This intro has nothing (or very little) to do with the content of this blog post. I don't care. That prayer makes me smile, and I hope that the next time you consume a meal, you think of it. My editor and boyfriend, Matt Coolidge, will advise me to edit this out. Again, I don't care. And, I hope you don't care either, reader. [Editor's Note: I don't care either - in fact, I actually like it]
So, what is this blog about? The capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh (PP). Yes, there was a lot of eating there. And if I regularly prayed for people's souls, I'm sure I would have done a lot of praying there. So here goes the good, bad and ugly of the PP.
First and foremost, Phnom Penh was the biggest surprise of our trip. We went into the city expecting nothing and came out with a lot of great stories. It was one of the only places on the trip in which Matt and I could see ourselves living long term. It was a place that had tons of rats, dead and alive, on the streets. More prostitute bars than regular bars. And, bed bugs, or at least phantom bed bugs, in our 'guesthouse'! But even with all its seediness, I still loved it. And to think, we were originally going to bypass the Asian city of our dreams...
Matt and I were not planning to go to PP to begin with, but had heard it was a great place to get an Indian visa (a completely different story that I hope Matt will share with you, as he did experience about ten mental breakdowns at the Indian Embassy. I hate to gossip about others' mental woes, so I will leave it to him). So, in desperate need of an Indian visa, we decided to take a five-hour bus from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to PP.
The bus was smoother than smooth. The border crossing was clean and, wait for it, efficient! Efficient border crossings and transportation is a bit unheard of in Southeast Asia. We also got to take a ferry over the mighty Mekong! It was not scenic at all, but it is still fun to say you crossed any mighty river, right?
Took this picture as we were leaving Hoh Chi Minh City.
As we began to cross into the city via another river, there was a large slum to our right. I don't take pictures of slums as I don't want to exploit and/or glorify other people's poverty, but if you google "Phnom Penh slum," the second or third picture in the series should give a pretty accurate idea of the conditions there. The houses seemed to be leaning and falling into the river. It wasn't rainy season, but I figure during that time many houses must be completely submerged. Where do the people go?
As we carried on towards the river and the proverbial "right side of the tracks," I heard a triumphant scream from outside. As I squinted my eyes and stared into the slum, I saw a net, 12 players... A volleyball game was in full swing!
Volleyball was a game of my childhood. A game that I played with white soled shoes, white socks and white knee pads. A game where you have to clean the court before you start. A game where you slide on the floor for so long because the sealant wax is so fresh and new. I love that smell.
It is a sterile game.
The most sterile kind of game you can find, sans maybe badminton.
There was nothing sterile about the game outside of PP. The court was made of mud. There were no shoes, sock or knee pads. There was just the sound of the ball as it was being passed, set, spiked, and the cheer and slaps of the team when one made an ace and a groan when one fumbled a serve.
I discovered later that volleyball is played all over Cambodia. In most of Southeast Asia, soccer is the official sport. But in Cambodia, you can find a volleyball net in cities big and small. Even if the town does not have running water, there will be a net and a ball.
Once the bus stopped, We were pounced on by tuk tuk drivers all wanting to know if we wanted to see the 'Killing Fields' or S21 prison (a school turned torture chamber during the Khmer Rouge regime). Matt and I started to run for the streets, and eventually found a guy who wasn't pushing a hard sell. He took us to our guesthouse.
I won't go into details about this guesthouse or about seeing all the sites of Phnom Penh. For the most part, the sites to see in PP will leave you depressed for months and the guesthouses are nothing to write home about. I think we actually stayed in a 'pay by the hour' guesthouse for the majority of our trip. Plus, we stayed in PP for two weeks! So to save you an hour or two, let's talk about why I loved
PP!
The Architecture:
There were beautiful French homes here that would tickle the biggest architect aficionado. The National Museum of Cambodia, which is a must if you ever go here, was gorgeous. The museum houses mainly ancient Khmer art from the time of the Khmer Empire (Wiki tells me that the empire started in 802 A.D. and ended in the 15th century). The building was started in 1917 and was created to resemble a Khmer Temple. There is a beautiful courtyard inside the museum with multiple koi ponds. I could have sat and lingered there all day.
My eyes were constantly looking around and finding one architectural embellishment after another in that enigmatic capital. Through the grime of the walls, you could see its old grandeur - and potential for new beauty. Not to mention, the boulevards were big here. I mean, they were French boulevards. It was easy to walk everywhere or ride your bike - the city is flatter than flat too!
Beautiful building we passed on our way to the Indian Embassy. Purpose:unknown.
Matt requested that I take this picture of him outside the National Museum.
A building from the Royal Palace in PP
Statue of Ganesha, a Hindu God, outside of the National Museum
A beautiful boulevard in PP
Photo from a balcony downtown. I think I can see a rat from here.
Matt Coolidge original of the Royal Palace
Khmer people are very adaptable and hospitable. Something that is so apparent in the cuisine and service of Cambodia. Cambodia does not have delicious food. A lot of Khmer food will shock you more than wet your chops (yes, we ate snake!). Some common roadside snacks are crickets and duck embryos. But, you will always be greeted warmly.
Now for the adaptability: Khmer people are great at creating other countries' cuisines. Matt and I ate delicious pizzas, amazing burritos and anything our little hearts desired. We ate well and we ate cheap. You can find western food all over Asia, but by and large it is crap and you are better sticking to local cuisine; Cambodia was the exception.
The logo for our favorite Mexican joint in PP. It was owned by a guy from Dallas.
Fish Amok. Another Classic Khmer dish. The fancy fish amok come in bamboo like this one. It is similar to a curry, but without the spice. We had it once. Enough said.
Did I mention, you could get a proper cocktail here too? Most cocktails I have found in SEA taste like sweet vomit or pepto bismol.
I was going to write another section entitled 'people,' but I have way too much to say in that department. So, if you are interested in reading more about the crazy characters we met (think cocaine highs and Russian refugees), read the next blog: The Lord's Prayer.
