It’s time for us to say “good-bye” to Phnom Penh and Cambodia. We don’t want to leave, but time marches on, and I guess, so do we. Our boat has already left the waters of the Tonlé Sap river. Now we’re floating gently down the Mekong river, headed south toward the Cambodia/Vietnam border. It’s only seventy miles from Phnom Penh to the border, so we’ll be there all too soon. Continue reading “Saying “Good-Bye” to Cambodia”
Category: Cambodia
Cambodia’s Silver Pagoda, and “The Rest of the Story”
We’re in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the lush grounds of Cambodia’s Royal Palace. We’ve seen some beautiful buildings, but the most impressive is yet to come. Some people call it the Silver Pagoda. Others call it the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. C’mon… let’s go! Continue reading “Cambodia’s Silver Pagoda, and “The Rest of the Story””
Cambodia’s Royal Palace and a Bit of History
We’re in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. At the end of the previous post, we were being whisked through the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in a bright red tuk-tuk. We were supposed to be going to a pharmacy, but the driver wasn’t going to the place we showed him on our map. We did just pass by the Royal Palace, though. Ooooh. Neat! Continue reading “Cambodia’s Royal Palace and a Bit of History”
Cambodia’s Capital — Phnom Penh
We’ve arrived at Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The Royal Palace is located here, and on the palace grounds, the Silver Pagoda. An excursion has been arranged for us to visit Tuol Sleng prison — an infamous vestige of the Khmer Rouges. I had mixed feelings about going. I had done my homework, so I knew what Tuol Sleng was about, at least in a general way. Of course, seeing it in person would take that knowledge to a whole new level. Continue reading “Cambodia’s Capital — Phnom Penh”
School is in Session on Koh Dach Island
We’ve been cruising down Cambodia’s Tonlé Sap river, heading south towards Phnom Penh. At Phnom Penh, the Tonlé Sap and Mekong rivers meet. We’re going to visit Phnom Penh, then continue on down the Mekong towards Vietnam. But first, we’re going to make a stop at an island called “Koh Dach.” Continue reading “School is in Session on Koh Dach Island”
Hello Again! Hello Again!
We’re in Oudong, Cambodia, heading to one of Cambodia’s most important Buddhist Monasteries. Since our arrival in Cambodia, we’ve seen saffron-robed Buddhist monks everywhere. Today we’ll have a chance to get a little more up close and personal with some of them. And thanks to some of the local kids, there’s a surprise in store for us. Continue reading “Hello Again! Hello Again!”
Kampong Chhnang and a Floating Village
It’s our first morning waking up on a boat on Cambodia’s Tonlé Sap river. We moved during the night, and now we’ve dropped anchor somewhere near the mouth of Tonlé Sap lake. Visits to a town called “Kampong Chhnang” and to a floating village are on today’s itinerary. Continue reading “Kampong Chhnang and a Floating Village”
On a Boat in Cambodia
Ahhhh… life is good. We’ve spent most of the day on bus, (a nice bus, but a bus just the same), driving through rural Cambodia. But now we’ve boarded this boat that seems to be staffed with the friendliest people in the world. We’ve lifted anchor and waved good-bye to all of our worldly cares, and also to the barefooted kids who came down to see the strange-looking people get on the fancy boat. Continue reading “On a Boat in Cambodia”
“Seeing” Cambodia along National Route 6
We’re in the middle of Cambodia on National Route 6, somewhere between Siem Reap and a place called Prek Kdam. The bus ride has been an unexpected treat, because we’re seeing the “real” Cambodia for the first time. We’ve left the temples and most of the tourists behind. Maybe this is what foreign visitors to the United States feel like when they leave Las Vegas and drive across middle America. Continue reading ““Seeing” Cambodia along National Route 6″
Bye Bye Siem Reap, Hello National Route 6
Today we’re going to board a boat that will take us down the Mekong river, all the way to where it empties into the South China Sea. To get to the boat, though, we’ll have to take a four-hour bus ride down Cambodia’s National Route 6. Maybe, after climbing up and down temples all day yesterday, sitting for most of the day today isn’t such a bad idea.
It’s mid-March. The dry season in Cambodia runs from December to April. Despite its lush forest areas, much of Cambodia is dry as a bone right now. The water level in Cambodia’s big lake, Tonlé Sap, is too low for our boat to come to us, so we’re going to the boat. Continue reading “Bye Bye Siem Reap, Hello National Route 6”
