Getting some fresh air

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve been outside of the hustle and bustle of the city. Not only did I want to check out something new but needed a break from the busy downtown streets. After consulting my handy map, and a few awesome girls I’ve met here, we decided to make the 1.5 hour long journey to check out Phnom Chisor. The 11^th century Khmer temple is located 503 steps up a fairly steep hill. At the foot of the hill there is a building known as Son Reveang that is now used as a Buddhist place of worship. There were also prayers going on at the top, which we listened to as we enjoyed the amazing view of the countryside.

On our way home we decided to stop by another site of temple ruins called Ta Prohm. The main ruins were small but impressive. Like Phnom Chisor, the site is still used for worship. We didn’t stay long here as we were bombarded with begging children. Before we even got out of the car 15 kids ran at us pushing flowers and incense in our faces asking for money. While trying not to trip over our 15 little shadows, we also passed a handful elderly beggars that sat within the ruins which made the experience a little less enjoyable. 

Tonle Bati was our last stop which is a popular destination for locals to relax in huts over the lake and get something to eat. We walked around and checked out the food selection of mainly skewered frogs, fish, chicken and various other mystery creatures but decided not test our digestive limits. 

Our exercise for the day!

These 2 girls followed us around the entire time. They could only say hello and when we tried to  talk to them more, they would just giggle. 

The view, quietness and strong wind was my favourite part.

Inside one of the newer buildings used for worship. 

Entrance to Ta Prohm.

One of 5 worship areas.

Work in progress

Things have been pretty quiet so I haven’t had much to post about lately. The last couple weeks have been spent getting used to my surroundings and networking with other expats. There are a few things to do in Phnom Penh, but once you’ve seen them, you have to travel outside the city for other sights and activities. No complaints here though. It has been nice getting to know the area, going to the same cafes, markets and restaurants, using the same tuk tuk/moto drivers and getting to know the locals and other expats. It has also been fun learning that the expat community here is quite small. Despite being in a big city, everyone seems to know everyone and you will keep running into the same people and showing up at the same events. I have met a lot of people through weekly dodgeball games, hikes, social events and dinners. Part of the fun is learning where everyone is from and what brought them to Cambodia. 

It has only been a few weeks but I can tell this crazy city is growing on me. Despite the little things I miss (quiet time, cheese and crackers, walking everywhere, the simplicity of asking directions or buying produce, to name a few) I can tell I’ll miss this place when I go.

Things may not stay quiet for long though as I have a few trips brewing and some projects in the works. So stay tuned!

Independence Monument (a good marker to know I'm close to home).

Living in the expat area is very nice but definitely not representative of what the rest of the country is like. 

Cambodian version of hard hats and work boots. I have also seen men welding wearing nothing but shorts.

Wat Langka. One of the may temples in the city. This is also where I will tell my driver to go in order to get home. Most drivers here can't read a map and do not know the streets by heart (they are all numbered). It can be very difficult to try and explain where you are going so landmarks work the best. 

There are usually about 15 tuk tuks on this street alone.

Tuesday night dodgeball! 

Started by another expat, this group is a great mix of foreigners and locals. The games are twice a week and everyone is welcome (for a mere $1.50).

Khmer cooking

I have had a variety of traditional Khmer dishes since arriving and most of them I have liked. There are a couple herbs I am not crazy about but some of the spices are wonderful. Fresh hot chili peppers are also widely used so if you don’t like spicy food you will need to choose wisely. There is a Khmer restaurant down the street that offers cooking classes daily which is the perfect way to learn how some of the most common dishes here are made.

The morning started with a trip to the local market to understand what ingredients we would be using. Our instructor guided us through various stalls and explained what each ingredient was. Even though this was interesting, the four of us were most intrigued by the fish and meat stalls and were busy snapping pictures while the vendors looked at us amused. This is totally different anything I'm used to at home and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of observing the daily routine in the markets.

On the menu was green mango salad to start, fish amok as our main and cha houy teuk for dessert. There is a ton of chopping and grinding with mortar and pestle which resulted in my arm feeling like it might fall off. I was especially proud of my banana leaf bowl which was made from 2 circular leaves and 2 tooth picks.

3 hours later we sat down as a group and enjoyed our creations. I can’t say I’ll attempt the amok at home with the amount of ingredients and work it involves but I may need to make my own version of the mango salad.

You will have to picture everything moving around.

My cooking buddy Kevin.

Filling my banana leaf bowl with the fish amok.

One of our instructors and our fish amok steaming.

Green mango salad. It is not my favourite dish but good on occasion. 

Fish amok with white rice. Very flavourful. Another tasty dish but not something I would want everyday. 

Cha houy teuk is a sweet jelly dessert made with agar agar, coconut milk, sugar and bananas. It tastes great but the slimy noodles are an acquired taste.   

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!