Battambang

 Battambang is one of the larger cities in Cambodia, boasting the 4th most popular tourist city. It has a combination of temples, vistas and architecture that make it a "cant miss." There are several resident artist, including this modern art display over street 1 1/2 just off the riverside.

 As in most cities in Cambodia, each building has a small spirit house, a place to keep one's ancestors and good spirits. Incense help cover the ever-present smell of putrefaction in the streets. Its very similar to the French and body odor covered with perfume - eventually its normal.

 Speaking of the French, this is one of the last places in Cambodia where the residual French colonial architecture has been preserved. This bank building demonstrates what it must have looked like prior to the Khmer Rouge. Now only a few buildings remain, closed off to the public with metal fencing. The remainder of the architecture is in classic Cambodian (and most of Southeast Asian) style with concrete construction, tiled floors, and open fronts.

 Battambang provincial hospital is a sprawling campus with several open buildings. Each ward has its own purpose; ICU, medical, pediatrics, surgical and obstetrics, and tuberculosis. A separate building houses radiology and laboratory. They can perform basic x-ray, basic ultrasound, and basic labs including a CBC, creatinine, malaria smear, and at times chemistry (although not routinely). They can also do cultures and gram stains. 

 Battambang has a combination of both Buddhist and Hindu symbology. This intersection roundabout houses a classic Khmer-style roof with a series of dancing apsaras in the middle (not well seen). Apsaras are a mythical nymph that hangs around the temples, seen hundreds of times carved into the side of Angkor Wat. 

Durian fruit, when compared to vomit, stale eggs and milk, and old gym shoes with dog poo on it, takes first place. Despite this, Durian is a SE Asian delicacy often found on street carts. The fruit is so smelly, my hotel actually bans people from bringing it inside, and charging them a fine if they do. I have yet to try this rotting-flesh smelling fruit. I'll stick to mango and pineapple.