My Typical Day on Koh Lanta

March 17, 2015March 6, 2024 / betstravelsabout / 12 Comments

Do you find it difficult to change your preferred way of doing things? I think many of us can safely say that we do so why would we want to? “If it ain’t broke then why fix it?” as the saying goes. My travels are helping me to break out of this mold and become more creative on how to deal with the days I am blessed with no matter where I happen to be. Being overly endowed with resilience has not been one of my strong points.

I booked myself in for eight nights at Lanta DD House on Koh Lanta. Koh Lanta is one of the chain of islands in the Andaman Sea in the southwestern part of Thailand. When I arrived, I immediately realized that it was very hot here as it is all over SE Asia right now which meant curtailing the amount of sight seeing I could do or even the amount of lying on the beach I could safely do without burning myself to a crisp. Now perhaps I could spend more time working on my blog and reading all the books I have downloaded on my E-reader. The first option posed some problems since I no longer have access to my computer. I have only my small tablet which is designed to drive impatient people like me slightly crazy. The second option was fine except that it’s difficult to read in bright sunlight so am compelled to read inside.

After four days here in my comfortable little bungalow, I have had to limit my activities and adjust to a much slower pace than what I am accustomed to. In addition, I have had to work on a suitable schedule that could give more focus to my remaining days so I can feel productive. This could mean you will see a flurry of posts but with no pictures. Sorry, but Word Press won’t allow me to download pictures from my tablet unless I give them $99.

Moving around at a slower pace means less walking and staying more indoors. On my second day here, I was so thrilled to be near the sea again that I spent most of my day lapping it all up on the beautiful beach just a ten minute walk from my bungalow. In spite of the copious amount of suntan oil and being conscious of not staying too long in the sun, I still managed to resemble a lobster the next day! This event forced me to make some necessary changes to my usual way of spending my days at a beach.

My new schedule went into effect a few days ago and so far seems to be the answer to coping with my time on Koh Lanta. I wake up early about 6:30 a.m. and head down to the beach for a walk and a swim. I am by no means alone as it seems like everyone else has the same idea. This is followed by a light breakfast in my room of fruit and yogurt. I have a fridge so keeping some breakfast foods and snacks on hand is helping to keep my food costs down. This may sound surprising because I have always found it less expensive to eat out in Thailand, but not here on the island. The prices of meals are double what they are anywhere else and I am only getting 25 baht to the dollar when I used to get 30. Around 10 o’clock, I go for a good coffee and pastry or baguette at one of the nearby bakeries. This, along with some of my snacks, will last until dinner time which can be any time after sundown. From about 11:30 onwards to about 4 or 5 p.m., I stay inside where I have comfortable A/C to do my blogging, E-mailing, or reading.

Then it’s to the beach again for another walk and to witness the sunset which at this time of year is nothing spectacular because it’s hazy; however, is fun to watch as it quickly sinks below the horizon. I was fortunate to meet two wonderful ladies, one from Sweden and the other from Australia, on the ferry on my way over here. On Sunday, I walked from my beach, Klong Dao, to the next beach about three kilometers south, commonly known as Long Beach and considered to be one of the ten best in Asia I have heard. Who should I run into but Berta, the Swedish lady! Since we are all of the same age and share a passion for travel, we have been enjoying each others’ company over dinner each night which has been lovely for me since one of the downsides of travelling solo is eating dinner alone. It’s sometimes nice to have good conversation in your own language at the end of the day.

