We took the fast boat up the river from Chau Doc that joined with the Mekong to cross the border into Cambodia. We were with a group of 20 tourists. There were a couple of stops – on the Vietnamese side to exit, and then further up the river to enter Cambodia. The second stop took a long time. There were lots of officials running around – but not a lot of action on obtaining our visas. We finally got them after sitting in the hot sun for what seemed like a few hours. We were then free to continue our journey. It was a lovely sunny day so the trip was pleasant and the river very flat – but sadly quite brown. We saw daily life along the riverside and some industry as well as the obligatory floating villages in this part of the world. Finally we made it to Phnom Penh – not quite sure what to expect.
The first thing was 20 tuk tuk drivers offering their services before we had disembarked from the boat!! Didn’t go down well with the crew, as we hadn’t even got our bearings. We escaped to an air-con filled coffee shop and ordered a smoothie. We were then able to plan our attack. As always we find it better to walk to the preferred hotel spot – but in 30+ temps it was quite a challenge. We fended off the drivers and found a guesthouse run by an Australian woman. We only stayed one night there as the air con was dodgy and we nearly fried in the rooftop room! We stayed at another hotel around the corner on the riverbank. It was a great spot – we could people watch and there were lots of tourists around. We visited the markets – there are lots of them. We took a trip to the S-21 Museum and also to The Killing Fields.
It was all very sombre and dreadfully sad when you realise the atrocious crimes countrymen committed on each other during the era. However it does help you to realise some of the history of the country and why things are like they are now. We had a trip also to the Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace. It was all full of extreme architecture and decoration – very interesting. There were lots of buddha’s and opportunities to pray and donate to various causes. In the pagoda the floor is covered in silver tiles. I managed to need a night off 🙁 so Richard and Georgia went to a restaurant that supports homeless and street kids. They enjoyed it, so decided it was going to be a re-visit on Valentines night. The food was delicious and we met some other tourists to chat to. In Phnom Penh there is lots of poverty and people on the street – something we are not used to. There is no welfare system or benefits, and many people have been affected by landmines. Beggers often ask for money, food or to buy some of their goods. It really breaks your heart and you wish you could give to each and every one of them. They don’t care where or when they ask – so we felt by supporting the “Friends’ Restaurant we were giving to a group that were really making a difference. We even bought the cook book – so Khymer food will be on the ‘to do’ list when we get home.
Phnom Penh is a very busy city that is experiencing lots of growth it seems. We didn’t spend long there but had a taste of what was on offer. It is the gateway to a country that is becoming very popular. If you had time and wanted to spend money, there are lots of bargains to be had. Our chief negotiator found that out – you win some you lose some, especially when dealing with tuk tuk drivers. The people are quite different to the Vietnamese and have a real sense of fun, when you get to know them. The food can be very spicy – all the chilli is in the food not on the side of the dish like Viet Nam!! We took a bus on Wednesday 15th February north to Siem Reap – in the Angkor region.