Phnom Penh

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Right: Boeng Kak, Phnom Penh On arrival in the capital Nick (who had joined the ferry in Kratie) and I made our way to the lake (Boeng Kak) where there are a number of backpacker hostels. The following day Nick and I wandered around taking in some of the sights of Phnom Penh, including a busy market in the heart of the city, housed in a large art deco style dome.

In the afternoon we took a stroll over to the other side of the lake to see how the other 95% live. The scene along the railway tracks there, was one of absolute squalour. The lake is heavily polluted though it sustains a quite a few people who basically have nothing else. They were very friendly though, and it does seem to be a feature of the Cambodian personality. There's a saying going around these parts that the "Vietnamese grow the rice (industrious), Cambodians watch the rice grow (lazy) while the Laos listen to the rice growing....." Stereotypes no doubt, but there may be something in it.

Above: The Central Market, Phnom Penh
Below: The other side of Beong Kak

Around the capital are a number of monuments which reflect the bloody and fractured history of Cambodia. The gun symbology is quite poignant. The work on the left has been entirely built from discarded weaponry.

Below Left: Peace Monument   Right: Local crafts, Angkor replicas

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