I am now into my fifth day with two more to go before I catch the ferry over to Krabi and then fly back to Bangkok via Air Asia. In spite of the heat forcing me to take more refuge in my room than I would have liked, I am quite satisfied with my island holiday. Koh Lanta is everything the brochures say it is. It has a good range of accommodations from 5-star resorts to budget-priced bungalows for the backpackers. Tourists have been coming here for years yet it hasn’t gotten over developed like so many other islands in Thailand. It has three long, sandy beaches for walking, swimming, and snorkeling all on the western side, and a few more further south which are rockier and, therefore, draw fewer tourists. They are perfect for those who want more piece and quiet. The thing about Koh Lanta is, it still isn’t over developed and has not become a party island which makes it suitable for families. It isn’t a Koh Phi Phi or Samui but it has its own charm with activities to suit everyone: diving, snorkelling, elephant trekking since much of the island is covered with forest, mangrove exploring, and a convenient jumping off point for some island hopping. If that isn’t enough to keep one busy then the largest town where all the ferries arrive and depart from, Ban Saladan, looks like a great place to shop as well as to stay and eat. All of this comes at a noticeable cost as I have already pointed out. If coming from the north i.e. Chiang Mai for example, your budget can take a big blow which probably explains why there aren’t so many backpackers. Instead the island draws mostly European families (especially Swedes) and older folks like me.

This has been my first island experience in Thailand in several years. In the past, a bamboo hut, fan, and sometimes a Thai toilet were the order of the day. This rustic experience is almost becoming a thing of the past. Now the bungalows are built of concrete, are air-conditioned, have high definition TV, WiFi, fridge and all the other amenities of a 3 or 4 star hotel. This easily explains why accommodations are more than double in price. Food has to be more expensive since nothing seems to be grown here other than some fruit and spices. Fishing is carried on extensively around the island so although on all the menus, it’s more than $10 a plate in most restaurants. Whether by accident or design, the realty is that so long as the island is considered as one of the more expensive ones, it will have a better chance at not becoming ruined by over development and too many tourists. To me this is a good thing.

Battambang – the ”Heart and Soul” of Cambodia

March 14, 2015January 14, 2019 / betstravelsabout / 12 Comments

Battambang, Cambodia’s second largest city, is a relative newcomer to the tourist scene in Cambodia primarily due to the Phare Ponleu Selpak’s Circus School. I first heard of Battambang and the sensational productions of this group from my journalist friend in Phnom Penh who reports on Cambodia’s fledgling but flourishing arts and culture scene for the Cambodian Daily newspaper.

Before the Khymer Rouge wrecked its havoc on this beautiful country and its people, Battambang was not only considered Cambodia’s ‘rice bowl’ but also the ‘heart and soul’ of its culture. I decided that this year I had to go up to the northwestern part of the country to check it out for myself.

What struck me was the friendly spirit of the people and the peace that prevailed over this city of 240,000 inhabitants. Moreover, it was easy to navigate. The Sangkae River runs through the town splitting it into two parts resulting in numerous bridges, and streets laid out in a grid system, thanks again to the legacy of the French. I was able to walk everywhere and never get lost. The tuk-tuk drivers weren’t too happy about this but they never gave up on me and always accepted my rejection of their offers with good grace and humour.

Peaceful river scene.

Battambang or “bong” witch is the way it’s pronounced but not spelled, like all Cambodian cities, has its fair share of temples and ancient ruins from its Khymer past. Most of them are in the outlying area and easily accessible by tuk-tuk or moto-bike. Not excited about combing temples and ruins in the heat and having had enough exposure to the Cambodian past which can be so gruesome, I opted to stay within the city limits and get a feel for the place by walking and meeting the people. I stayed for four days and would have visited at least one if not two of the more famous sites such as, Ek Phnom an ancient temple that pre-dates Angkor Wat, or Wat Samrong Knong and the “Well of Shadows” which is the oldest pagoda in the area and was a prison during Pol Pot’s terror. However, I was distracted by my computer and G-mail which decided to test my patience and mental stability by presenting me with one problem after another. I quickly realized how dependent I’ve become on my technical gadgetry so had no other choice than to seek help and not worry about seeing or doing all those touristy things I could have done.

Inside the grounds of one of Battambang’s temples.

After spending countless hours of what I can only describe as a feeling of floundering around in the darkness of cyber space, I eventually found and bravely sought help from eager to please Cambodians who all seemed to have a different solution to my problems. Unfortunately, their language skills didn’t come near their eagerness to help which was a major drawback to a technical illiterate like me. Eventually after I thought some of my problems had been solved, I managed to attend a performance put on by the students of the now famous Phare Selpak’s Circus School.

