Saturday 22 March 2014

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh. Not what we were expecting. The tourist clientèle of the city was a departure from the other cities of SE Asia. There was a definite undercurrent of something seedy, the predominant demographic now seeming to be a single 45-55 year old male with a fat wallet. Our hotel was right in the middle of the 'interesting' area of town and we honestly couldn't believe what we were seeing at night. There would be old fat and ill looking guys casually walking up and down the street from bar to bar with a teenage Cambodian girl wearing a mini-skirt heels and too much make-up hand in hand. Of course some of them were legitimately aged ladies but I am sure they were not the most popular ones. These guys seemed to almost be comparing their 'purchases' with each other. Apparently the girls are paid for to their madam for a certain period and the guys can take them wherever they want.

It made us feel slightly uncomfortable, but the best solution was to just look away. The rest of the tourist areas were just like any other Asian city with hawker stalls, a big night market, loads of local food stalls, shops full of t-shirts, sunglasses, flip-flops, Irish bars, motorbike rental and coffee shops. It was just that every now and again in the evening there was another WTF moment as someone casually strolled by the stalls with a girl a fifth of their age. In the evenings almost every other building on our road opened up a small bar at the bottom floor, positioned maybe 5 or 6 girls outside and switched on some neon signs. The single guys would come and get chatted up by the girls and we assume eventually go inside and make a 'purchase' for the evening. This activity was obviously not unnoticed as there were leaflets and posters in the hotel and around, plus TV adverts all showing a helpline number to call to report any under age prostitution (we assume that legally aged prostitution is completely condoned however blatant).

Anyway, we had some things we wanted to see. The most popular sights were those connected to the genocide atrocities committed my Pol Pot and other nastiness during the Khmer Rouge era. The killing fields and other genocide museums promised moving displays and reminders of these events. Piled up human skulls or photos of each person minutes before they were executed were the top attractions. To be honest we would have gone to see it if not for the even sadder way that we heard the twatpacker tourists talking about it as if it was a rite of passage, and also the relentless touting from the Cambodian tuk-tuk drivers. This is especially sad as they are making money out of the deaths of their grandparents somehow.

We decided to keep our money and not get herded off to the atrocities with all the other tourist numbskulls. Maybe we should have seen it but we decided it was too much like 'Tourisme Noir" and so we went to see the palace instead. We even got a guide which I do not normally pay for as I am too stingy and usually you can listen to someone else’s guide for free! It was really good and the guide took the time to explain all the small things that we would have otherwise been guessing about. For instance the unpainted tombs are for the cremated ash (we would have thought they were just unfinished), the King of Cambodia is not allowed to be educated in any political or philosophical arts and he is not allowed into the politics of the country at all. The current king is a tiny little guy who studied ballet in France and is generally known to be a more than a little camp. The politicians find him perfect for the role!

We had some very nice meals in Phnom Penh. We got addicted to one noodle place that was a well executed joint, very clean and tidy not a plastic chair place but still cheap. I think in three days we ate there 4 or 5 times, it was conveniently just across the road from the hotel. This was good for nipping over to when the rain was pouring down which it did for a couple of the evenings there.

We watched pensively from the balcony of the hotel one day as a loud protest march spilled up the main street for about 40 mins. The protests here are against the current elections (same story as usual - corrupt government not allowing any other parties to form or have a chance at election). They have been known to turn violent and the Cambodians certainly have some pent up emotions they could let out.

All in all we felt that it was a great city full of very honest and helpful people that are sadly being stepped on by the current generation of Cambodian rich and the international tourists who come to gawp at the atrocities and take advantage of the poor in the sex trade. I am sure it will change but until the Cambodian people themselves can be heard then they still have to make money somehow. The division of wealth in Cambodia is much starker than in Vietnam. In Vietnam everyone had a motorbike. Here there are more people sharing each motorbike. Many more people are on bicycles or walking with their heavy loads but at the same time many more cars also. And not just cheap old Toyotas like in Vietnam, big fancy European brand cars. This suggests to me a simple economic theory - a model of a country that still exploits its poorer classes for the benefit of a few very rich ones. Maybe a little dose of well managed communism wouldn’t hurt here like in Vietnam? Of course it would though as the corruption would just take advantage of that also. Difficult.



We spoke to this guy every day and eventually took a ride

Our bikes

Here in the city there is more money for everyone


Sugarcane juice guy

There was one of the night bars next door to hotel

From the other side for the screen

Loads of bike rental shops

Johanna sat one day in front of hotel and took long lens snaps

Opposite from the hotel







Square in front of palace



Coconut protector

Where the little king has his ceremonies

Buddha tree or Bohdi tree has flowers...

That open and fall off in one day only















The unpainted grey tombs are for cremated ashes





Protest starts and closes road


Watching from the top

A mix of protesters and stuck commuters

More spectators

Good views

Happy scene

The rubbish gets dumped in the street here.




Us too...

Royal hands have to wear a different colour each day.  Cambodian days of the week are sometimes named after these colours.

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