The Cambodian capital

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After a comfortable bus ride from Battambang through villages, towns and farming districts, I arrived in the mayhem of Phnom Penh. Tuk tuk and moto drivers tout for rides, people clamour for their luggage being offloaded on a narrow footpath beside an eating place where the leftovers of the lunch crowd still linger ... a far cry from the quiet place I have left. Buses to Sihanoukville all gone, I face the prospect of a night in town and then a trip south to spend two half days and then a trip back ... all sounds too rushed ... I want to end my trip languidly. So I decided to stay in the capital for four nights!

Palatial places

A visit to the royal palace and silver pagoda reveals a cluster of ornate buildings set in manicured gardens. Every things looks very neat, well maintained, and on this Sunday it seems very popular.

The Throne Hall as the name suggests was used for coronations as well as other important ceremonies. The ornate ceiling features sections with paintings or small freizes in them. You can see the French influence in the guilded chairs (upholstered in yellow silk) that are carefully aligned. Unfortunately - no photos allowed.

The Silver Pagoda has its name because of the floor which is covered in more than 5000 silver tiles (apparently 1kg each). The stairs leading up to the building are Italian marble. Inside there are precious items like the Emerald Buddha, said to be made of Baccarat crystal, and a lifesize gold Buddha with 9,584 diamonds adorning it. There are cases of small buddhas in gold and silver, jewelled masks and precious gifts. A gallery surrounds the pagoda and its walls are decorated with a mural/frieze depicting traditional houses and people at work, work and play.

Within the complex there is also a gift from Napoleon to King Norodom - an iron house! There is an equestrian statue of the King as well as a library, and a pavilion house with a huge footprint of Buddha. Amazingly, these buildings and the opulence of their contents were preserved during the time of Khmer Rouge dominance. It is a stark contrast however, to the aesthetics of a backstreet 100m away.

The place was full of tourists - both westerners and locals it seems. There are people filing through the buildings, squeezing past each other, waiting for the moment when the crowd clears to get a shot of something. On the way out there were models of different Khmer homes from the respective provinces and a lifesize model that we could walk through and get a real feel for the space. This was a simple design with 3 basic rooms - the kitchen, the parents' bedroom and the rest of the house which incorporated sleeping spaces for the rest of the family. However, there was no TV - which I think was an oversight. Everyone here seems to value this appliance!

Moving away from the palace, I make for the Tonle Sap riverfront - with the rest of the throng. A mixture of fishing and tourist boats move on the water but it doesn't seem busy. This is flanked by a wide footpath this side (west), a line of flags of different nations and some rather impressive looking hotels, which means this is not where I am accommodated ... although an Angkor beer in a cane chair watching the world go by was able to be arranged.

Sadly, in this neighbourhood that the well-heeled frequent visiting places like the Cambodia Club and the Foreign Correspondents' Club ... there is also a large number of children hawking goods and services. Everything from books, to newspapers and shoe shine is available. In some cases, small boys come in struggling under a box full of books, while shocking the tourists with huge spiders on the shirt fronts. It certainly attracts the attention of the western children who want to reach out and touch it ... much to the consternation of their parents.

My eagle eye also noticed a cafe serving illy coffee ... that is dangerous! I have been very good about drinking local coffee ... but lately it has mostly been Nescafe ... it is very tempting ...

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