The Phare school is a huge success story for this area and was the beginning of Battambang’s quest to regain its past glory of being the spiritual, intellectual, and cultural centre of Cambodia. It all started after the fall of the Khymer Rouge in the late ’70’s in the midst of the largest refugee camp of displaced Cambodians located on the Thai-Cambodian border. Nine of Veronica Decrops’ students, who were children at the time she was providing drawing workshops for them, went on to become the founders of Phare which means “the brightness of the arts”. Decrops understood the need for these disadvantaged children to overcome their horrors of the war by developing their artistic talents and instilled in them the belief that the arts are a powerful tool for human development and social change. To this day, this remains the focus of the organization supporting the school where up to 1400 students are presently enrolled. All come from disadvantaged families where through a co-operative effort by teachers, parents, and the students the environment is not only creative but nurturing and supportive.

The ongoing work of Decrops’ vision was very evident in the premier of Chills the performance I attended. The young performers connected instantly with the audience so much that there were times I was sitting on the edge of my seat as yet another more daring twist, flip or balancing act was executed on the small stage in front of us. These guys and gals were true performers – professional all the way, yet engaging and sincere in spite of the heat which made their bodies so wet that I was certain one of them would slip and have a serious fall. At the end of their performance, they were all there to let us come up on the stage to congratulate them or take a picture. In the spring, they will travel to France and from there take their show on the road to other parts of Europe. Graduates of this school have now set up a professional group in Siem Reap with nightly performances and when not high season there, they tour the world making a name for themselves as the Phare Circus. Circle de Soliel had better keep an eye on this group! You can find out more about the school and the group at http://www.pharecambodiancircus.org.

A hard act to follow.

The troupe after their very energetic performance.

To escape from my hotel room and my computer problems, I crossed the river to stroll around the down town of Battambang. On my walks I met some incredibly interesting people. One of the first places I walked into was Bric-a Brac where almost immediately I was greeted by one of the most energetic and engaging Cambodian girls I have yet to meet on my travels here. Lisa was her name and because her English was very good, we were able to talk about many things especially the changing role for women. She left her rural family home to come to Battambang on her own to learn English and to attend university to study International Law. When not studying she is working at Bric-a-Brac making crafts and serving customers. By nature Cambodian girls and women are shy and quiet, but they are gradually becoming empowered. Many have worked with volunteers at various NGO’s to learn confidence building skills and are now practicing them as she is doing.

Then I met Kimleang at Green Lotus Tours and Coconut Jewellery who was also busy making attractive bracelets out of recycled bottle tabs and rubber. She is another enterprising young woman who has left her family home to pursue her own dreams. She has started a small school in a nearby village and struggles to keep it going by crafting and selling her jewellery for the enterprising young Cambodian fellow whom she works for.

Kimleung showing one of her finished products.

Kimleang showing one of her finished products.

Typical Cambodian friendliness.

The next day as I was walking along a side street lined with various art galleries, a man on a motor bike stopped me to ask in perfect English what the difference was between “shall”and “will”. I was nonplussed! Reaching back into my memories of learning and teaching English grammar, I was able to come up with a fairly accurate definition for both. He quickly hopped off his bike, took off his helmet, and suggested we sit at a nearby bench so he could talk some more. He got right to his point which was to tell me a bit about his past during the Khymer regime and what he was now doing to help rebuild his country. I was impressed but couldn’t help but be somewhat skeptical since there are always the scammers who want your money for a good story. However, this fellow even had brochures about his school, and was going so far as to carry a huge book with names of all the donors who had given something or volunteered at the school. Now I was doubly impressed! You guessed it: I became another of his donors. If you want to read more about his school go to : www.slarkramenglishschool.com.

The children in Cambodian are so visible which is to be expected in a country where old folk are a rarity. We need to remember that many of them never survived the Khymer Rouge regime when over one fifth of the population was killed. In the cities at least, it appears that the main focus of the parents is get their children educated as best they can. In the evenings you could see groups of kids being coached in what looked like judo or tai kwan do. At all hours of the night parents were playing with their children in the parks along the river. Physical activity seemed to be high on their list of nightly activities. I didn’t see many kids playing with their I phones, and I certainly did not see one obese kid!

