Phnom Penh

From time to time I have to exit Thailand in order to renew my visa. This is called a "visa run", and it's just a fact of life for expats living in Thailand. I don't really mind it. At the very least, it gives me a change of scenery for a few days.

flying into Cambodia 

I arrived in Phnom Penh, the 1.5 million person capital of Cambodia, just as the sun was rising over the small southeast Asian kingdom. I've been to Cambodia several times before, but I often visit Siem Reap. I've only been to Phnom Penh once before, and then just for a day or so. This would be my first time to really explore the city.

driving into the city 

Phnom Penh, though not as big or modern as nearby cities like Bangkok, Saigon, or Kuala Lumpur, is actually a lot more developed than I had imagined it to be. It seems to be a fast-growing city as well - skyscrapers are going up all over the city along with expensive-looking condos, shopping malls, and more. It's easy for foreigners to invest and even start businesses in Cambodia, so it's starting to become something of an expat hub.

Independence Monument 

On the way into the city, I drove past the Independence Monument. This giant structure was built in 1953 to celebrate Cambodia's independence from France. Like neighboring Laos and Vietnam, Cambodia was once a part of the colony of French Indochina. It doesn't maintain as many colonial trappings as does its neighbors, but there's still a very distinct love of coffee and baguettes.

fountains and monuments in downtown Phnom Penh 

The monument was constructed in the style of a tower at the ancient Angkor Wat complex. It so was built shortly after the kingdom gained independence, when the future looked bright. Sadly, peace and happiness were not to be for the longest time in Cambodia. The kingdom went through turmoil under the Khmer Rouge regime - upper-end estimates guess that around 30% of the population was killed by the Khmer Rouge - and has only recently been able to begin recovery.

Norodom Sihanouk Memorial 

After an invasion by the Vietnamese and intervention by the United Nations, Cambodia succeeded in restoring its deposed monarchy in 1993. King Nordorom Sihanouk had been living in exile, and was welcomed back to the country as a very old man with the huge task ahead of him of unifying the nation and helping it on its way to recovery. He was to be the last king of the First Kingdom of Cambodia and the first king of the Second Kingdom of Cambodia. Today, the late king was succeeded by his son, who currently sits the throne.

the late King Norodom Sihanouk

I was given a warm welcome and a delicious breakfast at my guesthouse, and spent the first day in the city exploring the neighborhood.

a Cambodian breakfast

I was staying just outside of the city center near the "Russian Market". The market is officially called Tuol Tompoung Market, but was given its nickname because of the cheap influx of Soviet knockoffs that used to be sold there. In the past, Cambodia and the USSR had a fairly close relationship, evidenced by such relics as the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital. Unlike its neighbors and Indochinese cousins Vietnam and Laos, however, Cambodia is no longer Communist.

monks at the Russian Market in Phnom Penh 

The market sells tons of produce, souvenirs, and cheap knockoffs. I wandered through for a bit, but there wasn't much there to interest me. It was neat to see it, but I wasn't really in the mood for shopping.

the busy streets of Phnom Penh 

I ended up spending a week in Phnom Penh, which was enough time to see pretty much everything in the city. It was nice to give Phnom Penh a second visit, and to really see what the city's like. Visiting Phnom Penh really changed my perception of Cambodia. It's a world away from the sleepy town of Siem Reap or the crazy wilderness of Koh Rong. It's actually a pretty big city with modern buildings, cool cafes, and lots of expats.