Revisiting Phnom Penh

One of the great things about traveling in Asia is the many budget airlines.   We often fly Air Asia and buy the tickets early to get a promo fare.  From Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, our ticket was about $60 including 15 kilos of luggage. We pay for our luggage when we buy our tickets.  It doesn’t matter how many pieces of luggage as long as it doesn’t go over the weight paid for.  We were able to get our Cambodian visas at the airport on arrival.  We had passport photos with us so the cost was $30.  

John and I have been to Phnom Penh several times but not for five years and the changes were dramatic. The ride to the Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel took about an hour.  We were amazed to see so many Lexus SUVs and Mercedes and all the new buildings.  

The Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel has a great location. Our room

with complimentary Wi-Fi and breakfast was $70.  The best part was dining on the roof with a view of the Tonle Sap River and the Royal Palace.  The same view was available in the morning from the breakfast room. 

The Royal Palace is the residence of the King Norodom Sihamoni who became king after his father Norodom Sihanouk abdicated in 2004.  The Royal Palace is a complex of buildings and except for the actual royal residence most of the buildings are open to the public. All the buildings are beautiful but the Silver Pagoda is noted for the 5000+ silver tiles that cover the floor and it is where over 1600 cultural and religious

treasures are kept. There are always many monks around.  On my first visit several years ago I sat on a stone wall next to two monks and started chatting with them. They were very friendly then one said, “Can I ask you a question?” I said, “Of course.”  He asked, “Do you hate us.”  I was caught off guard and said, “No, I don’t even know you. Why do you ask?”  He explained that his teacher said Americans hated Cambodians.  I guess it was a remnant of the Vietnam War years.  

Near Phnom Penh is one of the several Killing Fields where over one million Cambodians were killed by the Khmer Rouge between 1975 and1979, and in the city is the Genocide Museum.  Some people don’t visit because it is just too horrible but I have mixed feelings about that.  How can we stop these atrocities if we don’t learn about them?   On my first visit our driver said when he was a young boy his parents were

arrested and sent to different “camps” while he was sent into the jungle with other children.  His father told him, “Don’t ever forget your name.”  The children were given revolutionary names and many did forget their name but our driver remembered his and when he returned to Phnom Penh there was a wall of names of people who were trying to reconnect with family members.  He was lucky to reunite with his parents but some children had forgotten their name. 

Today, Cambodia seems to be doing great and each time we visit we see more improvement.  The place most visited is Angkor Wat with its amazing ruins. Tourism is a great unifier. 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites have been deemed to be of such important cultural and natural value that they need to be preserved and protected for future generations to enjoy. John and I have visited these and many others, the rest are all on my “Bucket List!” For more location on the World Heritage list check whc.unesco.org or www.worldheritagesite.org.

1. The Statue of Liberty: A must visit for all Americans. It has become a symbol of freedom to people all over the world. A gift from France, the Roman Goddess of Freedom sits on Liberty Island in New York Harbor and has welcomed thousands of immigrants to our shore.

2. Iguazu National Park, Argentina and Brazil: The spectacular Iguazu waterfalls are located in a tropical rainforest forming the border between Argentina and Brazil. The falls are 265 high and nearly 9000 feet long and made up of many cascades.

3. Brugge, Belgium: The quaint city of Brugge is an excellent example of a place that has preserved its historic center with many Gothic buildings clustered around the town square. One of the many fascinating things to see is the Michelangelo’s “Madonna and Child” in the Church of Our Lady.

4. Angkor Wat, Cambodia: Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. The massive site has the remains of the various capitals of the Khmer Empire that spanned from the 9th to the 15th century. Most impressive is Ta Prohm Temple with huge roots laced around the buildings.

5. The Rideau Canal, Canada: The 125-mile canal system was constructed during the 1800s. The system connects Ottawa, Canada’s capital to Kingston on Lake Ontario. The 1800s was the canal building era in North America and the Rideau is the only canal from the era that is still fully operational with most of its structures still in use.

6. Easter Island, Chile: The island, also known as Rapa Nui, was most likely settled by Polynesians around AD 300. They established a culture that was free from outside contact for several centuries during which they carved enormous stone figures called moai. How they were able to do this and why is still the topic of much controversy.

7. Prague, Czech Republic: Prague is home to many historical structures that span from the 11th to the 18th century including Hradcani Castle high on the hill above the Vltava, the Charles Bridge and the amazing Astronomical Clock. Many of the buildings were erected in the 14th century during the time of Charles IV, the Holy Roman Emperor.
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8. Machu Picchu, Peru: The Inca city high in the Andes has jaw-dropping views of the valleys below. Referred to as the “Lost City of the Incas” there is still a debate as to the exact purpose of the difficult to reach site. It is one of the few places not discovered and looted by the Spanish Explorers.

9. Bath, England: Founded by the Romans as a thermal spa, Bath became an important center during in the Middle Ages. Bath is the oldest of England’s principal tourist destinations and has been welcoming visitors for centuries

10. Hoi An, Vietnam: Hoi An was a trading town from the 10th to the 19th century. Because the old city escaped the ravages of the wars it is well preserved and shows the influence of local and foreign cultures.

