Phnom Penh

Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh was a pulsing city that captivated our interest right from the first day. Whilst flash riverside hotels and bars lured those with money to spend, just a few streets back, the less fortunate begged for a living. Tuk tuks lined the streets making any attempt at a peaceful stroll impossible. Monks in flowing amber robes moved quietly around the city, stopping to collect alms on their daily rounds.

Monks on the Streets of Phnom Penh

We skirted our way around the Royal Palace grounds, sufficiently impressed by the exterior that we did not feel obliged to pay the entrance fee to see more. A large grass park stretched in front of the palace, peppered with pigeons and happy children feeding them.

Royal Palace Exterior

The wide Tonle Sap River made for a great view, and visitors could search out their country's flag along the waters edge, alongside locals who bought offerings of lotus flowers, incense and caged birds to the temple.

Beside the Tonle Sap

Temple Offerings

Wandering around without a map was always exciting, we stumbled upon interesting surprises like this beautiful stone temple.

Phnom Penh proved to be a shopping mecca with the impressive art deco Psar Thmei (Central Market), claimed to be one of the largest domed buildings in the world. The Psar Tuol Tom Pong (Russian Market) was packed to overflowing with clothes, shoes, souvenirs and art as well just about anything else you could imagine. Our team bartering skills still needed more work. Much to Marc's exasperation, Jo usually said something inappropriate like "we've been looking for this exact thing all day!", instantly lowering negotiation leverage. Phnom Penh night market seemed more of a hit for the locals and gave us some insight into the actual prices of items (as opposed to the tourist price). We walked away with a sugar buzz after being tempted to try sugarcane juice and deep fried icecream and milk (yes the icecream was still frozen).

Psar Thmei (Central Market)

Khmer food utilised a lot of fresh ingredients. We ate amazing salads. Loc lac is a filling local dish of braised beef, fried egg, and salad greens. We watched noodles being made by hand with stretchy dough that was expertly handled. Cockles salted and flavoured with chilli and tamarind were for sale on mobile carts all around the city. Our luck lead us to a street vendor who made plate sized crispy wafer pancakes with liquid marshmallow and coconut filling. Cue sugar coma. Cyclos carried housewives laden with bags of fresh produce.

Cockles for Sale

Life in this bustling city is all too easy for foreigners to enjoy. The Cambodia Daily is filled with international news, and can be enjoyed at the street edge cafes with an iced coffee. Cambodian people are friendly, entrepreneurial and quick to learn. Most strikingly, they are strong and resilient people who have recovered from a horrific past to build a desirable future.