#69573 - 01/11/08 12:07 AM
JBR (late) Phnom Penh
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shwaygwailo
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Registered: 12/03/05
Posts: 262
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As usual more a journal than JBR
Sunday 28th October Cambodia Part 2
Phnom Penh
Met a guy from the U.N. on the plane from Siem Riep, he is there to help get the textile trade back on its feet.
After entering the hotel through the steel grate I find reception is the pool bar, do the usual paper work and up to the room.
Room is a mess, bed not made, hanging clothes, suit case and personal affects in the bathroom.
Point this out to the porter.
Whoops.
Right key for wrong room.
Lucky the guest was out.
Now have key to room 11, much better, newly renovated and now a power black out, welcome to Phnom Penh.
Bring up the lack of light with the porter who just mutters “change over” a couple of times. What ever that means I had light back in 5 minutes, that’s got to be a record, I’m impressed if it comes back the same day.
Go down to the pool bar/ reception and order a cheeseburger.
Yes, I know, mince in Asia.
Unknown to me the helpful staff have loosened the top of the sauce bottle, shake, shake and you can guess what I’m wearing about now.
Find out the bar stocks Schweppes dry ginger ale and tell the barman I love him, by the look on his face it was probably a bit early in our relationship for such a proclamation.
Fantastic view of a lightning storm from my balcony then on to the usual chores of unblocking the shower drain and fixing the TV connection.
Forgot to say the staff at dinner were really nice and we had a big chat after they wiped the sauce off me.
Monday 29th October
First full day in Phnom Penh.
Stomach a bit dodgy, now what was I saying yesterday about mince in Asia?
Organise a driver for the day and tell him to take me somewhere, so after a bit of a drive on a real road with him mumbling about guns, then a not real road then a track we stop a huge solid metal roll back gate. Hmmmm
He toots the horn.
Gate rolls back.
Hmmmm.
Lots of guns mounted on the wall and I’m handed a menu.
It’s the infamous shoot the gun, you are not allowed to take photos but they will take ones of you with your camera.
Now lets see, AK47 50 shots for $30 US is in the budget, throwing a grenade in the pond would be over a little quickly and I certainly don’t want the drive up into hills to blow up a cow with a RPG for $200 US.
The Brit who did a cow last week took the meat with him. A bit different than returning to your hotels kitchen and handing over a fish.
So I start off on single shot and end up on full auto, very, very loud.
Find out later that as in China it is an illegal military side line.
It was scary and funny weird being in this little compound in the middle of nowhere.
Back to the car and the next thing you know we pull into a car park, oh great, it’s the killing fields and here I am reeking of cordite from shoot the gun. Very nice.
Pay my $2 entrance fee and before I can put my change away a guide approaches me offering his services, when I ask how much he says $8. Fancy that, that’s the exact amount I have in my hand. I hand it over and immediately realise I’ve just been had. Sh!t.
So we walk around for five minutes while he reads the signs in English to me in English between exclaiming “Pol Pot bad”, “Mao his friend bad”, “Why Cambodia?” times infinity.
He’s not doing it for me so I ditch him at the exit to pick up his next sucker and venture off by myself for a bit of quiet reflection, much better.
This is just one of the killing fields I have found out and because of the scale of the deaths it makes it a little hard to comprehend.
There are bits of bone and clothing scraps sticking out of the dirt that sadly feels a bit contrived and takes away from the place.
Depressed, it’s back to the car and off to our next mysterious location, if you haven’t guessed by now my driver is not much of a talker.
S21, oh joy, the Khmer rouge torture house that was once a high school.
It’s very interesting and very sad, I was right to leave the camera in the car.
National museum is, well, a museum.
Show the driver the river area on the map and try to get him to come into the FCC so I can buy him lunch. I think he understands but will have none of it.
The view from the second floor is very good and I can over hear people speaking English as a first language, love it.
Back to town and a huge new shopping mall near the market, it has escalators, that must have caused a stir. Pick up the little things one runs out of on a long holiday.
Try to get money out of the ANZ ATM. No.