Visiting Phnom Penh and Sianouk Ville

From Siem Reap we took the boat for six hours down the Tonle Sap River to Phnom Penh. We paid $8 in 2004 and $40 this time - 2010! But I really like the river trip where the scenes are of National Geographic portion. The weather was great so we sat on the boat roof.

All civil wars are awful but the civil war in Cambodia from 1975-79 under the regime of the Khmer Rouge has to rank as one of the worst. During the reign of Pol Pot one out of every four Cambodians died from starvation, overwork and executions. Nearly everyone has a story. When we were in Cambodia in 2004 our guide said that when the population of Phnom Penh was forcibly evacuated to the countryside he was seven and was sent into the jungle to youth camp. His mom and dad each went to different camps. When they were separated his father said, “Whatever happens never forget your name.” I thought that was a strange thing to say but the guide said the children were all given revolutionary names and after several years many did forget their name. He continued, “After a few years I thought motor vehicles were a figment of my imagination. When we were told we could go back into Phnom Penh and I saw the first motor vehicle I ran behind it sniffing the exhaust.” He never forgot his name and his family was eventually reunited. His is one of the few happy stories. Today the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Prison are must sees only so people do not forget. Sadly, it seems genocide and war never seems to stop. Today, in Cambodia, people want to go forward.

Everything seems much more vital and prosperous than it did six years ago. We stayed at the lovely InterContinental Hotel where there was a very upscale wedding with a reception for 500 but we were told that it was smaller than average. After our son flew back to San Francisco we had a cooking lesson that is offered by the hotel, visited the museum and royal palace.

One example of the “new” Cambodia is the development of the beach area in the south of Cambodia. For $7 we took a four-hour bus trip to Sihanouk Ville that included a bottle of water and a snack. We stayed at the beautiful Sohka Beach Resort. The hotel’s new additions have doubled the size of the hotel. We spent every day around the pool except one when we took an all-day island boat tour for $15. First we stopped at a snorkeling spot and then went to Banana Island where we hung out at the beach for a couple hours and the crew prepared our lunch of grilled barracuda. The barracuda was excellent – meaty and not at all fishy. It made us wonder why we don’t see barracuda on the menu in the US. On the way back we stopped at another island for snorkeling. On our last night we had an amazing seafood buffet that was set up around the pool and a band from the Philippines played familiar songs from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I think tourism has a great future in Cambodia as there is a lot to see and do. More importantly tourism brings money and improvements in all sectors of society.

The Amazing Ruins of Angkok Wat

We arrived in Siem Reap, the city closest to Angkor Wat early in the morning, and were able to obtain our visas at the airport for $20 each. The van from our hotel, La Maison d’Angkor picked us up. La Maison is a wonderful little hotel built in Khmer style that is like a garden oasis in the middle of the city.

We prebooked an afternoon tour of Angkor Wat with Buffalo Trails. The ruins at Angkor Wat are some of the most impressive we have ever seen and cover a vast area. The tour included the main temple area of Angkor Wat but also took us down a short trail to a small village where the ladies were weaving baskets. Most of the village homes were basic structures built on stills but some were more modern stucco buildings. It was a mixture of traditional and modern amenities with water supplied by a well but many people had cell phones and motor bikes. A thousand years ago it was a metropolis of one million when London was a small town and only Native Americans lived in what is now New York State.

The second day we hired a tuk-tuk for $15 and explored the ruins on our own. He took us where we wanted to go, waited, and showed us best place for lunch. Excellent value. At one temple complex, Ta Prohm, an inscription on a stone in Sanskrit told something about the temple. In Ta Prohm there were 3,140 villages, it took 79,365 people to maintain the temple, including 18 high priests, 2740 officials, 2202 assistant and 615 dancers. Among the property was a set of golden dishes weighing more than 1100 pounds, along with diamonds, pearls, and other valued items. As the area declined in power and population the jungle took over. In many areas the jungle has been removed but some of the tree roots in Ta Prohm temples have been left in place. The roots of the banyan and kapok tree are an impressive site and look like huge snakes which we found interesting since the snake, called Naga, is an important part of their Hindu history. Long stone Nagas border most of the main entrances to the temple complexes.

It would take weeks to see all of Angkor Wat and a tour is necessary to get a feel for the place but much of the story line that go along with the carvings are from the Hindu religion of which we have almost no historical background. We try to learn a bit more each trip.

One day our son, Jim, rented a bike for $1 and explored the temples on his own. There are many ways to experience Angkor Wat including from a fixed balloon and elephant rides to the top of a temple hill to watch sunset. All are great. Most people spend three days at Angkor Wat. The complex is huge and there are many areas still not uncovered. Since our last visit to Angkor Wat in 2004 the number of high-end hotels has grown dramatically and so have the number of tourists. Three-day admission is still $40. They have added wooden walkways and stairs in some area which makes it easier for tourists and protects the stonework.