The Kingdom of Cambodia
For those joining this blog for the first time, please note this is the second leg of a tour starting in Hanoi, Vietnam a few weeks ago. For it to make more sense click here and spend a few moments enjoying yourself stupid on the witty words and stunning photography from that part of the world before crossing the border as we did into Cambodia.
A new day, a new country, and a new guide. Last night we meet Toneth our leader for Cambodia who, if at all possible, was even more bubbly and smiley than the Chairman. Having only been with the company for a year or so he was a little more structured and methodical in his approach but of course that would be expected. We also acquired a new travel companion, an English chap we will name Alun, a servant of the maritime industry on a brief furrow from duty who quickly fitted in like hand and glove.
We’d been told todays journey across the Cambodian border would be via “public bus” in lieu of the company owned vehicles used up to now. As imagined, a multitude of images crossed our collective minds unrealistically reaching a general consensus it would be a run down model with no doors and broken windows with chickens occupying the overhead racks. You know, the kind of bus made famous in Romancing the Stone.
Expectations vs Reality
In reality nothing could have been further from the truth. Pulling up right in front of our hotel was a luxuriously appointed modern vehicle more than suitable for a Metallica European tour. With leather fittings, reclining seats and UBS charging ports it was better than Jetstar’s first class cabin and anything but what we know as “public transport”. The first few hours were spent pretty much gasping in disbelief and laughing at our unfairly stereotyped opinions of the country we had thus far not even entered, and in time we reached the land border crossing at Moc Bai.
Alighting the bus we passed through immigration without too much trouble then re-boarded destined for lunch and some duty free shopping. A virtual “no-mans-land” spans 300 mtrs between countries and as first one off the bus Fatpap claimed the sovereignty as Fatpapagonia and himself its President. Hailed an all conquering hero, we celebrated on truck stop fried rice and noodles while marvelling at the ridiculously cheap alcohol prices. Some logical purchases were made by those more sensible however 1 litre bottles of rum and scotch at $7.00 a pop were just too damn tempting to ignore. In days to come that ignorance would have avoided the damnation to follow.
We crossed the Cambodian border at Bavet again without any concern. The quaintness of the whole experience was the distinct differences in design and architecture of the two immigration buildings on either side of the border yet only metres apart. It was clearly detailed in the brochure’s fineprint that today would be a long and arduous journey of about 10 hours and thus far we were approximately 1/3 of the way through. But the “Chicken Express” with its onboard wi-fi and flat reclining seats helped pass the time a little more easily. Once in Cambodian territory it was remarkably evident by the change in scenery, building styles, and even the litter on the roadside that we had in fact left Vietnam.
Approaching Phnom Penh we were surprised at not only how big the city was but how modern and clean it looked from the outskirts. As the capital it has grown to become the nation's primate city with its economic, industrial, and cultural centres located here. Founded in 1434 and succeeding Angkor Thom as capital in 1865 by King Norodom, it is nicknamed the "Pearl of Asia" for its early 20th century colonial French architecture with a number of surviving colonial-era buildings still scattered along the grand boulevards. Located on the confluences of the Tonlé Sap, Mekong, and Bassac Rivers, Phnom Penh is home to more than 2 million people.
At our new digs we off-loaded some washing and grabbed a beer in the lobby to discover the most ridiculous happy hour deal not only on tour, but perhaps ever - 7am to 10pm, $2.50 beers, buy one get one free. That even beats a $7 bottle of scotch. The masses soon assembled for tonights activity, a Tuk-Tuk tour of the city with our illustrious new leader Toneth.
First stop was to a bank of ATM’s for some much needed USD then off to the famed night markets. Like most already visited Phnom Penh’s are loud and colourful but we had some very specific shopping to do. Riddled with stalls of local delicacies the braver souls tried crickets, frogs, silk worms and tarantulas, while others settled for some Nom Lort which is a Khmer dessert having a characteristic green colour and unique aroma from pandan leaf extract. Toneth’s local knowledge came in handy here as he treated us all to his regional favourites.
Moving on we toured some of the city’s famous landmarks which at night sparkled deservingly in this surprisingly modern city. The statue of Yeay Penh is an iconic landmark paying homage to the celebrated founder of Phnom Penh which according to legend is Grandmother Penh. Literally translated, Phnom Penh means Penh’s hill which was a man made mound of earth upon which the nearby Wat Phnom was built. Some time in the late 14th century Penh was gathering fire wood on the banks of the river and saw a large tree trunk floating by. Penh pulled the trunk to the bank to find four Buddha statues concealed inside. Grandmother Penh as a wealthy lady commissioned the creation of a temple on the hill to house the Buddha statues and keep the people safe from the frequent flooding that occurred in the area.
Only a short walk away stood Wat Phnom, the Buddhist Temple from the above tale and historical site forming part of the Khmer national identity. At a height of 46 meters the pagoda towers over lavishly appointed gardens and adorned by statuettes, stupas, and ornately crafted stonework and marbling. At night the temple shone with the numerous lights offering a wonderful vista of the city surrounding it.
Back on board our Tuk Tuks we ventured through traffic down to the sweeping central Preah Suramarit Boulevard straddling long parklands housing even more monuments. Befitting of a nations capital, we started with the Independence Monument standing proudly at the western end. Built in 1958 to memorialise Cambodia's independence from France in 1953, it stands 37 metres tall on a roundabout in the centre of the city taking the form of a lotus-shaped stupa in the style of many Khmer historical sites. With encircling dancing water fountains, it anchored the boulevards symmetry reminiscent of Washington DC or Canberra.
Independence Monument, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Located in the middle of the well manicured gardens was the Norodom Sihanouk Memorial, also known as the Statue of King Father Norodom Sihanouk. Commemorating the former King, the bronze statue is 4.5 meters tall and is housed under a 27 meter high stupa dedicated to Sihanouk's accomplishment on liberating the country in 1953 from the French colonialism. Bathed in a golden orange hue, the monument was a juxtaposition to the monolithic modern buildings towering beyond in all directions.
Norodom Sihanouk Memorial, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Our final stop before dinner was by the riverside to the courtyard of The Royal Palace. A complex of buildings serving as the official royal residence of the King of Cambodia, monarchs have occupied the palace since its erection in the 1860s, with only a short period of absence during the tumultuous reign of the Khmer Rouge. Modelled largely in the traditional royal style influenced by The Grand Palace in Bangkok, it is situated at the western bank of the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. Closed of course during the evening, an optional tour was taken by some of the group the following afternoon to experience the internal grandeur of this spectacular palace.
From the Royal Palace it was another short ride to dinner where we enjoyed a wonderful serving of Amok Trei, Cambodia’s national dish, of fragrant and spicy coconut fish curry tenderly steamed in banana leaves. A few beers and a few laughs saw us all make our way home at varying stages but this is where things went a little haywire. Piling into Maddy and Mel’s room we cranked up the tunes and cracked the aforementioned $7 scotch and rum - big mistake - because it was quickly discovered why the Dirty Hussy carried such an inciting price tag. On the bright side though, it afforded a perfect opportunity for the gratuitous bum shot to emerge, a tradition and delight Fatpap knows all followers anxiously await from each new blog instalment.
