Blogs from Phnom Penh, South, Cambodia, Asia - page 12

Day 22 - Arriving in Cambodia We got up easily this morning; have a relaxing night last night paid off! I slept like a baby, all clean, clean hair and non smelly feet, for a change! Helen had a bit of a hairstyle meltdown this morning, it's been a while since the last one, so I kept quiet, and beavered in the background, she soon got over it! Off we went, packed and ready to move in again! We got downstairs in good time, so enjoyed our breakfast in peace before Hoang could descend on us! We were driven to the fast boat to be transported to The Cambodia border. The trip took about an hour and a half. On the way we completed all necessary paperwork for the visas needed. The guy took all our ... read more

Sharing a tuk-tuk with some newfound friends, I find myself leaving Phnom Penh on a 40-45 minute trip to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek: Between 1997-1978, during the Pol Pot regime, around 17, 000 men, women, children and babies were murdered here, after the Khmer Rouge had detained and tortured them at the infamous S21 prison in Phnom Penh city. In 1980, the remains of 8985 people were exhumed from mass graves at the site, of which there is a total of 129. Since then, the Killing Fields have become a memorial to the victims of the regime, and consequently the site has become one of the most a popular tourist destinations in all Phnom Penh, and perhaps all of Cambodia. I can’t help but find myself morally conflicted as I reflect on this: this ... read more

I gaze out the backseat car window as I find myself gliding through the outskirts of Phnom Penh on my way to Kampot, a popular yet peaceful riverside town near Cambodia’s south coast. It’s only a 2-3 hour drive, and my mind certainly doesn’t want for stimulation as I find myself entranced by the lively scenes that pass me by. A street market spills almost onto the road, overflowing with baskets of fruits and vegetables. In the midst of it all, a woman holds a microphone and sings in Khmer, her voice so amplified that it transcends the car windows and surrounding area with ease. Her lilting tones only just start to fade as I pass by a lone street barbeque, ablaze with smoke and cooking meat. My view is temporarily obscured however by the passing ... read more

02 juin 2015 : Nous nous levons à 5h30 puis partons à 6h45 pour le Cambodge après avoir pris un petit déjeuner copieux. Le bus nous dépose à un embarcadère car nous allons rejoindre Phnom Penh en bateau. Nous avons une heure de trajet de Chau Doc jusqu'à la frontière vietnamienne puis 5 minutes de la douane vietnamienne à la douane cambodgienne et enfin près de trois heures de la frontière cambodgienne jusqu'à Phnom Penh. Une visite de cette ville en commençant par le musée national puis visite du palais royal. Nous allons ensuite à l'hôtel poser nos bagages et prendre une bonne douche. Le soir, nous allons dîner sur un bateau sur le Mékong. Nous naviguons et visitons Phnom Penh by night.... read more

I don’t claim to be a foodie, and my cooking skills are rough at best, but I certainly love food (and am an unashamedly avid Masterchef viewer…), so hopefully that provides enough justification for this culinary tangent! The Khmer food I have experienced thus far predominantly involves rice and noodles, with a range of meats, vegetables and crushed nuts for accompaniment. Various fruits are also a staple, including the juicy red rambutan, tiny spherical longan, and of course the infamously pungent durian (which I’m actually quite found of!). Due to its past history of French colonisation, pastries and breads have also weaved their way into much of the local cuisine. In the food section in the Central Market, you can eat local Khmer food very cheaply (for around $2 a dish); most stalls here seem to ... read more