorated with the traditional murals and colors of the period with Gods and goddesses representing various virtues painted above the doorways.

Every one of the rooms curiously has a clock right opposite the Grand Maester's chair. It's positioned so that the Maester who conducts and adjourns meetings can view the clock and keep track of time without obviously appearing to do so. All others have to make do with sneaking a quick sideways glance.

The biggest challenge with exploring the Masonic temple was half the time I did not know where to look, up/down, around, all this while keeping a ear out for all the interesting stories that the guide had for us. Even the roofs and pathways of this building are so intricately designed and assembled. Most roofs in the pathways are designed to reflect the night sky and morning sky. They look startlingly different with and without lighting apparently, but it being mid day I did not see this. 

Speaking of pathways and doorways, you are never safe from the treasures of the Masonic temple. As you walk along, paintings and frescoes rivet your eyes, as do paintings of famous masons. You might bump into marble busts and statues and encounter brilliant coloured stained glass windows at the end of your stairway. At every turn, you will encounter new and brilliant works of art and architecture. A funny tribute to a famous mason lies above one of the doorways. It is the carving of a turkey. It is a little known fact that Ben Franklin recommended that the turkey be made the national bird of the United States, claiming that the alternative- the bald eagle was a cowardly bird. So the turkey though not the national bird, now presides over Masonic banquets.

The most in-ostentatious of all rooms were the Knight Templar rooms. Considering the crusades, they all rode on and all the treasure they are supposed to have collected, the room resembles a spare meeting room. Its only statement is a deep red carpet and heavy mahogany furniture lending it an air of stability and solidity. This contrasts with the beautiful oriental carvings and gold leaf with dominates the Arabian room. It looks like a room straight out of the Arabian nights. Even the grand Maester's chair, while of a classic shape in most other rooms makes an attempt at grandeur.

 The other gold gilded and ancient room here is the Egyptian room. It was one of the first rooms to be constructed. According to the stories we heard, there are a lot of anachronisms in this room. It was made when Egypt was more in people's imagination than in the reality of explorers and such. The most curious of all is the roof which has zodiac medallions embedded in a rather large sundial, bordered with compasses. The walls are covered with hieroglyphics & the central seat to kneel on is used for induction rituals and other meetings.

 That ends this rather long blog post and the tour. It started and ended with the grand library which I unfortunately do not have a picture of. This is not the half of it. These are selected rooms which are open to tours and all other rooms including subterranean pathways are open to only members and members' families. Also, what I think is a very bad move for such an ahead of times organization, they still are an all boys club and do not recognize women members or women Masonic guilds. But as long as I got to see the tour, it was pretty awesome to say the least.

Couch Traveling

I started out like most children as a couch traveler. Since I was 3 or 4 years old, I pored over fairy tales in big print, thinking about all those imaginary lands and the mysterious ways and means to reach them. When I graduated to Enid Blytons, " The Faraway Tree Series" and the " Adventure Series" were my first picks and I was sad there was so few of them. I loathed the Secret Seven because all they did was stay at home and have not so secret meetings. Well to each his own, but not my cup of tea.

 I have for as long as I remember been fascinated by the travel columns in the Sunday newspaper. All summer the television at home was and still is when I have a holiday tuned to the Travel and Living Channel, which used be the awesomer Discovery Travel. I loved every show on it and watched all of them religiously storing them up in my brain for future use.

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