Best Ride Ever - Cambodia blog entry #30

 

For months before my trip to Cambodia, I was scouring all the channels streaming on my TV in search of all things Cambodian. One day, I came across an episode of Expedition Unknown with Josh Gates. On it, he was digging up ancient stuff in Cambodia, but at one point, he needed to (or, more like, wanted to for Hollywood allure) ride an unconventional train. Part of the bamboo railroad.

I watched that segment several times and became convinced that, after seeing Angkor Wat, this was what I wanted to experience the most on my trip.

 In the 1930s, French colonists built the Cambodian railroad to transfer rice and other goods between Phnom Penh and Poipet. Unfortunately, during the Vietnam War, the railroads were easy targets for bombs, and in 1975, when the Khmer Rouge took control of the country, a large proportion of the track was removed. Once the Khmer Rouge was overthrown, locals used the scrap that was left from tanks and other vehicles to mend and reinstate the track. They then built small bamboo ‘trains’ to transport goods and passengers locally. 

Passengers ride on a wooden or bamboo platform called a norri. This base sits on a set of wheels and is powered by a small engine. 

Not much more I can add to that, except, “Wheeee!”

And also, that this ride gave us a chance to view more of the beautiful countryside.