Battambang, a small town in western Cambodia, has long been famous for its famous "bamboo trains". Far from the traditional aspect of the train with its wagons, here you will sit on bamboo platforms!
This is an original form of motorized local rail transportation commuting on a 7km railroad thanks to a simple motor and its 4 wheels. The bamboo train is called "norry" by the locals.
A little history
In the early 1970s, we saw the first models of this train appear. At that time, long bamboo poles were used to push them. The origin of this invention lies in the need to move the railway to maintain the tracks.
In the 1980s, these trains were requisitioned by the Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities to transport the soldiers to the front.
After the war, the railway in Cambodia was completely devastated. Several portions of the rails were cut by the Khmer Rouge. The bamboo trains gradually lost their roles and were no longer present in Battambang.
Nowadays, the bamboo train is used despite the short distance by the locals for the transport of locals and tourists.
Rather a childhood game!
For me, it's also a game that reminds me of my childhood!
This is played by two: one pulls a platform by a rope while the other stays on the side, then we exchange roles.
No worries though, you will not need to pull ropes !!
Sometimes two trains meet. The one who is the lightest must then leave his place to the other. The drivers help each other to disassemble the train and then to gather them. A fair play job!
An exotic experience ...
Imagine yourself on the platform, sitting or even lying down, admiring the sky and the rice fields nearby while the wind is blowing and the sounds of the past resound in your ears! The experiment lasts about thirty minutes at about 40 km / h.
You will keep an extraordinary memory!