Kids keeping active with judo.

Many of the schools in Cambodia were set up and are run by NGO’s which are considered to be far superior to the government schools which are underfunded and totally corrupt. There was an NGO school located next door to my hotel and every morning at precisely 7 a.m. I was awakened by the children as they sang their national anthem before heading inside for their classes. I learned from a very interesting American teacher that this school like many of the NGO schools is failing to provide the kind of education needed by the Cambodian students which helped me understand why I had met two Cambodians this year and one last year at the Meas Family Homestay who were setting up their own. His job now was to visit all the schools in the area to determine if the level of English instruction was meeting expectations and in the best interests of the children. Time and time again I heard from the Cambodians that the only way for them to move forward and to get their country back on its feet was to learn proper English.

Students heading to class at the NGO school next to my hotel.

On my walkabouts I also witnessed several locations where colourful tents had been erected for wedding ceremonies. It seems that Cambodian weddings can take place over several days so tents are put up with beautifully decorated tables and chairs for friends and neighbours to come and give their blessings to the bride and groom and their families. The same is done for funerals with the only distinction being that everything is laid out in white. Such ceremonies are not carried out by monks in the temples; however, the monk does come to the families with their prayers and blessings.

Preparing the tent for a Cambodian wedding.

Maybe I didn’t get to see many of the sites that Battambang had to offer and perhaps too much of my visit was taken up with trying to get my computer problems ironed out, but the one thing I do know is that I will not forget all the beautiful Cambodians and a few barangs (Cambodian name for foreigners) that I met while I was there. I felt a tremendous feeling of renewal among those I talked to, and my sense is this can be traced back to the creation of the Phare visionaries and the good works that this organization is still carrying on today.

Escape to Kampot

February 24, 2015January 14, 2019 / betstravelsabout / 11 Comments

For those readers who read the post I published yesterday, I want to offer my sincere apologies, but also thank those who had something kind to say about a job only half way completed. I did what every writer must have nightmares about: I mistakenly hit the publish button before my post was finished or edited. This is the finished rendition complete with a picture gallery, I hope.

After more than two months in the busy cities of Chiang Mai and Phnom Penh, I was ready to escape to the sleepy, laid back town of Kampot in southern Cambodia. I fell in love with this charming, French colonial town last year so was compelled to come back again. I stayed in the perfect place for me: a guesthouse called Mea Culpa about a ten minute walk from the centre of the town in a quiet garden setting. You can take a closer look by following this link: meaculpakampott.com.

Most of my week was spent working on my latest post “Phnom Penh Revisited”, reading, and sampling good food and coffee at some of Kampot’s excellent restaurants and cafes. I really think I could spend a month trying out all the eating places in this little town. Here are the ones I tried and can recommend:

Om House for a tasty fish amok, one of Cambodia’s signature dishes. Everything is prepared using fresh, organic ingredients.
the Espresso Cafe for the most delicious coffee roasted on the premises and the banana pancakes with a caramel and sea salt syrup to die for.
the Kampot Pie and Ice Cream Palace for a breakfast of Mary’s Bird Nest (egg embedded in a large piece of toast and topped with cheese) accompanied by an excellent cup of coffee.
the Kampot Kooker and the Honeymoon Creperie both located on what is commonly known as “Eat Street” and both good for tasty and inexpensive dinners.
the Greenhouse about five kilometers up the Kampot River in a beautiful setting with the restaurant and patio looking right over the river. I had their French breakfast of juice, coffee, and croissants which was delicious. It was well worth the long bike ride up there! If you wish to read more about this little haven and how it originated then go to greenhousekampot.com.
and finally, I ate at Mea Culpa which has its own restaurant serving food all day if you haven’t got the energy to walk to town. They are famous for their wood-fired pizzas which I do recommend and their appetizers which are almost big enough for a meal.

