So ontop of S21 and Cheong Ek (which i am still waiting to publish) we ventured out into Phnom Penh to check out some of the waterfront and the Royal Palace.
Firstly the palace is really something else. Built in 1866, it replaced an older citadel that was destroyed by the retreating Siamese armyin 1834. It is a series of ornate gold painted buildings encircling a central thrown room that expertly displays traditional Khmer architecture mixed with some European styling. When you enter there are strict rules regarding etticate and dress, and i was required to cover my arms and legs with clothing purchased at the entry way as i was aparently not suitably dressed. Then you wander the grounds trying to get a peak at the individual rooms, although most of these are restricted for entry. The Royal family who continue to live in the palace are highly venerated in Cambodia, with statues and images littering virtually every corner of Phnom Penh. We unfortunately didnt get to take any photos of the throne room etc as that was severely restricted, so ill include a google photo to this post so that you can all get a peak.
In case you were wondering it was about 35 degrees in the palace grounds, so we were just melting.
The gardens are also quite beautiful with images of Buddha interspersed with that of Nagas (hindu snakes) and Hanuman (Monkey god in hinduism). The Cambodians are largely Buddhist in tradition, but there are large regions that are still Hindu as well. The combination of the two traditions really makes Cambodian culture entirely unique and incredible to witness. It is very distinct even amoungst the Asian countries.
Driving around in a Tuk Tuk is probably the best way to see Phnom Penh. You weave in and out of traffic and occasionally get blasts of heat, dust and smells that you'd probably miss out on if you were in a tour bus or hired car. It's actually a lot of fun, and is quickly becoming my favorite way to travel.
After checking out the Palace, Fungus and i headed down to the waterfront to get a drink and relax for a bit. The waterfront is a hub for tourists and you are often assailed by German and Swedish voices over the general hum of Cambodian. Keerit and i popped into a cafe for a drink of grass jelly (i don't even know how to describe it, its like a lychee flavored tea with little aloe chunky bits in it... but its pretty damn tasty and it cuts the heat really well)....but the really cool bit was when were wandering back to the Hostel. We passed this large portable stall on the roadside that was selling heaps of deep fried....bugs...there were tarantulas, snakes, maggots, cockroaches, crabs, and about 10 things i had no idea what they were. Keerit being the adventurous and crazy person that he is, decided that he had to try some of it. So we bought a fried snake and a couple bugs. Keerit munched down on the beatles (which were aparently really tasty) and than attempted the Maggot as i watched apprehensively. The only thing i can say about that is that he turned a slight shade of green (yes...brown people can turn green) and called out that this was the most disgusting thing he'd ever eaten! Hahahahah....I couldn't bring myself to try the bugs, but i nibbled on the snake and it was actually not that bad! The vertabrae have a tendancy to get stuck in your teeth, but otherwise the flavor is okay. In a pinch, i'd prob eat one again.
Anyway, thats enough out of me for now. We are headed out to Siem Reap this afternoon, so my next couple posts will likely be from there. I am also working on the one for our time at S-21 and the Killing fields (it accidently got corrupted, so im gonna have to rewrite it this afternoon)
Anywho...have a good one guys!
Below are some photos of Keerit eating the snake, some of the buddhas and flowers at the royal palace and the roadside bug stall!
Enjoy!
- k
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