Phnom Penh for tourists
Jun 23, 2010 18:18:42 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2010 18:18:42 GMT
When you live in a city, you do not see it the same way as a visitor. Therefore, I completely understand that our eminent and highly esteemed hwinpp has not seen fit to give us a tour of the city.
Nevertheless, I think that the place is charming and even if my photos are a bit out of date (7 and 10 years old now), I would like to show a few impressions of the city.
Even though I came overland twice, most people are likely to arrive in Phnom Penh at the airport. (I flew out 10 years ago, so for all I know they have built a new airport since then.)
As for me, I arrived on the river. The first time it was on the edge of the city, but the second time, the boats came right onto a dock downtown.
Back then, the waterfront was the best kept part of the city, totally inviting and completely unlike what one might fear from recent history.
But let's rush off and see the real deal for a start -- the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. King Sihanouk was still in charge when I was there. You should read up about him some day, notably his career as a film director. I would really like to see one of the films some day. Now Cambodia is ruled by King Sihamoni, the only ruling monarch in the world who speaks fluent Czech. His name is a combination of the name of his parents: King Sihanouk and Queen Monique. He ran a ballet school in Paris until he was called for duty.
Enough digression. I was really quite pleased by the royal digs, which were in perfect condition, contrary to what I expected.
I'm sure that I would have photos of the inside of the silver pagoda if it had been permitted. The Buddha is made out of Baccarat crystal, and the floor was made of brilliant sterling silver plates (most covered by carpets).
On the palace grounds there is also the somewhat strange "iron pavilion" imported, reassembled and donated by Napoleon III. It was brought from France and built to house his wife or some such during a state visit. If that's not the exact story, it's close enough.
More interesting to people like us, the central market (Psar Thmei) beckons immediately. It is the nicest looking market of Phnom Penh, but not at all the best one for buying things.
I bought all of my good stuff at the Russian Market. There is nothing Russian about it, but it apparently is where the Russians went shopping when they were a major presence.
Back when I was there, there was not all that much 4-wheeled traffic in the streets of the city. Something tells me that things have probably changed in 10 years.
There is one hill in town with a temple on top. Here is the view from the top.
I stayed in this hotel the first time. It was both crappy and exhilirating. I felt that I was playing a part in Apocalypse Now from the look of the room, but the ceiling fan was extremely unstable and threw a bolt at me while I was resting one hot afternoon. I went downstairs to complain, so they came up and screwed the bolt back on. But from that moment on, I was afraid that the whole fan would come loose in the middle of the night and that the blades would slice me to pieces on the bed.
On the bright side, I must have had about 50 channels on the television, probably thanks to the magnificent TV antennae on the roofs of the city.
This was the nicest hotel in town back then. I would imagine that many more have been built in the meantime.
I absolutely love Phnom Penh.
Nevertheless, I think that the place is charming and even if my photos are a bit out of date (7 and 10 years old now), I would like to show a few impressions of the city.
Even though I came overland twice, most people are likely to arrive in Phnom Penh at the airport. (I flew out 10 years ago, so for all I know they have built a new airport since then.)
As for me, I arrived on the river. The first time it was on the edge of the city, but the second time, the boats came right onto a dock downtown.
Back then, the waterfront was the best kept part of the city, totally inviting and completely unlike what one might fear from recent history.
But let's rush off and see the real deal for a start -- the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda. King Sihanouk was still in charge when I was there. You should read up about him some day, notably his career as a film director. I would really like to see one of the films some day. Now Cambodia is ruled by King Sihamoni, the only ruling monarch in the world who speaks fluent Czech. His name is a combination of the name of his parents: King Sihanouk and Queen Monique. He ran a ballet school in Paris until he was called for duty.
Enough digression. I was really quite pleased by the royal digs, which were in perfect condition, contrary to what I expected.
I'm sure that I would have photos of the inside of the silver pagoda if it had been permitted. The Buddha is made out of Baccarat crystal, and the floor was made of brilliant sterling silver plates (most covered by carpets).
On the palace grounds there is also the somewhat strange "iron pavilion" imported, reassembled and donated by Napoleon III. It was brought from France and built to house his wife or some such during a state visit. If that's not the exact story, it's close enough.
More interesting to people like us, the central market (Psar Thmei) beckons immediately. It is the nicest looking market of Phnom Penh, but not at all the best one for buying things.
I bought all of my good stuff at the Russian Market. There is nothing Russian about it, but it apparently is where the Russians went shopping when they were a major presence.
Back when I was there, there was not all that much 4-wheeled traffic in the streets of the city. Something tells me that things have probably changed in 10 years.
There is one hill in town with a temple on top. Here is the view from the top.
I stayed in this hotel the first time. It was both crappy and exhilirating. I felt that I was playing a part in Apocalypse Now from the look of the room, but the ceiling fan was extremely unstable and threw a bolt at me while I was resting one hot afternoon. I went downstairs to complain, so they came up and screwed the bolt back on. But from that moment on, I was afraid that the whole fan would come loose in the middle of the night and that the blades would slice me to pieces on the bed.
On the bright side, I must have had about 50 channels on the television, probably thanks to the magnificent TV antennae on the roofs of the city.
This was the nicest hotel in town back then. I would imagine that many more have been built in the meantime.
I absolutely love Phnom Penh.
