2008-09-13 - Phnom Penh 101

Being Matt and Liane’s last weekend in Cambodia, it was time to show Lukas the sights. They had found a tuktuk driver, Sukeat (spelling possibly wrong), that spends his spare time (while waiting for a fare) learning English and reading, rather than just snoozing like the other drivers. He also has a little dog with him (forgot the name sorry), that often comes along for the ride. Sukeat speaks good English, and as we Westerners don’t speak good Khmer, he is the tuktuk driver to call when you want to go places. You hire him for the whole day, paying US$20 for the day, rather than ~$2 per trip, and he waits for you while you go off and do touristy things.

In the tuktuk with Sukeat and his dog.

First stop was at an optometrist near the central markets, where the oldies got measured up for reading glasses. Cost was $36 each I think, for prescription glasses in frames, to be collected that afternoon. Then it was in to the central market.

This is a large yellow concrete building on its own city block, essentially a large dome with four rounded wings, one sticking out each side. Inside the structure are watch and jewellery stores, electronics, a meat section and so on. Attached are many more tarp-covered stalls selling clothing and fabrics, carvings, food and even a nursery section. Picked up a spare battery for the camera for US$12 - probably 40% less if I’d bargained - rather than AU$70.

Central Market main dome

Inside one of the wings of the market

One of the tarp-covered parts of the market

Shampoo, anyone?

Dried fish

Whole stall full of mystery foods

Next stop was Wat Phnom, a temple on a hill in the city, and supposedly the founding point of Phnom Penh.

"For foreigner only, please pay here, 1$ per person" - hooray for foreigner

The wat elephant and handler - gives tourist rides

Liane feeds the elephant - he flaps his (her?) ears a lot when you feed him some very over-priced bananas

One of the monkeys

After that was the Russian market, named after a previous high concentration of Russians living in the area. This is another large market, but more touristy with crafts and pirate DVDs – things that tourists like. Acquired here was a learn Khmer CD and a few obligatory T-shirts.

After that it was a longish tuktuk ride over the Japanese (the donors) bridge to the other side of the river, and out to the peninsula. It was surprising how quickly the relative high standard of the city roads gave way to crappy rural-like roads. There was a long promenade and park against the opposing side of the river bank, built under the direction of the previous governor of the city, but now overgrown and derelict, and being slowly sold off by the corrupt government to their developer mates.

Dredging barge at the junction of the rivers, as seenf rom the peninsula on the other side of the river to Phnom Penh - the dredged material is used to raise land levels in and around the city, to reduce flooding.

Finally it was back into town, to the Foreign Correspondent’s Club (FCC), a local landmark, to sit looking over the river and having over-priced food. Then we toddled off on foot to a Spanish restaurant nearby, for Sangria overlooking the river instead. From there it was a half hour walk home, dodging the night-time traffic on Sihanouk Blvd – just imagine stepping out into 4 lanes of oncoming headlights and hoping they see you.