Battambang is Cambodia's second largest city, a Northwestern agricultural center due to its proximity to the Thai border. The city is famous for its exported rice (to Thailand), which is the best in Cambodia. Rice is the staple of the Cambodian diet: a meal without rice isn't really a meal. The exportation of Battambang's rice leads to complaints from Phnom Penh residents, who say that they have to eat inferior rice.
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Battambang means "loss of stick" in Khmer, which refers to a complicated legend involving a king and his staff. The city has a population of about 250,000 (2006 estimate). Battambang is cooler and quieter than Phnom Penh, which is a nice change of pace. I'm staying in a hotel called Khemera, which has nothing do with a camera (its a derivation of Khmer, meaning Cambodian). The hotel is cheap and fancy, with wonderful high-pressure showers and free good-speed internet in your room.
After arriving last night, my DDD colleagues and I went to a local restaurant for dinner. We ate roasted frog, which was delicious. Tastes like chicken, only better. Juicy white meat, easy to eat, great legs.
Much better than tarantulas.
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