Dec. 20, 2015 - We spent the day exploring Phnom Penh. It is the capital city of Cambodia and as we would learn over the next few days, both the city and the country have a very brutal history.
Phnom Penh (/pəˈnɔːm ˈpɛn/ or/ˈnɒm ˈpɛn/; Khmer: ភ្នំពេញ, Khmer pronunciation: [pʰnum peɲ] is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Tonlé Sap and Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since French colonization of Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security, politics, cultural heritage, and diplomacy of Cambodia.
Once known as the "Pearl of Asia," it was considered one of the loveliest French-built cities in Indochina in the 1920s. Phnom Penh, along with Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, are significant global and domestic tourist destinations for Cambodia. Founded in 1434, the city is noted for its beautiful and historical architecture and attractions. There are a number of surviving French colonial buildings scattered along the grand boulevards. Situated on the banks of the Tonlé Sap and Bassac rivers, the Phnom Penh metropolitan area is home to about 2.2 million of Cambodia's population of over 14.8 million, up from about 1.9 million in 2008.
We started if the day by visiting Wat Phnom. It was the first temple we visited on our tour so it was a very interesting experience. To visit a temple you must be modestly dressed - covered knees and elbows, out of respect. We lit some incense, said a prayer, reflected and took in the serenity of the moment.
We continued on to the Central Market. A large yellow building housing vendors of anything you could possibly imagine. We had lots of fun browsing and shopping here... and the kids loved negotiating prices, a skill they would really perfect by the end of our trip. Their skill combined with their cuteness would score us some pretty sweet deals. We bought some souvenirs, Christmas presents for family back home, gold earrings for Evi, and silk fabric. We were getting hungry, but did not want to try anything local at the market in fear that our stomachs would not accept it and this would not be good as we had an overnight bus ride ahead of us. Next stop was the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda.
The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is a complex of buildings which serves as the royal residence of the king of Cambodia. Its full name in the Khmer language is Preah Barum Reachea Veang Chaktomuk Serei Mongkol (Khmer: ព្រះបរមរាជវាំងចតុមុខសិរីមង្គល). The Kings of Cambodia have occupied it since it was built in 1860s, with a period of absence when the country came into turmoil during and after the reign of the Khmer Rouge.
We finished off the afternoon at the Aeon Mall in the food court (a tip we had received from a gentleman we had met at dinner - it was great advice...there were so many options for food and all very cheap!). We were starving. Some pizza, chicken curry, coconut jelly, and we were ready to wrap up the day and get ready for our night bus ride. Little did we know that the night bus actually had beds...bunk beds, and we would spend the night travelling from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap in comfort and getting a good night's sleep (despite the super bumpy ride!). The night bus is such a great way to travel...you save on hotel cost, plus save time getting from point A to B...you don't have to waste an entire day travelling - just wake up in the morning and you're there...ready for breakfast!
Good night!