By mid-week I was ready to explore some of the outlying areas of the town so signed up for tour of the countryside which took me to visit the salt flats where salt is harvested from the sea, a local pepper plantation where the famous Kampot pepper is grown, a Muslim fishing village, a temple cave, the Secret Lake which isn’t so secret where no one seems to know how it got its name, a trip to the nearby town of Kep for lunch at the Crab Market, and finally, a visit to the beach. We were a group of four and none of us was prepared for the crowd we met at the beach. Since it was the Chinese New Year, families from as far away as Phnom Penh had come for a swim and to picnic. Towards the end of my stay, I decided to pamper myself with a massage at the Banteay Srey Woman’s Spa. This spa was started by a Canadian woman from British Columbia as a project to give poor Cambodian girls the training necessary to get them off the streets of Phnom Penh into an honorable profession where they can now proudly display their skill at administering healing massages and cleanses and surprisingly creative henna body art. I had one of the best massages ever, consisting of a total body scrub with milk and turmeric followed by a steam bath of fragrant herbs. When finished my skin was a soft as a baby’s and I felt wonderful – at least 20 years younger!

Although some travellers might find Kampot just a little too laid back, the majority of Cambodians as well as the French colonials who helped build it used it as a place to chill out and to escape the heat and chaos of the city. Those who come here to visit or stay prove this is still true today. For instance, many of the restaurants, resorts and guesthouses are owned and run by ex-pats from Europe, Canada, and the US. They all love the lifestyle and are working hard to maintain it. There are still some of the old French buildings needing repair but many have been restored to their original glory. Not only the architecture but also the scenic riverside boulevard which is unmistakingly French is helping to preserve the charm this town has always been noted for. It is still a great place to escape to and I feel hopeful it will remain so.

Riverside boulevard #1

Riverside boulevard #2

Riverside boulevard #4

My room at Mea Culpa

Om House restaurant in newly restored colonial building.

Banana pancakes at Espresso Cafe.

A latte at Espresso Cafe-delicious!

Entrance to the Greenhouse.

The Kampot River from the deck of the Greenhouse.

Thatched bungalows at the Greenhouse.

Woman working in the salt fields.

Woman not working in the salt fields!

A Muslim fishing village.

Muslim family with kitten.

A very old temple cave.

This is why this cave is also called the “elephant cave”.

The not so Secret Lake.

Our little tour group and tuk tuks.

At a pepper farm near Kampot.

Emptying crab traps at Kep.

Cambodian lady selling the blue crab.

All kinds of fish for sale at this Kep market.

Cambodians celebrating Chinese New Year at Kep Beach.

Banteay Srey Women’s spa in Kampot.

One of the original French buildings in Kampot.

Friendly Cambodian children.

More children who like to have their picture taken.

Enjoying the sunset along the river.

Phnom Penh Re-visited

February 16, 2015February 5, 2023 / betstravelsabout / 12 Comments

After a hair-raising but eye opening ride from the Phnom Penh airport to my hotel, I have since been questioning just how this city, the capital and pulse of Cambodia, ever earned the reputation for being SE Asia’s “Pearl of the East”. This was my second visit having been here last year with my husband. Admittedly, I experienced some culture shock on my first day last year which I wrote about in a previous post entitled “Soaking up Phnom Penh”. However, I quickly banished any reservations I had about the disparity between the rich and poor, the heaps of garbage piled on every street corner, and the chaotic traffic when I fell under the spell of the smiling and very hospitable people. Was this year any easier? Surprisingly it was not since the three offenses that assaulted my senses last year had an even greater impact on them this year.

The traffic is always the first thing that has to be dealt with if you arrive by plane at the airport as I did. You have the choice of using a taxi or a moto-car or tuk tuk as it’s commonly called. Since I try to travel on a budget, I again chose to hire a tuk tuk driver. Last year I was awed by the dexterity of my driver who managed to weave in and out of the chaotic traffic with such ease. This year was somehow different. Many of the moto- car and motor bike drivers were not so serene and were showing some obvious signs of distress. They were all taking risks that literally took my breath away and caused my driver to actually swear. My mind flashed back to the New Delhi drivers who had to fight for every inch of space to keep moving forward. Now I realized this was happening in Phnom Penh. When I looked around me, I was dismayed to see that we were surrounded by monstrous vehicles taking up so much space that they were literally forcing all the other vehicles up onto the sidewalks. To make matters worse some were coming at us going in the wrong direction. I must have witnessed at least a hundred near misses on that ride to my hotel. After a few more days of walking the streets, I realized just how these vehicles were making the pedestrians’ lives miserable by taking up their sidewalk space as their parking lot. There was hardly a small car to be seen anywhere! A journalist friend explained why there are now so many. Apparently every year government workers are rewarded with big bonuses and the huge monster vehicle has become the unanimous choice for everyone. Naturally, they bring them to the centre of the city for business and pleasure to show off and gloat in the fact they never have to walk anywhere.

