27 août 2007
Our first day in Phnom Penh
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It’s been a weird night. Jérémie wakes up, looks at his watch. Hey, it’s midday already! We’ve been sleeping for more than 15 hours!!! I am ready for a shower when Jérémie looks by the window. Mmmh, it’s dark outside… That means we’re still in the middle of the night and we have barely slept 3 hours… Of course, impossible to sleep after that. We eventually make it and here we are, ready for the day.
We head to the National Museum housed in an old imposing building. It is home to the world’s finest collection of Khmer sculpture. There is a good collection of Buddhas of all sizes. The museum was built by the French in early 20th century and is housed in a terracotta structure of traditional design. The museum comprises four courtyards, facing a garden. The atmosphere and statues in the garden is very pleasant. Some highlights include the eight-armed statue of Vishnu from the the 6th century AD, the statue of Shiva and the sublime statue of Jayavarman VII seated. The museum also contains displays of pottery and bronzes dating from the pre-Angkorian periods of Funan and Chenla (4th to 9th century), the Indravarman period (9thand 10th centuries), the classical Angkorian period (10th to 14th centuries) as well as more recent works. There is a permanent collection of post-Angkorian Buddhas, many of which were rescued from Angkor Wat when the civil war erupted.
We then head to the market for a feel of the city. Psar Thmei is a large Art Deco structure in dirty yellow that acts as a roundabout. It’s not so big to get lost but we start enquiring on prices and seeing what’s available. Rita tries various wigs of not so bad quality.
The Royal Palace cannot be missed by the end of the river lane. The place is filled with traditional structures of no great interest. The most “interesting” is the silver pagoda, so named because of the floor is covered with over 5,000 silver tiles weighting 1 kg each. It was constructed of wood in 1892 by the French during the rule of King Norodom. The Silver Pagoda was preserved by the Khmer Rouge to demonstrate to the outside world its concern for the conservation of Cambodia’s cultural riches.
After this long day we head for one of our favourite activities in Asia: massage. The best ones usually are carried out by blind people. We go for a Japanese massage: Shiatsu and Amna to relieve the fatigue of the past days.
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Tip of the day
Be aware that photography inside the National Museum is prohibited (yes it’s ridiculous). One can take photos in the garden but has to pay for the privilege…
We had lunch at Khmer Borane Restaurant, 389 Sisowath Quay, just close to the Palace. Food is ok. Fish Soup is excellent.
The entrance fee at the Royal Palace is very expensive: 25,000r. Don’t go with shorts and sleeveless T-shirts. Or you’ll have to pay to rent or buy “decent” clothing. Photography is not allowed inside most buildings. Not sure we could say it’s worth it. Way too expensive for what it is.
You want to save some money on guidebooks? Whereas LPs are around €20 back home, they can be found everywhere on the streets of Phnom Penh for less than 4 usd, brand new (you can easily find any LP guidebooks here). Of course, this involves that you do not prepare your trip in advance!
Seeing hands massage has changed address. It is now just in front of the Post Office, street 13, house #12 EO. A one hour massage is 5.5 usd. Massages there are okay, but definitely not the best ones.
You can have dinner by Sisowath Quay. We chose randomly “Le Resto du coin”. Nice terrace and good food. Lobster can be had for less than 10 usd.
