Phnom Penh

[Deleted]

Here are just 3 photos of Phnom Penh, but they will probably already shatter some illusions about the city.

Window shoppers



A street sign



The view from the balcony of the F.C.C. (Foreign Correspondants Club), a popular ex-pat bar and restaurant, looking out over the river promenade

[bazfaz]

Last time we were in PP (Jan 2007) we stayed just down the road from the FCC - the Hotel California. Nice laid back guy running it. He hadn't had his telephone repaired for a couple of years. He never checked emails. Since we were flying in at 10 pm we wanted a room booked. In the end I got someone on TT who lived nearby to go and tell him to check his emails. Our room was way overpriced but it did look out over the Mekong.

[gertie]

I still find it just so...unbelievable westerners can go to Phnom Penh and Cambodia. I just remember so vividly hearing about the Khmer Rouge and the killing in Cambodia night after night on the news when I was a kid, it's hard to believe it is so average looking and open to visitors. I would love to see Angkor Wat, I remember seeing pictures of it in school and being told Americans would never be allowed to visit it, it would be death to try.

[ilbonito]

Its still not totally normalized...but changing fast. Asia changes faster than Westerners can easily believe...

[Deleted]

That is so true, ilbonito. Just look at what's happening in India. Amazing change in (really) so small a time frame. These countries are an exciting place to be at the moment, as so much is happening and so fast.

I'd love to see Cambodia.

[gertie]

We should go together, deyana...right after we win the lotto. ;D

[hwinpp]

Between your pic from the FCC and now the whole riverside strip has been pulled up and reopened to the public. The Japanese built a complete new drainage system, look like your pic again but the palms are younger.

[hwinpp]

Ok, before we went to Saigon I went on a little cruise at 'four faces (Chaktomuk) as the confluence of the four rivers at Phnom Penh is called. Since it's been raining a bit everything has turned green. Of course I went for my traditional dip but nobody took photos so I can't post

We started out going down the Tonle Sap River towards the Bassac and the Mekong, Cambodiana Hotel on the right



Hit the Mekong, huge now after nearly 3 weeks of rain





Saw the houses that are desperately being saved, no chance though, they'll all fall in



Got to the floating village, it's grown a bit











Then turned around and went back upriver



Saw the dredging that's not going on





Passed the newly constructed apartment block



And back to port, passing these two flags, fluttering in harmony



... coming in to dock before the sun set

[bixaorellana]

Just beautiful, HW, and really, really interesting.

One thing that really strikes me is how much space there is around the places on the bank you passed. Is that because those areas are just starting to be built up?

I love your river pictures. Is that a natural bank behind the floating houses or a man-made levee?

Do you really go in for a swim every year at high water time?!

[Deleted]

I would be very tempted by a floating house in that part of the world. (Yes, I know that I would hate it within 3 months and move to dry land.)

[hwinpp]

Those are islands, Bixa. They move around a bit with the stream but are generally stable. I go for a swim every time I'm on the river, especially in the hot season when the river is at its lowest.

I've been on a couple of floating houses but I've never overnighted on one. I think they're very small.

One amazing thing about the Vietnamese is that they are able to do with so little space!

[bixaorellana]

This is such a cool thread. HW, I see I never exclaimed over your answer about the bank/levee = floating island.

[Deleted]

I'm still sorting pictures and should have some more coming up before long.

[hwinpp]

I'm looking forward to them, Jack.

It'll be fun pointing out all the changes!

[buncha]

For years, I've wanted to swim in the Mekong. Many of my other dreams of Asia have come true, but not that one.

[Deleted]

Not really a desire of mine -- I think it would be like swimming in contaminated chocolate milk. Doesn't seem to bother the children, though!

It's not as muddy in upper Laos.

[hwinpp]

I go swimming in the Mekong whenever I'm out on the boat. Haven't ever got sick.

But when I'd just arrived in Siem Reap I once went swimming at the Western Baray, that gave me ring worm in several spots.

[bixaorellana]

Do you have pictures?

[hwinpp]

Of the ring worm? It's not a worm, it's a fungus that takes on a ring- like form on your skin, itches like hell! And spreads to other body parts because you scratch it before realizing what it is.

[bixaorellana]

;D

I know! My baby sister had it once, from playing in a sand box where a cat had done its business.

I just figured it would be interesting to branch out from the usual travel pictures!

[hwinpp]

Ok, just a tit bit before posting more tomorrow.

What's this? Taken at the market where my bus to Saigon left.

[onlymark]

Ahhh! What a lovely local delicacy.
It's called Kra Tui L'Hong and is widely eaten, but not normally by foreigners.

All the ingredients are placed in a large pot, the flowers, stems, everything and simmered for a few hours with some seasoning until it forms a soup like consistency.
When it is at this stage it is cooled, then placed in the plastic bag.
Here is the tricky bit - you need to separate out the 'broth'. The bag is then rotated quickly around your head a number of times, the heavier 'mush' is pushed to the bottom of the bag, the lighter broth stays near the top.

You then ladle off the broth as best you can discarding the mush left.
Usually it still isn't clear enough, that's where the material comes in.
It is then sieved through the material to remove the remaining mush, the broth then coming out clean and clear.
There are two grades of material you can see, both are often used in top class local restaurants. You can make do with one though.

The broth is then slowly heated over a cow dung fire to give it an extra flavour (no kidding) then ladled out in to small bowls, like large Japanese tea cups, where it is slurped with relish. The louder the slurp, the more the appreciation.
There you are.

[onlymark]

Of course you know all this as you live there.

Don't you?

[hwinpp]

Well, yes, sort of... ;D

Actually it's water lily.

What I was getting at though, was that this isn't a decorative home eye catcher but produce to be sold at the market. You can see bitter gourd and aubergines in the depths of the water lilies. And the material on top of the whole mound is a scarf that is wound around the top of the head of the carrier before carrying off the whole affair on the head.

Good guess, Mark!

[onlymark]

I was close though.

[Deleted]

I always forget how long the stems can be, although I immediately recognized what they were.

[james]

would love to visit Cambodia.....and i think i will actually. Just not sure when.

[bixaorellana]

James, you're in the Capetown area, aren't you? Out of curiosity, what would be the logical route from there to Cambodia?

[james]

Hola Bix!!

Well either to Bangkok and from there to Cambodia or to SG first and then fly from there. Well to get to SG or Bangkok, i could fly SG airlines direct or Emirates/Quatar to Doha/Dubai and then from there.

I don't think there is a direct flight from Dubai to Cambodia.

[Deleted]

Cambodia has only regional flights. I would say that Bangkok is the principal gateway.