Monster vehicle parking lot.

Traffic jam.

I had to laugh after reading a brochure published by the city’s tourism department claiming that it was a wonderful city for ‘leisurely strolls’! Like many tourists I love to walk around a city to get a proper feel for it and to take photos which are often the impetus for my blog posts. I would guess that it is now one of SE Asia’s worst cities for walking. Not only are pedestrians having to contend with the traffic, but also the seemingly endless construction, destruction, and reconstruction projects going on at this time. The sidewalks are littered with piles of earth, bricks, building materials, and whatever else it takes to build yet another huge hotel, luxury condo, or office tower adding another challenge to any kind of safe walking. The People’s Party of Cambodia is committed to reviving this city’s former status as the “Pearl of the East” at any cost by allowing such extreme over development.

One of many sidewalk hazards.

Another luxury condo under construction.

The Naga Casino under construction with moto-bikes (tuk tuks) in foreground.

The third problem facing visitors and residents, is the proliferation of garbage. Last year the problem was blamed on the garbage collectors strike, but this year it’s even worse and there is no strike. I read in the Phnom Penh Post that the company the government has contracted to do the job isn’t fulfilling their end of the deal so they will be looking into it. They are concerned that it will offend the tourists but no mention of how the residents are being affected! I’ll have to come back again next year to see if they have carried out their promise. Unless by some miracle the ‘powers that be’ wake up to the corruption that has taken over this country the garbage heaps will still be there

A typical garbage-ridden street.

Along the Tonle Sap River.

I remember last year on my first day here, I was appalled by the stark difference between the rich and the poor. There was little evidence of any kind of middle class. The divide is still very much in evidence. The rich, who are mostly Cambodians who work for the government and some of the NGO’s who work here, are driving all those big cars, living in the opulent mansions, and eating in the upscale restaurants. The poor are having to live on the streets or in inadequate buildings where their rents are increased every time they get a meager increase in wages. They are by no means doing any better and from what I have seen or heard are doing worse. Land in the city which has now become valuable real estate is being bought up at ridiculously low prices by the developers. This results in a huge problem for those former land owners as they cannot afford anything in the city so hence could easily end up on the streets. As I walked along the riverfront boulevard or Sisowath Quay, one of the main tourist attractions lined with chic shops, restaurants and bars, I noticed more obviously poor families trying to eke out a living by selling drinks or flowers with what looked like their few family possessions and children surrounding them. One doesn’t have to look far to see such extreme poverty in Phnom Penh and to have it so close to this touted tourist area and not far from another huge project being build on Diamond Island for those with the money is upsetting to witness.

Sisowath Quay along the riverside.

Huge hall where lavish weddings are held on Diamond Island.

Wedding party after the ceremony.

Once you adjust to the social conditions of a good portion of the over 2,000,000 people who live in Phnom Penh, you begin to appreciate what the city has to offer. Since I am one of those who thoroughly enjoys their excellent coffee and food, not to mention all the places I have stayed in which are just as good if not better value as in Thailand or elsewhere in this part of the world, I need to give some credit to those countries i.e. Japan, Thailand, Viet Nam, China and some European countries, who have played a significant part in bringing Phnom Penh into a destination to be seriously considered by a growing number of tourists. For a long time the tourists who ventured to Cambodia came to see Angkor Wat in the north and then headed south for Sihanoukville to cool off after clamouring over the ruins of Angkor. Very few would stop for any length of time in Phnom Penh. It’s truly surprising when you take the time to remember that the city’s infrastructure still lay in ruins and life here was pretty rough as late as the 1990’s after the Viet Nam war and the rise of the Khmer Rouge. For three years at the height of the Rouge tyranny, it lay practically deserted after most of the residents were led astray and herded out of their homes en mass with nothing save the clothes on their backs. Most of them were executed never to return. A memorial to this horrific event has been erected in the Killing Fields where the bodies were buried. This site, as well as a former school which became infamous as the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum where people were held until executed, have become popular tourist sites for visitors who want to learn more about the madness that overran this country in the ’60’s and ’70’s.

