As you may have noticed, whenever we arrive in a new city, we like to spend our first day exploring. And our first day in Phnom Penh is no different.
We start off by visiting a few secondhand bookstores – our supply is starting to get low and we know we have a few R&R opportunities coming up, so we want to be prepared.
Next we go and check out some handicraft stores.
Throughout our journey, Eric and I have made a conscious effort to search out and support stores and cafes which actively give back to the community, through both employment and education. In Cambodia, there’s no social network to support the less fortunate and those with disabilities, so many people rely on these businesses as a way to a better life.
The store we’re looking for in particular is “Wat Than Handicraft” which is run out of Wat Than or “Than Temple”. They produce an amazing array of beautiful handicrafts, with the proceeds supporting disabled Khmers. We browse around for a bit, but don’t buy anything right away – we want to think about it before we commit. Eric sees a carved wooden chess-set and although he comes very close, he holds off for the time being.
By midday we find ourselves strolling along the waterfront, where we stop to enjoy a banana shake by the river.
On our way back to our hostel, we check out the central market, which is located in a fantastic yellow art deco building near the city centre. Unfortunately the building is under renovation and not accessible, so the market has been set up along the exterior perimeter of the building and we spend some time wandering the stalls before we continue on our way.
We enjoy a nice late lunch at a small Indian restaurant and spend the next couple hours reading and watching TV – there’s one in our hostel room which is a real treat.
Later on in the evening we go for a quick stroll. The intention is to work up an appetite for dinner, but we’re still so full from lunch that we end up just grabbing a small snack and going home to bed. The walk is nice, but we’ve realized we prefer “day Phnom Penh” to “night Phnom Penh” – in the evening there’s an edge to the city that just doesn’t feel too comfortable.
Day 2 in Phnom Penh is an intense day for Eric, as he visits Choeung Ek – the “Killing Fields” – and the Tuol Sleng Museum.
During the reign of the Khmer Rouge, Choeung Ek was a field/compound located about 20 kms. outside of the city where “prisoners” were transported to be killed… hence the name “the Killing Fields”. Much like the Holocaust, the prisoners were anyone who went against the KR’s warped utopian vision – the educated, the outspoken, the elderly, the disabled, along with ordinary men, women and children. Their time spent in the detention centers in Choeung Ek lasted as long as it took for them to be killed, after which their bodies were thrown into mass graves. Today there is a beautiful memorial in the middle of the grounds which is filled with the skulls of the victims – a reminder to never let the past repeat itself.
The Tuol Sleng Museum is the remains of the school that was used as the interrogation center for the Khmer Rouge. People were crammed into rooms, shackled to beds and then beaten and tortured. If they survived the interrogation, they were shipped off to Choeung Ek. The rooms have been left pretty much untouched since the complex was discovered and in some rooms, there are pictures of all the victims – the KR took photographs of every man, woman and child who was imprisoned there.
It’s quite a sobering experience to visit these places and as I had already visited each of them 5 years ago, I don’t want to go again. It’s a horrific part of Cambodia’s history, but it’s also a very significant part of it as well, and Eric wants to pay his respects.
While he’s away, I decide to visit the O’Russey market which is located about 5 minutes down the road from our guesthouse. It’s filled with everyday items, ranging from cooking utensils and shoes to toys and clothes, which is perfect since I am in search of a new belt.
After the market – where I do pick up a stylish new belt for a very reasonable price – I venture over to the National Museum. When I was in Phnom Penh in 2005, I really enjoyed the building, so today I’m going back to spend some time sitting in the interior courtyard and sketching.
The Russian market is next on my list. It’s a great place for souvenir shopping so I pick up a couple of kramas for Eric and I. “Kramas” are the unofficial uniform of Cambodia – they’re typically checkered pieces of cloth used as a scarf, a shawl, a belt, a towel, a baby-bjorn, etc. We know we have some dusty areas in our future, both in Cambodia and beyond, so they’ll definitely come in handy. Plus, they look great – mine’s red and Eric’s is blue and chocolate-brown.
I end my adventure by having a small bite at Le Rits, which is an NGO-run café whose proceeds assist disadvantaged women re-entering the workplace.
Later on in the afternoon I return to the guesthouse and meet up with Eric. He’s had a good day, but given the subject matter he’s encountered, he’s a little drained.
We go for a walk, grab an ice cream cone and do a bit of shopping – Eric buys the cool chess set he saw at Wat Than Handicrafts yesterday, so he’s very happy.
We head back to the waterfront to watch the sun set over the Royal Palace and then wander around in search of dinner.
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