Squeezing My Way Back To Phnom Penh, Cambodia
June 25, 2008
The only reason I returned to Phnom Penh was to get a visa for Laos.
For some reason the capital never appealed to me photographically but I decided to walk around while waiting for my passport and look around again without any pressure to take incredible photos.
One possible reason is the very different feel larger cities and touristy spots offer.
After being “spoiled” with genuine kindness and attention at less touristy areas the “walking ATM syndrome” does take away fromthe authenticity of the visit.
I was glad to find a monk’s umbrella for its quiet simplicity even though I was unable to successfully explain to a befuddled but curious man why this still life pleased me so much.
I told him that it was a peaceful slice of life which might not be special to a Cambodian but it was interesting enough for me to capture.
I continued saying that if I would not take the picture of the umbrella I would most likely keep thinking about it long after returning to my hotel.
The umbrella was there and I was there, it was almost calling out for me and our meeting needed to result in a picture.
Right after I said this a monk exited the door picked up the umbrella and left with it. He prove my point beautifully. My only regret is that I did not take a photo of the empty wall.
My trip to Phnom Penh from Takeo took place in a shared taxi. Share taxis leave when they get full and often times it can take some time.
When I arrived at the market I was “attacked” by the usual hackler who quoted me 5 dollars which I quickly dismissed and immediately found a ride for $3.
The taxi was already full, I was the 5th adult passenger already – not counting an infant which meant the 6th adult in the car including the driver.
I squeezed in and was certain we were ready to leave in a few minutes. But the driver was still looking for more fare. And he found two more which completed the passenger list as follows: eight adults and a baby (including the driver) in a small 4 door sedan.
This meant four adults and a baby on the backseat and four adults in the front which caused the driver getting pressed firmly against his door and also upwards so much so that his forehead was practically touching the top left corner of the windshield.
It was a funny sight!
The next 90 minutes we spent speeding towards Phnom Penh with the windows up and without air conditioning but the BO was not as bad as one might imagine it. The baby did not cry once. It was a great trip.
I have heard from other travelers that Lao is one big tourist trap a place were foreigners are being severely overcharged for most services. I still had more money therefore more time left so I decided to take a gamble and visit Lao.
The visa cost a whopping $40 which is twice as much as the neighboring Southeast Asia countries. Not a good omen!
The whole process of visa purchase took me three days due to the fact that I also had to wait 24 hours for my passport photos to be printed.
Fortunately I received six passport pictures because when I arrived to the Laos visa office I had to submit three photos.
That was strange as well since usually visa applications require one or two pictures.
So I had a few days to spend in Phnom Penh and I created my own walking tour by visiting a few Wats (pagodas). Phnom Penh has a grid like city design with the street names being numbers so getting lost is almost impossible.
I found this smiling monk sitting in a “stylish swinging bench” at Wat Mohomontrei. We had a lengthy conversation which was fine with me as long as I would be in the shade:
Wat Botum is one of the oldest in Phnom Penh and also the residence of the number one monk in Cambodia. For good karma I gave a few dollars to homeless kids I met on the grounds of the Wat who were clearly living on the street.
The monk I chatted with told me that some of the remains of The Buddha are in one of these stupas:
As I turned around a corner I had just a split second to raise my camera and take the picture of this kid who instead of taking the stairs climbed up using these stacked up school benches:
A monk protecting himself from the hot sun with the Cambodia Vietnam Monument in the background:
These storm clouds rolled in very fast; this photo was taken only 13 minutes after the previous sunny picture:
Tourist snapshot – a view of the Cambodia Vietnam Monument park:
Probably the reason I don’t feel like taking many photos in Phnom Penh is because of the extensive poverty apparent on the streets. I am very hesitant to point my camera into people’s faces who live in miserable conditions.
An exception, photo taken as I was shooting from the hip – an old cyclo driver “doing laundry” in a street puddle:
The divide between the rich and poor is most visible in Phnom Penh where luxury cars and less glamorous transportation methods co-exist:
so, i am so thank you for you. And i am so very love phnom penh city, and i am wanna to be there soon.