My favourite drink from a popular cafe near my hotel.

Lunch at the Tea Garden - a little hidden gem on tiny congested street.

Lunch at the Tea Garden – a little hidden gem on a tiny congested street.

If visitors to Phnom Penh find the remembrance of the havoc brought by Pol Pot and the Khymer Rouge to this city as a bit too heavy to take in, there are other sites of more uplifting historical periods to see. Even though this city is fairly young dating back to 1858 when it was declared the capitol of Cambodia, and thanks to their then King, Norodom, it quite quickly grew from village status to that of a glamorous city influenced by the King’s passion for anything French. The city saw a building boom of structures heavily influenced by French architecture mixed with some Khmer. It was during his reign that the Royal Palace with its Silver Pagoda and the National Museum were built. My husband and I visited both of these attractions last year and learned much about the greatness of the Khmer civilization and the more prosperous times in the past. This year it was time to visit another talked about building with unique features dating back to the the king who succeeded Norodom – King Sihanouk- who unlike his father had a passion for all things Art Deco. As a result, Phonm Penh has probably the most interesting building in Asia devoted to a huge market housing thousands of vendors. Goods from gold jewellery, gems of all kinds, beautiful fabrics, souvenirs, flowers and hardware can be found here. The Central Market as its commonly called or Phsar Themi in Cambodian was built 1935 in the shape of a dome with four wings jutting out from each side. Its gold painted dome is visible from all parts of the city as it sits right in the middle. Although getting there was not easy (I actually broke down and took a tuk tuk) once inside I found one of the cleanest and most well-organized markets I have ever seen. I can say this because not once did I get lost. I also did not find the vendors to be too ‘pushy’ and the prices to be fairly reasonable. I had no intention of buying anything until I ran across some very lovely silk scarves which I simply couldn’t resist. Cambodia is known for its quality silk and these certainly are good examples of that claim.

Entrance to the National Museum.

The Silver Pagoda on the grounds of the Royal Palace.

Approaching the Central Market (Phsar Themi).

One of the four entrances.

Inside the dome.

Doing a brisk business for Valentine’s Day.

As I reflect upon my four days in Phnom Penh, I realize that it’s not an easy city to visit if you are on your own and on a budget. It does take some adjusting due to its problematic social concerns as a result of its power-hungry political leaders and just a few too many non-government agencies who do good things but take away the responsibility of the government to do more. Aside from poorly executed social services and politics, which have caused many of the present day problems facing this city, the pulse of the city which draws people like me back are the people. In spite of their past and their present, the majority of them that I have met are still smiling and they are still honest. I do not get the impression that they are out to service the influx of us tourists simply for the money. They are genuine and want to help. I hope whatever happens to them in the future doesn’t change them. One thing they have going for them which I think helps to sustain them is that they have had a peaceful country now for over 20 years. After what they went through in the Pol Pot years, it’s easier for me to understand why they can endure so much.

A rare quiet street in the city.

Celebrating Chinese New Year.

A Day Trip to Mae Salong

January 31, 2015April 23, 2020 / betstravelsabout / 8 Comments

Three days to see and do all the things I wanted to during my recent trip up to Chiang Rai were not nearly enough as I wrote in my previous post. However, I am congratulating myself for taking my last day there to venture outside the city to one of several interesting Hill Tribe villages in the surrounding area. All of these towns/villages would have been more easily accessible if I had a motor bike, but that’s an activity I am not fully qualified for at this time. So instead I chose to get to my destination using the available public transportation which happened to be a local bus and then a songtao. *

Children going to school in a songtao.

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