Wanderlust: Hopeful Cambodia

Ever wondered how did the name Phnom Penh came about?

To put it simply, Phnom in Khmer means Hill and Penh is actually the name of the lady who "discovered" this place. In the center of town, there is a temple hill that houses a figure of this lady. To the locals, this is where you want to go if you would like to strike lottery.

Mrs Penh

Devotees galore

One point to note when visiting Phnom penh, do avoid staying anywhere near the lake. Even though the accommodations there are cheaper than other parts of town. It is a very dodgy and dirty area. I walked in wanting to look for a place to stay and within 5minutes, I had people asking me if i want to special massage, boom boom(whatever that means) and weed. Needless to say, I turned around before even venturing any further.

Street life shots

Street life shots

Walking along the streets of Phnom Penh, one thing that you will experience is the harassment of the plentiful moto taxis on the street. Every single corner, every single turn you make, you have people motioning you onto the back of their motorcycles, even if they do not know where you want to go.

A typical situation works like this.

You turn a corner and see several men sitting on their motorcycle at the corner. One raises his hand and waves to me. "Hey you, yo, where you go?"

Shakes head "No where , just taking a walk"
Driver "Ok, you come, I bring you"

As I walked on and ignore the man, another man on motorcycle 5paces away, observing the whole thing raises his hand and waves to me again...

I decided to do an experiment one of the days and I was approached a total of 61 times in a period of just a few hours!!

In cambodia, there is this special cloth that you will see many locals donning. Karma, the name of this cloth is especially popular with the older generations and the people from the countryside. To the modern day youngsters, it has lost its appeal. What makes Karma special is the numerous ways to use it. It can be a used as a scarf, a face mask, a handkerchief, a hat, a temporary skirt, to carry a baby, to carry groceries, to use as a ground mat, a towel, a table cloth, to wipe your nose, to clean up after toilet if you forget to bring paper and to strangle anybody who tries a fast one on you.

Alright, I made up the last 2. Nevertheless, the possibilities are endless with this. Anything and everything will be used with this. If you ever fancy getting one to use(or for souvenir) you can easily purchase one for US$1-3 at any market.

Popular with females
And with males

To cover your head which is already covered by a hat

Close to 2 months of traveling, i am in need of a haircut. Not that my hair was very long. It is just too impractical for traveling. I was very tempted to go to a traditional hole in the wall with old man shop but after thinking, decided it is too much of a risk. I walked past a high school and saw a chic and modern place with posters of pop stars and young lad cutting. I decided to give it a try and i have to say, he is not bad at handling his tools. In the end, i was shocked when he told me it is just $1!! Even though it is just 1 US and the cheapest cut i ever got, it turned out pretty alright.

I had some time to spare and with suggestions from my cambodian friend, i was directed to the olympic stadium in the evening.

The moment i walked in, i was handed a flyer and this girl wearing a red shirt started talking very quickly in khmer. She talked with such passion and enthusiasm that i just couldn't bear to cut her speech so i kept nodding and acted like i understood what she said!! After a minute or so, she stopped and i shyly told her "sorry i dont understand khmer". She let out a huge laugh and repeated everything in english again!

Turns out she and her friends from university are here to sell some food items and the sales results would determine their grades. After the hilarious moment, how could i not help them out, especially since i would be in the same shoes a few months later.

As the whole stadium starts to unfold before me, i saw lots and lots of people dancing in unison at on the perimeter of the grandstand. Believe me, the number of people is simple astonishing and with their actions unified, i stood there for a few minutes just amazed by what i saw.

Dancing in the sunset

The music they are dancing to includes many modern day songs, chinese techno and traditional khmer music. People regardless of gender and age were dancing to the lead of a instructor of sort. Unlike aerobics or exercise, they are actually doing modern dance, those that you see on tv or performances!!

I would rate this place a MUST SEE if you ever come to Phnom Penh

It is so interesting, it kept me there till the sky turned dark

Young and old, you can be the next Rain

Other than dancing, many people are also there to jog

Compared to the depressing past of the country, this side of cambodia is now full of energy and brimming with hope for the future, just like the fireflies dancing amidst the rubbish that i saw on the way out.

In Phnom Penh, there are a couple of markets worth checking out. The first would be the central market, not to buy anything since the prices are higher than others, rather to admire the dome architectural of the building. The dome shape center actually allows a very good ventilation in the hot city.

2nd would be The russian market. This is where you would want to get all your souvenirs, karmas and knock offs branded clothing at a fraction of the original price. As usual, expect to bargain hard as many tourist pass by here everyday. It is also near S21 Tuol Sleng museum which makes it an easy day trip for both.

Last would be Psar O Russay located smack in the middle of the city. This place is built by locals for locals. Photographers would find this place especially interesting.
The first floor where household items can be found. Anything you would ever need is here, plus all the groceries, meat, fruits and cooked food.
The 2nd floor is stocked with many shoes, stationary, books and dictionary.
More impressive is the 3rd floor which many clothing and fashion items with many shops selling prom like dresses. In fact, if you are going to a prom, everything you would ever need is here. Dress, shoe, make up services, accessories, jewels, sequins, hair cut and style, facial products to make your skin pearly white, nails service, hand bags, inner garments, watches, soft toy to carry around the dance floor and even a whole new set for the after prom party. Guys be warned, do not bring your girls here unless you are willing to be stuck for more than 2 hours.