Phnom Penh



The only skyscraper in Phnom Penh

 We left Siem Reap early in the morning and took a bus for the 6 hour journey to Phnom Penh. Upon arrival we were met by our guide, who took us to the hotel, where we quickly checked in and then met our guide for a walking tour around the city.

The first thing that caught my eye about Phnom Penh is that it looked very underdeveloped for a capital city. I expected there to be more tall buildings and maybe some more modern architecture (comparable to Bangkok); this, however, is not the case. Phnom Penh's buildings are still old and many dilapidated, however, the city has a great vibe. It lies on the banks of three rivers - the Mekong, the Tonle Sap and the Tonle Bassac - which means that there is a nice promenade next to the river, inevitably full of hotels and bars. Upon walking around, it becomes clear that Phnom Penh is being developed very quickly and there is more and more foreign investment in the country. There are building sites everywhere and it seems that modern, glass skyscrapers and malls are things that will change the skyline and atmosphere of Phnom Penh in the very near future.

We saw the central market, a building built by the French in 1937 and kept in good condition by the Cambodians. The central market seems to contain everything from food and souvenirs to jewellery and clothes. 

We further saw Wat Phnom - the temple on the hill - after which the city is named. The story of this temple is that a hollowed out tree trunk containing three Buddhas (two made of wood and one of bronze), was found washed onto the banks of the river at exactly this point. The woman who found them then decided to build a hill and a temple at this place and to place the Buddhas in this temple. Now, of course, the temple is still there - the Buddhas are not - and there is a statue commemorating this woman, on the sides of which the story of the temple is depicted.

On our way to the promenade, where our guide would leave us, we passed by the old French colonial post office - which is still being used now. Our guide then proceeded to let us know that the Cambodians try to keep the old French buildings in good condition, but that sometimes (like recently) "the buildings collapse and some people died.. hahaha". We did not quite understand the humour in that statement, but did and still do have fun recounting it. We then spent the evening sitting at a restaurant on the promenade, having great food and just enjoying being in Phnom Penh.