A number of people have asked me to keep them updated on my latest trip back to teach in Cambodia. I do not feel comfortable sharing most things on Facebook, so I am hoping this is a more personalized way to do this. Another reason for doing a blog, is that I have had so many questions about Cambodia and unless you have experienced it, it is quite challenging to describe how the old clashes with the new in so many ways. Some of the questions include "Is there internet in Cambodia?" "What kind of places are there to eat?"
This is an attempt to show the contrasts of a very diverse place between the old and the new, and the rich and the poor and how quickly Phnom Penh has changed, and how it has stayed the same for centuries. I have posted some photos below, many that were taken when I worked there for 2 years, and some stock photos. Some of these show the contrasts, such as the 4 story Aeon Mall and right across the river are shacks on the waterfront, and down the road, would be the traditional markets with wet markets.
City of Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh has a population of about 2.2 million and is spread out over 345 sq km and is often refered to as The Pearl of Asia for it's colonial French architecture. It sits at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. It was a hub for both the Khmer Empire and French colonialists. Although Phnom Penh is gaining high rise buildings, traffic lights, and Western style shopping malls, overall it remains one of the most undeveloped capitals in Asia and wide spread poverty can still be seen.
The riverfront is lined with parks, restaurants and bars, and the ornate Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, displaying artifacts from around the country. At the city’s heart is the massive, art deco Central Market. The city of Phnom Penh also has numerous beautiful Cambodian Buddhist wats, palaces, and other artifacts. A large infrastructure catering to tourists makes it easily accessible, and many consider it to be one of the friendliest capitals in Asia, as Cambodians have not yet become jaded by mass tourism.
The currency in Cambodia is the Riel which is used in local markets and for smaller purchased, hoever, most people now use the US Dollar. 1 US Dollar is equal to 4,000 Riels. ATM's are now everywhere, and digital currency is now more popular.
Weather in Phnom Penh is of three types: 1) hot 2) too hot, and 3) too hot plus too humid. The Khmer call these the cold season, the warm season, and the rainy season, Staring February the temperature begins to rise, and by March the daily highs are 35-38 degrees C, making it hardly bearable. Arguably, the humid heat of rainy season is even worse than the extreme heat of hot season.
A common way to get around is with tuk tuk, which is a small 2 person vehicle with a driver or a motorbike with a Tcarriage on the back. Cambodia recently has Uber, Pass App and other ride hailing vehicles. Traffic jams (resulting from poor town planning) are a feature of city life, even till 9 PM.
Cambodia had a glorious past with influence from Indian and Chinese cultures. It was once an empire that dominated the entire Southeast Asia and built the largest religious monument in the world. However it’s modern history is one that is ravaged by wars with French colonization and the communist Khmer Rouge's holocaust (1975). The Khmer Rouge regime ended in 1979 and was followed by Vietnamese occupation. Despite democratic elections in 1993 by the United Nations, it wasn’t until 1997 that peace had been maintained. It is unfortunate that one of the tourist industry's selling points for Phnom Penh has to do with wars that took place in the 1970's (i.e. Killing Fields, Tuol Sleng),
This is an attempt to show the contrasts of a very diverse place between the old and the new, and the rich and the poor and how quickly Phnom Penh has changed, and how it has stayed the same for centuries. I have posted some photos below, many that were taken when I worked there for 2 years, and some stock photos. Some of these show the contrasts, such as the 4 story Aeon Mall and right across the river are shacks on the waterfront, and down the road, would be the traditional markets with wet markets.
City of Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh has a population of about 2.2 million and is spread out over 345 sq km and is often refered to as The Pearl of Asia for it's colonial French architecture. It sits at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. It was a hub for both the Khmer Empire and French colonialists. Although Phnom Penh is gaining high rise buildings, traffic lights, and Western style shopping malls, overall it remains one of the most undeveloped capitals in Asia and wide spread poverty can still be seen.
The riverfront is lined with parks, restaurants and bars, and the ornate Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, displaying artifacts from around the country. At the city’s heart is the massive, art deco Central Market. The city of Phnom Penh also has numerous beautiful Cambodian Buddhist wats, palaces, and other artifacts. A large infrastructure catering to tourists makes it easily accessible, and many consider it to be one of the friendliest capitals in Asia, as Cambodians have not yet become jaded by mass tourism.
The currency in Cambodia is the Riel which is used in local markets and for smaller purchased, hoever, most people now use the US Dollar. 1 US Dollar is equal to 4,000 Riels. ATM's are now everywhere, and digital currency is now more popular.
Weather in Phnom Penh is of three types: 1) hot 2) too hot, and 3) too hot plus too humid. The Khmer call these the cold season, the warm season, and the rainy season, Staring February the temperature begins to rise, and by March the daily highs are 35-38 degrees C, making it hardly bearable. Arguably, the humid heat of rainy season is even worse than the extreme heat of hot season.
A common way to get around is with tuk tuk, which is a small 2 person vehicle with a driver or a motorbike with a Tcarriage on the back. Cambodia recently has Uber, Pass App and other ride hailing vehicles. Traffic jams (resulting from poor town planning) are a feature of city life, even till 9 PM.
Cambodia had a glorious past with influence from Indian and Chinese cultures. It was once an empire that dominated the entire Southeast Asia and built the largest religious monument in the world. However it’s modern history is one that is ravaged by wars with French colonization and the communist Khmer Rouge's holocaust (1975). The Khmer Rouge regime ended in 1979 and was followed by Vietnamese occupation. Despite democratic elections in 1993 by the United Nations, it wasn’t until 1997 that peace had been maintained. It is unfortunate that one of the tourist industry's selling points for Phnom Penh has to do with wars that took place in the 1970's (i.e. Killing Fields, Tuol Sleng),