Home away from home

After 3 weeks in a hotel, I have moved to the apartment I will be staying at for the rest of my visit. Luckily it was only 4 streets down from the hotel which made it an easy transition.

The only hard part was the fact that I passed out at the breakfast table that morning from dehydration so I wasn’t in great shape to be moving around. When I started to come around, two other guests (and Canadian!) had come to my aid and were explaining what happened. They sat on the floor with me until I was able to stand and then carried me to my room. After some sleep, gravol, advil and lots of fluid I am on the mend. The neck pain and facial bruises from the fall are my reminder to drink WAY more water than I was.

On a more positive note, the apartment is great and I am thrilled to finally have a stove and a balcony. My lovely friend Kyly (and life saver after helping me move and taking care of me) is in the second bedroom for one more week before moving back to Vancouver. I will be sad to see her go but am thankful for the time I had with her and Gavin to show me the ropes.

This is considered the expensive expat area and you can find almost anything you need within walking distance. It's a nice area which is busy with both locals and foreigners. There are also tuk tuk drivers on every corner which can be handy (but also irritating when you are only walking 2 blocks and get asked 15 times if you want a ride). 

View from the balcony

The entryway to the staircase which is the best.

Yay to having a living room!

Our Christmas tree! When we bought it I was like a kid in a candy store beaming at all the employees because I was so excited. 

The White Building

The group that organized the Mekong Island walk planned a trip to The White Building so I jumped on the opportunity to check out more of the city. 

The White Building was the first apartment complex to be built in Phnom Penh in 1963 as a solution to the huge population growth at the time. Over the years, many old buildings in Phnom Penh have been updated or destroyed as part of a recent wave of urban development. However, the White Building has a historic past and the current 2,500 residents are fighting tooth and nail to keep it. If the Governor succeeds in demolishing the building, 600 families will need to find a new place to live.

We were asked not to take pictures inside anyone’s home but were free to take them outside. Everyone was friendly and the kids had a blast screaming and running up and down the hallway, yelling hello at us each time. There is electricity in the apartments but the hallways are very dark and smelly. I caught a glimpse into a couple rooms which were so tiny, it’s hard to believe more than one family often live there.

They recently opened a little shop that sells jewelry made by the local artists which helps with fundraising to keep the building up. Any repairs that need to be done are completed by the residents at their own cost.

At the end of the day, a few people stuck around to walk to Diamond Island for comparison. This area of town looks like it has been picked out of Europe and it honestly felt just plain weird. There are huge new developments and hotels that only very rich people can afford. It is just another way that shows the huge gap between rich and poor here. If you walk down streets anywhere in the city you will likely find a mansion with high walls, metal gates and security which looks completely out of place surrounded by poverty and trash. 

The streets outside the apartment are lined with food vendors.

The roof is usually covered in trash but our tour guide asked his contact to clear it.

A resident taking pictures of us.

One staircase had these great paintings under each flight.

Getting a fresh coconut. My new favourite drink.

Our pit stop for water and fruit.

The few members that lasted until the end!

Mekong Island

After searching for Phnom Penh expat groups I came across one that does mini trips within the city every 3 weeks. The great thing about these groups is that people are eager to chat and make friends. A much different experience than back home where most people try to avoid eye contact. 

This trip was a short ferry across the river to Mekong Island. It's a quiet island of rice paddies, farms and orchards and the absence of most four wheeled traffic makes for a peaceful walk. After a 5K walk we ended the afternoon with piles of fruit and good conversation. 

Floating houses along the river

Cambodia is very flat so our hike was more like a leisurely stroll 

Little shops and food vendors 

Many countryside houses are on stilts and the family sitting area is underneath

I want to eat up all the kids here. More common outside the city, kids get so excited to see you will wave and yell hello until you engage back

Almost every country home has at least 1 guard dog 

Snack of bananas, mangos, dragon fruit and two types of lychee

The boats are packed with commuters bringing their cars, motos,  food and more back and forth between the city and home

An afternoon well spent! 

Market mania

There are a ton of markets in Phnom Penh but two of the largest ones are Central Market and Russian Market.

Central Market is in a colonial-style building in the heart of the city that sells almost anything you can think of. It is the most organized market I have been to with designated sections and fairly wide pathways for electronics, household items, jewelry etc.  

The food sections never fail to surprise me here. Mystery fruit and vegetables to my left and an old woman hacking the head off a live fish the size of my thigh to my right. You could spend hours here if you went to every stand.

The Russian Market is a bit more cramped but no less interesting. This market became the foreigner’s market during the 1980’s when most of the foreigners in Cambodia were Russians. This market has a larger selection of souvenirs, curios and silks. It is also one of the best places to buy fabric and have something made.

Don’t forget to bring your game face because bargaining is a must. Both markets are great but I think the Russian Market will become my go-to for when I want clothing, movies or souvenirs.  

Main dome at Central Market

I should have gotten pictures of the disturbing animal parts and live seafood. Maybe next time. 

Weekend getaway

Kep is the smallest province in Cambodia and about a 4 hour bus ride from Phnom Penh. It is a sleepy beach down fronting the Gulf of Thailand that many people come to for a relaxing retreat away from the city. 

We decided last minute that we would go for the night and get some needed quiet time away from the busy streets and pushy tuk tuk drivers. 

The actual beach was further along the road but our waterfront was filled with a different kind of activity. Fishing. I had a great time walking through the market and had no shame being the tourist snapping pictures of everything. You can buy souvenirs but the best part was the fresh seafood for sale. People would lift their basket out of the water and locals would come over and grab out what they wanted. Doesn't get any fresher than that! 

Enjoying fresh coconut 

My dinner giving me the stare down