Tell driver take me to brung bank, pass a branch of my old friend Canadia bank with a security guard. Doesn’t get much better than that. As a brung (foreigner) you’d be nuts to bank anywhere without one.
Home to hotel.
Still no laundry.
Ask “When?”
Told “Soon”
Not holding my breath on this one, we all know what “soon” means around here.
Back to FCC for dinner, see if I can’t strike up a conversation using full and structured sentences in English.
Met a young English guy fresh off the plane from Heathrow, why he picked this town to start his Asian adventure is beyond me. That’s why we have Singapore and Hong Kong.
The streets and river bank below are teeming with people like something is going on, then the fireworks start Cambodian style. Only a country with no regard for OHS or the public could put on a show like this. AMAZING. They went on an on.
They were for the King and I suspect he was suitably impressed.
Rob and I require a game of pool so it’s off to the walkabout hotel.
Pool table taken has been taken over by a bunch of Aussies which is no surprise so it’s just drinks and laughs.
Home and still no laundry. Hope for the best.
Tuesday 30th October
Stomach still a bit dodgy and I can’t contact Vietnam Airlines to reconfirm my Saigon flight, it just rings out.
So down to reception, still no laundry, she says “you no tell me hurry”.
Give her the next lot and tell her “Hurry”.
She reconfirms my flight while I discuss (hand signals, mime and 3 sentences in Khmer) my plans for the day with Mr. So Thea the driver.
Today he is not so shy and can speak more English than “Yes”.
Not wanting a repeat of yesterdays horror morning I ask for nice local places, not far.
Off to Wat Phnom, the first Wat built in the town. Because I am Brung I must $1 US to enter the park.
For this I get a not bad view, nice Wat and access to the worst disfigured beggars I’ve seem so far. Oh and some monkeys stealing a mobile phone from a beggar.
Off to central market which is quite big and get a 2 GB SD card for my cantankerous camera to see if that will fix it’s attitude problem.
Cruise past the casino which is for brung only. Mostly Chinese and Korean.
Then past the national assembly and other government institutions all with lovely river views and next to some of the worst slums I’ve ever seen.
They won’t move and are on now prime riverfront land, so when the government does get hold of a shanty they tear it down and fill the space with razor wire.
The Russians have a huge embassy from their time here but it is now mostly vacant spreading over 3 city blocks.
The US embassy according to my sources is big but mostly underground.
Convince Mr. So Thea to have lunch with me at “The riverside restaurant” which is a restaurant by the river. Like the aptly named number 14 restaurant the Cambodians have put a lot of effort into branding their businesses.
Ask for ginger chicken. “Not hab”
“Do you have stir fried chicken and can I get some ginger in it please?”
“Hab”
Here come the beggars, tell them no money but will give them food if they eat it in front of me. (that way I know they get it and the bigger bullies don’t, these kids are tiny). Waitress is not impressed.
Royal Palace and they rip me off for $3 dollars in my change but I’m six steps away from the booth now and not worth the hassle. Besides, the owner put on some fantastic fireworks last night so I guess we are square.
I have my laundry back. Three cheers.
Back near the river for dinner and feed 3 more beggars.
A very aggressive newspaper boy tries to sell me the Bangkok post for $2. With his attitude, no way.
A disabled guys is selling it for $1.30 so I buy from him and aggressive newspaper boy goes him so I go aggressive newspaper boy (verbally). He leaves.
Home to pack.
Wednesday 31st October
Off to Saigon today, no need for an alarm clock the construction next door always starts about 06.45.
After breakfast I ask about my hurry laundry only to be told it came back yesterday. Thanks for sharing.
Bill $190 for 3 days in a superior room, brekky, food some drinks and sundry.
Off to the airport at 10.00 for a 12.40 flight. Instead of 40 minutes to an hour to the airport it only took 25 minutes on a public holiday.
Vietnam air staff haven’t even turned up yet.
Waiting.
Check-in.
Still early so wander through duty free which is considerably more expensive than on the street.
Find a bar with three monks in it, one is in the smoking lounge behind the glass door.
I didn’t know mobile phones were part of the monks travel packs.
