Destination – Cambodia
–
Phnom Penh – Hello Sir, tuk-tuk? Maybe later? Tomorrow then?
We had to leave
Vietnam, and on the last day of our second visa, we catch a pretty decent bus
to Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital. We’ve heard mixed reviews about it but
somehow we think we might like it anyway. We arrive in the afternoon and,
though our hotel is very nice we find out very soon it’s very far from the
action. We soon change hotels to another
place near the river front, this time, the Golden House Hotel, neat! We start
walking around and just catch a glimpse of the many wats (temples) and palaces
to be seen in this town. Also, after one of the most pyrotechnical food
poisoning experiences of this trip, from our first dinner here, (courtesy of
the Noodle Boat restaurant) we are rewarded the following day with one of the
best meals ever at the Le Resto du Coin - (On the Corner) Restaurant, soon to become our regular. The steaks and Khmer food are to die for! We
were also rewarded by the lovely Cambodian people who decide to share a beautiful
Buddhist ceremony in a small temple along the river with us. Lovely live music,
colourful sights of fruit and flowers and the sweetest fragrance of incense. Liking
it already!
We do a bit of
shopping and sightseeing and start really enjoying Phnom Penh. Much nicer then
we’ve expected and again, don’t even get us started on the food. The “chicken
amok” makes you want to run amok! Loc Lac pork? Awesome!
Ok, there’s a lot of
poverty around, tiny street kids, victims of polio and landmines, and an awful
lot prostitution going on. There’s a shocking high number of older, beer & Viagra-enhanced western
gentlemen, enjoying the services of way too young Cambodian girls. Some
of the guys should really be in a nursing home… scary! These sleazeballs are also known as “sexpats”. Embarrassing?
Disgusting? Totally!
The promenade
along the river is gorgeous. We visit the beautiful Royal Palace, wats, the night
market, the central market, the endless Russian market and in between walks and
sights, we also keep on tasting all the amazing food available. Thai,
Vietnamese, French, Khmer, bring it on! The architecture, although mostly new,
is fascinating and the monsoon weather is definitely giving us a break. We visit
the genocide museum and the killing fields and learn all about the Pol Pot
regime, macabre heritage and a bit more of the history of this country. We also
go for a happy hour cocktail jug at the charming FCC (Foreign Correspondents
Club), a super cool colonial building overlooking the river promenade. If you’re ever around this place, don’t miss
it.
Even before you
step out of you hotel, the shouts for “Hello Sir, Tuk-Tuk?” are heard. When you
are having your meals, you can feel the eyes of the tuk-tuk drivers on you, and
they follow you every step of the way, tuk-tuk? Tuk-tuk? tuk-tuk? No, thank
you, we don’t want any tuk-freaking-tuk! It really drives you insane and you
have to try hard not to be rude, after all, people are just trying to make a
living. In spite of the tuk-tuk drivers, we really enjoy this place, even if we
don’t really know why. It’s kind of grows on you.
