Phnom Penh

A seven hour bus journey on the Mekong Express - a rather spiffy air-conditioned coach - got us from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. Snacks, wet wipes, and bottled water were provided by a smiling attendant, easing the tedium of riding through flat, dry landscape and poor roads. Cows and water buffalo grazed on fields that would turn lush once the rainy season resumed. Halfway through the jouney we stopped for a restroom and food break in a little town by a bustling market. Among the tropical fruit and coconuts were big pots of fried insects. I bought a cut up pineapple and a bunch of bananas to sustain me for the next 3 hours.

Well Phnom Penh was not the chaotic, soulless city I'd imagined. With its 21st century aspirations, a French past, and an exotic East Asian culture, this city was unexpectedly entertaining. Plus, its location at the confluence of two major rivers - the Mekong and the Tonle Sap - allows you to take some scenic photos to post on Facebook and make people envious. I found the constant contrasts a little jolting. On the clogged streets people drive Lexuses and Hyundais, and then you cross to a potholed lane and you see cyclists wheeling baskets of fruit or smoldering grills. An imposing Colonial building will catch your eye, then at its shady base there are street people from the countryside (no work in the dry season) in makeshift structures cooking on open fires or trying to sell their wares.

Arriving in Phnom Penh after Siem Reap you are immediately hit by the rawness of a metropolis. Noisy, heavy car traffic, bustling, and dirty. But we immediately encountered helpful locals who got us a tuk-tuk to ferry us to our hotel. We drove through the unappealing center with its shabby buildings and clogged roads and ceaseless honking and arrived at the Riverfront area which took on a completely different character. We noticed ornate buildings - traditional Khmer style and French colonial - and beautiful parks.

H Hotel

We stayed at H Hotel, a small, über trendy, boutique hotel, near the Royal Palace. With a black and white color scheme and smooth, matt stone surfaces, my two days here felt very luxurious. The layout of the room was a bit unusual with a granite headboard away from the wall allowing for an office area with a desk and work surface between the bed and wall. An indulgent shower in the granite tiled bathroom with trapezoid shower stall and expensive soaps contrasted starkly with the street scene outside where spirited cart vendors awaited customers. Breakfast (notably a perfect croissant served with intensely flavorful passionfruit jam) was served in an open dining area with tables around the sparkling pool. Excellent coffee - espresso steamed milk - came in fine porcelain.

FCC Building

On our first evening we saw a romantically lit up colonial style building with columns and arches. It turned out to be the FCC Building, where journalists converged during the Vietnam War. Their outdoor bar in a lovely garden with low tables and candlelight was the perfect setting for a glass of excellent French Viognier. A bowl of roasted peanuts arrived at our table and we thought we could sit there forever. This rather pleasant experience set the tone for a most enjoyable two days in this city.

Friends Restaurant is famous for training street kids to cook and serve gourmet meals. An eclectic menu allowed us to take a break from tradional curries and rice. Zucchini fritters for starters and a leek tart for mains was proof to me that the young cooks here were off to a bright future.

National Museum

I spent a few absorbing hours at the traditionally designed terra-cotta National Museum. This stunning building consisted of four pavilions around a central courtyard. Roaming around the rooms, I took in the vast collection of Khmer sculpture spanning several centuries, and got quite an education about the pre-Angkorian and Angkorian eras. Intact statues of Hindu gods, mainly Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, were fascinating to see. Most interesting to me was a display of the statues of the five Pandava brothers and their father, which had been unearthed from the Kohker Archeological site. These almost fully intact statues had been looted by the West, and returned in the recent past. I also enjoyed a video animation of a functioning Angkor Wat. Golden topped towers, glistening lakes, people carrying on their daily chores and routines of a typical day. So splendid. Most impressive museum - not just the collection and information, but the design and beauty of the building too.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace, striking with its no expense spared architecture and design, didn't excite me. First of all, it was such an ordeal to go around the complex in merciless heat. Then there was that nagging question: should you be entertained by the extravagances of the ruling class in a poor country? The floor of the Silver Pagoda, the most famous building in this complex, was made of silver. Emerald Buddha statues and other precious gifts were obscenely displayed in cases, and all I could think of was all that poverty outside this palace.

Tonle Sap River at Sunset

On an evening walk along Sisowath Quay we saw cart vendors selling lotus fruit and deep fried shrimp, couples strolling along the river, and happy kids running about. The street, clogged with traffic and impossible to cross, is lined with multi-storey hotels and restaurants. We went to the rooftop bar of The Quay Hotel from where we had terrific views of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. I sipped the best Bloody Mary I'd ever had, and watched the river and horizon change to crimson as the sun set on the opposite side.

Fish amok is a traditional Khmer dish cooked in a banana leaf with a coconut milk sauce and seasoned with cardamom pods, lemongrass, and black pepper. Lucky me, I found a delicious vegetarian version at Karma Restaurant on Sisowath Quay. I loved the friendly atmosphere and the focus on being healthy and ethical. The cuisine in Cambodia is similar to Thai food, and influenced by its Vietnamese neighbor. So menus feature stir fries, noodle dishes, and curries with spices like those found in Thai food.

I took an early morning stroll through the beautifully landscaped parks south of the Royal Palace because I wanted to see Independence Monument while it was still cool. Turned out, lots of people had already started their day. All through my stroll I saw groups doing aikido and tai kwan do and other morning exercises. Lining the parks were glitzy buildings housing American designer stores and Starbucks-like cafés. Along other streets I saw stately French colonial style buildings. And behind these grand boulevards there were roadside shacks beside shabby streets.

I found this juxtaposition of the first and third world blended into a colonial past and strong Asian traditions intriguing.