Escape to Phnom Penh

Arriving in PP on the bus from Siem Reap, even a few miles out of the city, the building work is immense. Thousands of newly built condo’s, acres of them all the way into the city, cranes towering over the skyline, skyscrapers everywhere, it’s now huge. It’s 8 years since we were last here.

We are staying near Sisowath Quay which is the part of the city on the riverside at the confluence of the Tonle Sap and the mighty Mekong River. It’s where most tourists stay. It has a 3k long boulevard, great for people watching and lined with bars and restaurants.

Interestingly the Tonle Sap river is the only river that once a year flows backwards turning the Tonle Sap lake into the largest freshwater lake in SE Asia. It’s no surprise they built Angkor Wat next to it as it’s one of the most productive fishing lakes in the world and it supplies 3 million Cambodians with 75% of their annual fish catch.

There is a lot of things to do in PP. There are river cruises, the National Museum, a Royal Palace and of course all the history of Pol Pot.

The ‘killing fields’ and the school, S21 where Pol Pot leader of the Khymer Rouge and his henchmen tortured and killed thousands of people needs to be seen. We have been twice and if I close my eyes I can still see the faces of the people in the school, it’s too painful to go again.

Everyone had their picture taken. A look of palpable terror in their eyes. Haunted and despondent, fear etched into pale faces totally crushed with no hope. 20,000 people were imprisoned, tortured and killed only 12 lived. It was only 1976…….there are very few older adults in Cambodia, it has a very young population due mainly to Pol Pot killing approximately 2 million Cambodians. We asked our guide how he felt about the now ex Prime Minister as he was one of Pol Pots right hand men. His answer was; ‘’The person that sets fire to your house eventually brings water to put it out’’ That’s one way of looking at it. The economy is booming and the young people just want to look forwards leaving Pol Pots dark legacy behind them.

The road parallel to the quay has a bustling daily market.

There is also a night market selling the normal t shirts and souvenirs but our favourite market is an Art Deco covered market.

It’s an amazing building, built to be cool with all the air vents.

Wat Phnom is set on top of a 27m high hill and built in 1372. It’s a very pretty Wat used daily by the people of PP.

It must have been a special day. Everyone brought fruit or lotus flowers to make merit, hundreds of them and in return got beaten around the head and shoulders by monks with rolled up paper. It was funny to watch.

Now on to Kampot in the very south of Cambodia.