Indian-made auto rickshaws are now quite common in Cambodia
We got a chance to ride through alleyways of Phnom Penh
We were dropped just outside Central Market. The tall tower in the background is Vattanac Capital — currently the tallest building in Cambodia. Vattanac is a Cambodian bank.
The central market was choc full of shops selling fresh foods
What was shocking was the price of seafood and even things like grilled chicken
Either meat is expensive in Phnom Penh or the sellers were quoting ‘tourist prices’ whenever we asked “how much”. Maybe the items are cheaper for locals.
A store selling all sorts of dried foods (mostly dried seafood)
There were street stalls selling sandwiches and other treats
Besides food, Central Market is home to shops selling a whole bunch of other stuff
The key draw at Central Market is this dome building, built in 1937
Unfortunately by the time we arrived here, it was closed to the public. And all the shops inside were shutting down for the day. So best come before 5pm.
We eventually left Central Market and I wondered if there was anything else worth checking out in the area. I opened up Google Maps and looked up nearby attractions. Wat Phnom (a very old Buddhist temple) looked like a big deal so we decided to walk towards it.
I like this shot
We walked through what appeared to be a very nice part of Phnom Penh
There were high rises and buildings housing major embassies all around this part of Phnom Penh
We had reached what at first appeared to be a large roundabout
But on this circular land sits Wat Phnom. Built in 1372 on top of a hill, Wat Phnom is considered to be central point of Phnom Penh.
We climbed up to the temple and sat down inside for a while
Considering this was built more than 600 years ago, it’s really well maintained. The wall paintings were fascinating to look at.
After leaving the prayer hall, we checked out this large clock. It’s a gift from China, which replaced an older one from France.
After our sightseeing, we dropped by Exchange Square mall for a little bit (and soaked up some air conditioning)
By now the girlfriend was getting fussy because she was hungry and was least bothered where we ate as long as we ate something quick.
So we ended up eating at a restaurant called Pepper Tree on Sisowath Quay. Yup, fish & chips in Phnom Penh. I wanted to try out khmer barbecue -_-
Seeing that there was little else to see or do after dark, we took a Grab taxi and headed back to our hotel. We had to wake up early tomorrow morning for a river cruise.
