Cambodia… expectations and reality

This is our third day in Cambodia, and more precisely in Phnom Penh – we arrived here on Monday from Bangkok on a short, pleasant flight with Air Asia… We thought we would stay here for two nights and quickly see the main attractions, but somehow we didn’t feel like hurrying J Then, we were supposed to hit the road on Thursday, but it turned out that the earliest ferry do Siem Reap (that’s where we’re going, to see Angkor Wat) leaves on Friday morning… So we’re staying until Friday!

How’s Cambodia? I must admit that, for various reasons, we were concerned about this destination more than in the case of Thailand or Mexico, where we went in the winter of 2011/2012. We were worried this country was not as civilised, more exotic, with quite recent traumatic history… We were worried about the food, accommodation. Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns about numerous mosquito-borne diseases (dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis)… Very few of our friends went to Cambodia. Luckily, there were some who helped us get over some of our concerns. With the rest we had to wait until we got here, but the encounter with Cambodian reality turned out to be quite positive, at least as far as Phnom Penh is concerned – we’ll see how it goes from here 🙂

Through Booking.com, we easily found a decent hotel in a good location and for a price that in Europe would only get you two beds in a hostel dorm without a bathroom. Here, we have a cosy room with air-conditioning, bathroom and a bed for Maks (a little old and it took them about an hour to put it together, but it’s here :)). There is a small pool, reclining chairs, breakfast is included, there’s a hotel restaurant, where Maks can enjoy his favourite penne – rice and other local treats are nice, but pasta is his biggest love. We get to eat at a great Vietnamese restaurant just a few houses away where, sitting in a nice garden, we can relish local delicacies and sip our favourite fresh coconut. For a hearty dinner (starters, main dishes, drinks) we pay about PLN 50-60 for two. In other words – we like it here! 🙂

As regards other concerns, shopping is definitely not as easy as in Thailand – buying something for a child or even a snack when sightseeing may be a problem. There are no small shops on every corner (no good old 7eleven!). But the supermarket we went to today (Lucky chain) has an assortment similar to our Alma and you can get almost ANYTHING there. As regards vaccines and mosquitos – so far, we haven’t seen any 🙂 But we use the Mugga repellent just in case – better safe than sorry!

Despite all these advantages, you can definitely sense that Cambodia is much poorer than Thailand. There are more poor, disabled people begging for money, sometimes children selling things to tourists in the streets and running around barefoot… But the poverty we see in the streets of Phnom Penh is not the same as in India, where it breaks your heart to see all the kids living their lives in the streets, babies sleeping on sidewalks, shabby houses set up right next to the road. Phnom Penh is not as shocking… You can see wide social stratification (there a lot of good cars in the streets), but there’s no terrifying poverty…

Drawbacks: it’s not easy to sightsee on foot (which is what we like best!). For two reasons: a) it’s very hot, b) there are no sidewalks in most streets, and if there are, there’s usually something blocking the way. The streets, especially in the afternoon, are full of motor bikes, scooters, tuk-tuks and cars. Definitely, the best means of transportation is a tuk-tuk, which is cheap (USD 1 or 2 for a ride to a given tourist attraction in the city). Going outside the town costs more, but you can always get a deal but be sure to BAIRGAIN! 🙂

Tuk-tuks in Phnom Penh are a bit different than in Bangkok – they have the motor that drags the rest in the front. In Cambodia, you can also take taxis (convenient on the way from the airport) or motor bike taxis. Since we’re with Maks we don’t use them, although here whole families travel on one motor bike, often with a baby in its pyjamas or a group of all three older kids between the mom and dad! The number of the motor bikes, that are simply everywhere, is amazing, especially between 3 and 6 pm. I hope you will be able to see this in one of our films 🙂

What to do in Phnom Penh? There are a few must-sees: The Royal Palace, Central Market, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, and Killing Fields… We started with the Royal Palace… Unfortunately, prematurely, because in Cambodia siesta time is between 11 am and 2.30 pm. The Palace is closed then. Also, remember about proper attire – no shorts or tops allowed (that would be me!). Otherwise, you have to buy a stylish shirt with the Silver Pagoda – a part of the palace complex for some PLN 1 and rent even more stylish pants…

However, this place is worth buying extra pieces of clothing, because it is really stunning. It’s not as crowded as similar monuments in Bangkok for example. The complex itself was erected in the 1860s under the rule of king Norodom. It encompasses around a dozen fairy-tale, beautifully ornamented buildings… Buddhist temples and palaces are absolutely breath-taking and kids definitely like them – mostly because of the various “figurines” of interesting characters. It’s a great place for a pleasant walk without the crowds of tourists.

The next stop was the Central Market. The market is like any market, the most interesting part is the building – with a huge dome in the middle and four wings, in art deco style of the 30. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture to show you this, because we were too busy shooting a film, and we forgot about photos… what an embarrassment! :/ At the Central Market you can buy clothes, pyjamas, souvenirs, drink a fresh coconut, or grab a bite – although we still haven’t dared to try street food in Cambodia. Frankly, it looks much less appetising than in Thailand. And on the other hand, since meals in luxurious/good restaurants cost as much as pizza and coke back home, I guess it’s worth enjoying a bit of luxury, right? 😉 At the Market you will also find jewellery, handicrafts, watches – that’s available in the central part under the characteristic dome. In line with our tradition, we got coconuts, a ball for Maks (after the 30th “Mom, let’s look for a ball”), and Łukasz worked out an appetite for fried bugs 🙂

But I don’t want you to think that we only eat such gross things here (Łukasz does – I had nothing to do with this!!), so here’s a few words about good food. It will be just a preview, because I will definitely write about cuisine in a separate post – I wouldn’t be myself if I forgot about it 😉

Our favourite dish from the last few days is a Khmer dish called amok. It may be prepared with chicken or fish with coconut milk, stewed in a banana leaf, with ginger, lemon grass, chili and served with rice. This an absolute must! Our second favourite is a snack we tried in our favourite Vietnamese restaurant called Magnolia… – breaded home-made tofu, simple, but delicious! 🙂 So here’s another conclusion about Cambodia: they have great food! 🙂 We like it!

For now, I will leave you with these treats… Others will follow, and so will a post for the less fragile readers, i.e. about Tuol Sleng, a former gruesome prison turned into the museum of the genocide committed by Pol Pot and Red Khmers, and the Killing Fields… Today, I won’t spoil my mood or yours, so I leave you with the fairy-tale temples, delicious food and low prices… Cambodia is not that scary 🙂