Phnom Penh Archives - Wandering North

Asia Cambodia South East Asia 2013

Phnom Penh by Tuk Tuk

On our second full day in Phnom Penh we hired a tuk tuk driver, who went by the the name of Johnny, to take us to the “Killing Fields” and a couple of other sights. It was strangely relaxing being driven though the city traffic, which seems chaotic but actually has a bizarre flow which works well and did not bring about the least amount of apprehension in either of us. We weaved between buses and tuk tuks and motor scooters carrying their multiple passengers, bushels of bananas, sacks of something, and in one case, a large dead pig. The exhaust and dust from the barely paved roads grew string as we carried in and out driver offered us each a surgical mask. It was very useful for keeping the grit out of one’s teeth, but not so conducive to smoking.

We arrived at the Killing fields of Choeung Ek, which are really very peaceful, due to the their rural setting and despite their horrific past. We did the audio tour of the sight, which was very good and informative, giving the history of the otherwise nondescript spots along the walk. After Choeung Ek we went by tuk tuk to the Tuol Sleng prison, where so many people were held, tortured and executed. It was a sobering pair of sights, but certainly worth visiting.

Finally, we had our driver take us to the “Russian Market”, large market, very similar to the first, but more labyrinthine and containing more crafts and souvenirs. We had some vegetables, noodles and fried ginger at a food counter and took the tuk tuk back to our hotel.

Yesterday was the first day that it felt really hot to me. All the other days so far were hot, but in a totally bearable, humid, Miami sort of way. Yesterday afternoon though it felt very hot as I went for an afternoon walk. I visited a couple more temples and walked to an area which was quite fancy, which I promptly left, as I felt too dirty and shabby to be there. All around the streets local people were setting up for the next day which is a holiday, and flags were hung above the streets.

In the evening, we dined and people watched before making our way back to the hotel along the wildly uneven and dark paving stones, sidestepping holes, garbage, and sleeping families.

That was yesterday. Now we are at the airport about to board a 45 minute flight to Siem Reap.

Asia Cambodia South East Asia 2013

Soggy in Phnom Penh

Our first full day in Phnom Penh began with a lovely breakfast at our hotel underneath the palm trees. After that we decided to walk to a couple of temples along or near the waterfront. The walk started off well enough but then the rains came – slowly at first and then they were a full tropical deluge. By the time we were able to procure a couple of umbrellas we were drenched from socks to scarves. The thing is though, once you are that wet you can’t get wetter so we relished in it and enjoyed splashing though the puddles in our sopping shoes and smiling and declining the offered from tuk tuk drivers to take us dryly to our destination.

Our first stop was Wat Ounalom, which is the head of Buddhism in Cambodia. It is more that one building but a complex of temples and graves and shrines. One such shrine, guarded by an old man in sunglasses and chain smoking cigarettes, contains an alleged hair from the Buddha’s eyebrow. The sunglasses man beckoned us and unlocked the shrine and had us sit on the mat in front of the Buddha while he lit incense and candles and then mixed scented oil in a bowl and used some sticks to flick the oil on us while he chanted (prayers or blessings I assumed, but for all I know if could have been a curse). No sign of the eyebrow, but apparently it is in there.

After that wat we walked further north to Wat Phnom, which is a temple atop a hill. We climbed up the stairs which were pouring with water and spent some time inside, on the floor, admiring the gilded Buddhas and drying out.

The rain began to let up slightly as we walked back south to the Central Market (the Psar Thmei), a large, domes, Art Deco building which houses a large market. The inside sells mostly jewelry, clothing, electronics, and other goods, while around the market are the food stalls selling fresh produce and vegetables, eggs, fish and seafood, and meats – so many means being carved up, from chickens and teeny tiny birds to frogs, grubs, and who knows what else. It was smelly and colourful and fantastic.

We sat at one of the counters in the food selling area and ordered a couple of soups (mine without meat). They were very tasty and with some added spicy chilis, they were delicious (and about $1.25 each). After that we bought some tasty pastries and mangosteens and a small white coconut and walked back to our hotel, now in the sunshine.

After a bit of a rest we walked back down to the waterfront and had a tasty dinner of Thai food with a fellow we ran into who had been on our boat in Vietnam (an Australian fellow who was a jackaroo turned hot air balloonist – there are a couple of careers I never considered).

It was a satisfyingly full day and we slept soundly.

Asia Cambodia South East Asia 2013 Vietnam

Holiday in Cambodia

Yesterday morning (whatever day that was) we stepped out the back of our hotel in Chau Doc and onto a speed boat bound for Phnom Penh. It was a comfortable boat, covered except at the back and the front and with wonderful breezes blowing through. The entire journey, including the stop at the border was about 6 hours, but it was pleasant. Alongside the shores we saw more jungly trees and fields with people tilling the soil by hand, houses on stilts or just corrugated metal shacks built right along the shore, people fishing with poles or giant butterfly nets which the scooped into the water while balancing on the edge on small wooden boats, and, once we crossed into Cambodia, small herds of skinny white cows.

We stopped at the border leaving Vietnam, then reboarded and stopped again at the border entering Cambodia where we got our new visas.

Finally we saw the skyline of Phnom Penh and we pulled up to Sisowath Quay. We both immediately loved it. The buildings were an interesting mix of French inspired architecture, dilapidated low rises, and stunning temple peaks. We boarded a tuk tuk (our first) and we snaked through the traffic, which was similar to that of Ho Chi Minh in terms of its style and composition but was slightly less frenetic.

Our hotel, the Blue Lime, is pretty great. It has a South Beach feel to it, with its beautiful pool surrounded by Palm trees and lazy cabanas. Our room is perfect and has a modern design and there is an outdoor bar and restaurant by the pool, perfect for relaxing with a passion fruit juice (as I am doing now). All this (and breakfast) for about $45 night.

After getting settled we went for a walk in search of food. The streets are very pleasant for walking (despite having to walk in traffic much of the time), as there are so many appealing and interesting street side eateries, shops, vendors, and whatnot to look at. The poverty though is evident, as steps away from the main temples and restaurants catering to tourists are people living on the street or naked kids picking through garbage.

We found a restaurant and had our first Cambodian meal – the de facto national dish ‘amok’, a mild, steamed curry. Betty Lou had fish and I had I had a vegetarian version. It was delicious and for two of us it was about $6. A few small kids came up to sell us things, but I didn’t feel bothered. The place is crawling with tourists, but that didn’t bother me either. It is all a pleasant atmosphere.

After lunch we visited the Royal Palace, which is really a serene complex of stunning temples and pagodas decorated in intricate and ornate design; the peaked roofs glitter like dragon scales and Buddhas sat amongst the greenery. Walking among the trees and the buildings were many monks, dressed in their beautiful saffron robes. It was all lovely.

We retired to the room for a bit and then I decided to go for a walk to see what the nightlife was like. It was all really the same, but it felt even livelier (and that is certainly true of the bars and restaurants). I was having a fine time wandering until the skies opened up and it began to pour. I tried to wait it out in a bookshop but became restless and decided to head back to the hotel which was 3-4 blocks away only. In those few blocks however I got drenched; my eyes blinded by the torrential rain and my shoes transformed into pools. I returned though in one piece and enjoyed a wonderful sleep.

Tag: Phnom Penh