Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, and Cambodia in general for that matter, is a fascinating country... tragic, painful, and disturbing at times, but also beautiful, inspiring, and resilient. I spent nearly a week in the capital city, longer than I’d expected, but nevertheless an incredible time.

I caught up with a friend from Antarctica, DA-Richard, who also happens to be from Seattle, and who’s been traveling in SE Asia with his boyfriend Paul since late February. The two of them are a total cut-up… had me laughing most of everyday. They’d established a contact in Phnom Penh, at an orphanage run by an Italian NGO which cares for HIV/AIDS positive and developmentally disabled children. They were going to volunteer there for a couple of weeks, and inspired me to do the same… but not for nearly as long.

The children were sweet, and after getting a little familiar with the new faces, displayed the zeal and resilience for life that seems to be common in children the world over. I volunteered mostly in a classroom of “teenagers”, ages 8 to 15. Basically I just played with kids, and when the classroom instructors would let me, we’d go walk around the orphanage courtyard and I’d get a chuckle out them with my poor renditions of songs that were running through my head.

Mornings were spent at the orphanage, and afternoons were spent seeing the city of Phnom Penh. Crumbling colonial-era buildings, ornate temples, sprawling markets, and a river of motos. I’ve never seen so many motorcycles used so creatively… how they balance what they do, I haven’t a clue.

Evenings had us eating amazing fried noodles from our favorite street-stand, sipping 50cent Pastis (French licorice liquor) at the corner Zeppelin Bar where the owner spun records of anything from the namesake Led Zeppelin to the Yeah-Yeah-Yeahs.

The afternoon rain showers provided a blissful respite from the heat in my $2 room at the Lakeside Guest House. Spent a lot of time relaxing, writing, and reading… something leisurely to counteract the emotionally draining visits to sights like S-21 and the Killing Fields.

When my week was up, I was definitely ready to move on. That said… I couldn’t have wished for better experiences and better company.

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Yay! Pictures!!!

Non-rush-hour traffic in Phnom Penh.
Richard cruisin' on a moto.
2 people, bag of mushrooms, bag of pasta, misc. groceries, and one wardrobe(?). Amazing.
On the road to the killing fields.
French Colonial buildings and temples... strange mix.
Happy Hour at the FCC (Foreign Correspondence Club). Paul left, Richard right.
Lotus at Silver Pagoda.
5 people is actually the record for most full-grown people I've seen on a moto.
Sun bleached lutus flowers and roof tiles.
Royal Palace grounds.
The corrugated roofs of the lakeside guest house district.