The ambient music (read muzak) is orchestral versions of movie and television shows. The version of the “Bewitched” TV theme was particularly good.
$25 departure tax and the plane leaves 15 minutes late and only half full. Airbus A 320.
It’s only 200 miles or 20 minutes to Saigon, so just get up, then come down.
Why fly only 200 miles?
I’ll do anything to avoid a land boarder crossing in Asia.
Hello Saigon.
_________________________
"I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself"
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#69582 - 01/11/08 04:14 AM
Re: JBR (late) Phnom Penh
[Re: shwaygwailo]
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CathyP
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Registered: 11/15/04
Posts: 668
Loc: Australia
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Ohhhh Shway, this is the best one yet, Gary was killing himself laughing reading it, we want to go back right now!!!
Gary was in Cambodia for one year with the UN (1992) and he said to tell you the killing fields (bones, teeth, scraps of clothing) were everywhere then. There were no covers or little picket fences, no toilets, souvenir shop or entry fee or even people there then. He was amazed at the changes when we went there so many years later.
We also like the FCC, its so nice up there just watching everything happening along the riverfront. Riverside was also a popular one with us, loved sitting in those big chairs outside.
What a crackup with the monks, I took a photo of one taking a photo of his friends(monks) with a flash digital camera.
Our friends who have lived in Phnom Penh for the last 4 years were there for the opening of the Soyra shopping centre(the one with the escalators) The locals were terrified of it and in the end they employed people to show them how to get on and off, people would come from miles to see these moving steps.
Did you see Sambo at Wat Phnom, have to agree with you re the disfigured beggars there, Ive never seen anything like it before and it was just all sooo sad.
But we love Cambodia (we must do as we have been there 3 times in the last 2 years)there is just something very special about the place.
Thanks so much for your fantastic reports, haved really, really enjoyed them. We Want More!!!!
Cathy
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#69586 - 01/11/08 06:18 AM
Re: JBR (late) Phnom Penh
[Re: CathyP]
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shwaygwailo
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Registered: 12/03/05
Posts: 262
Loc: OZ
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Hi Cathy and Gary,
Cambodia sure is a crazy place but I do love it too.
What a fast rebuild!
What is the saying? “Happy, Sad”
I think I’ve used it before, before but it is apt here.
Started on Saigon.
Thanks for the pressure. I think?
shway
_________________________
"I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself"
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#69627 - 01/13/08 07:56 PM
Re: JBR (late) Phnom Penh
[Re: shwaygwailo]
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pommie
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Registered: 10/05/05
Posts: 72
Loc: Perth, WA
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Great Read, cannot wait for Saigon.
Keep them coming 
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#69642 - 01/14/08 03:02 AM
Re: JBR (late) Phnom Penh
[Re: pommie]
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shwaygwailo
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Registered: 12/03/05
Posts: 262
Loc: OZ
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Hi Pommie, thanks for the feed back, only one day left to type on Saigon. Three or more places then the tome will be done.
Thanks for reading.
At this stage you, Cathy and Gary are ahead of my wife.
She doesn't like the moto bits.
shway
_________________________
"I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself"
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#70340 - 02/20/08 08:48 PM
Re: JBR (late) Phnom Penh
[Re: shwaygwailo]
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TinaPerth
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Registered: 12/15/05
Posts: 808
Loc: Perth/Phuket
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What a fantastic report, I love the way you write! Phnom Penh was certainly not my cup of tea, but I think it is worth doing once, the beggars drove me mad, especially the kids. I only gave to the old people and the maimed. Didn't want to instill a begging mentality in them, better that they do something for their money.
And yes, mobile phones come standard with monks robes these days, I think.
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#70363 - 02/21/08 10:06 PM
Re: JBR (late) Phnom Penh
[Re: TinaPerth]
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shwaygwailo
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Registered: 12/03/05
Posts: 262
Loc: OZ
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Hi Tina, thanks for the support, Phnom Penh is like a roller coaster, relatively safe but no less thrilling.
shway
_________________________
"I ought not to let my mind wander, as it's too small to go off by itself"
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