Cambodia - Phnom Phen

With the prospect of another long holiday weekend ahead, I found myself a little stumped on where to go. I generally have maintained a policy of not going the same place twice in order to make sure I explore this part of the world thoroughly while I am here. So having noticed on the map that I had not been to Cambodia yet, I set off to plan a trip. I also managed to recruit some old-timers who had been to Cambodia before to join me. Gretchen has been living in Asia some 7 years, while Paul has been here 4. With experienced Phnom Phen (PP) travelers I set off on another SE Asia adventure.

Cambodia was previously colonized by the French. So in addition to having its own history and culture to explore, there is an adopted culture of fine European food and wine . As such, what will follows can most accurately be described as both a dissection of my culinary pursuits as well as a description of the sights we saw.

And since I forgot my camera, I cannot take credit for the photos - Paul took them, which is why sadly he is not pictured.

(having not seen so many pastries in so long - I find myself frozen at the counter, unable to choose!)

After quickly scouring the admittedly small "downtown" of PP, we made our way to the foreign correspondent's club (FCC). A journalists' hangout from the days of the Cambodian civil war and now a favorite of expats. We sampled the local beer - Angkor - and watched the sunset.


Gretchen has some friends living in Phnom Phen who took us out to dinner at a lovely tapas restaurant where we stuffed ourselves on multiple courses of tortillas, chorizo, olives, bread, flan and pitchers of sangria. I think the bill was something like $20 USD / person - incredible.


The next morning we made our way to the Russian market which is where the majority of PP expats and locals do their shopping. Anything you can imagine is sold here from custom gemstone jewelry to motorcycle parts to produce. We were on a hunt for black market GAP and Old Navy and some DVD copies - and a few hours later we emerged with our wallets a little lighter and well stocked on t-shirts and movies.

(the dreaded durian fruit not only smells like death, but looks evil! in fact its smell is so bad, it is banned from public buildings)


After the market, we embarked on the second leg of our journey - a 3 hour drive to through the countryside to the village of Kampot. All manner of Cambodian life were observed on the drive - from emaciated cattle crossing the road to landmine restricted areas to people carrying slaughtered livestock home on the back of motorbikes, no kidding....dangling heads and hoofs and all.

Kampot is a village on the river and as it turns out my most people's standards it is a sleepy little village. For those who live in PP, it is a weekend getaway - the Hamptons of Cambodia. In our time there we totally relaxed - read books, rode bikes, ate leisurely meals and walked along the river.


On our way back to PP we decided to take a bit of a detour to the seaside village of Kep. Our innkeeper in Kampot told us they were famous for their crab. Inspired by a new culinary mission we set off - 2 crabs and a whole fish later....we got back in the car for our final leg back to PP.



In going back to PP, I wanted to take time to see the S21 prison and visit the genocide museum. While chilling, a trip to Cambodia is not really complete without an exploration of the genocide that took place there in recent decades. It is hard to believe that in my generation, today's modern world, that countrymen actually were killing and torturing one another in such medieval ways.


What could be a sad commentary on human nature is softened by the peaceful and gentle nature of Cambodia's today. Everyone we spoke to, from the market to the guesthouse, were friendly and optimistic. They strove to build their businesses and improve their English in order to be more successful. They have dreams of running larger businesses and growing the local ecomony by training and employing more people. The incidents of the past seem not to weigh them down as they look forward to better futures for themselves and their families.

So what's next on the agenda.....let's see:

- Oct: Krabi, Thailand (beach) and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam
- Nov: Siem Reap, Cambodia (Angkor Wat), Koh Samui, Thailand (beach) and Singapore
- Dec: Hong Kong, Shanghai and 2 weeks in Australia

Thailand - State of Emergency

(photos pulled from internet news articles)


I have been getting emails from some of you inquiring about the political situation in Thailand. By the way, this has also been an interesting litmus test on my friend's and family's engagement with world news....now we know who is reading the international section of the paper!

So in its simplest terms, it appears there is a coup in progress. Thailand is no stranger to coups - there was one just prior to my move here in April.

The PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy) is responsible for this, and the last, conflict. Its supporters are mainly urban, middle- to upper-class who are relatively rich compared to the majority of Thailand's rural population. The PAD's self defined mission is anti-corruption and anti-authoritarianism.

Now, one and a half years after the last coup they orchestrated, the PAD have taken action to insist that the Prime Minister step down from his post. So these folks are tired of the PM's alleged corruption and double talk. Anyone who known anything about the 3rd world will know that bribes and corruption are widely tolerated as part of daily life....so in fact the offenses they allege he committed are particularly egregious.

So what does this mean in terms of activity in BKK?

Demonstrations started at the Parliament peacefully, but quickly devolved. Angry protesters brandished weapons as police in riot gear were brought in to calm the swell. Turns out a bunch of angry Thai's are not so easily subdued. Police used force, people died and the conflict then escalated.
In the last week, protests were strategically expanded to include new sites like airports and public transportation centers. The result of which is that 2 airports are now closed and various sorts of public transport are largely unavailable. Large Thai employers and companies have gone on sympathetic strike and there is a rumor that Thai Airways (the national airline) will soon shut down in protest. The international airport is open for the moment, but it is debatable how long that will remain open, especially if Thai Air follows suit.

The PM called the military in for a meeting to assist in matters and it was reported that the head general advised the PM to step down. The military has clearly and publically indicated its support of the people, so one wonders how much longer the PM can hold out. Water and electricity have been shut down in government buildings, residences and in some parts of town in an effort to increase the choke hold on the PM and other politicians. There are reports that the shut downs will be extended to residential areas to further escalate the situation. As chaos, car traffic and mounting anxiety choke BKK, the prevailing opinion is that a coup is underway.

You might be wondering how does this affect me, Joanna..

Well, the answer is not so much....so far. Practically speaking most of the action is in another part of the city. There is a curfew, but it seems none of the expats observe it. We still have water and electricity. Bars, restaurants and clubs are still open and decently attended, although admittedly not as full as usual.

So amidst the chaos the foreign elite are relatively unscathed for now. We'll see how long this holds....I personally am safe and comfortable at the moment. And I think for the majority of us expats, as long as water and electricity are available and the international airport stays open, we will remain fairly secure in our expat bubble.

With that said, laying low is not a bad idea...and I do have a lot of reading to catch up on....