Phnom Penh: grit, grime and chaos

Here in Phnom Penh since Wednesday.  Big city with big city stuff - grit, grime and lots of cars and motorcycles that try to run you down.  Markets are raw yet in some ways cleaner.  Despite all that I seem to be one with the city and comfortable.  Not my favorite place but ok for now.  Terri arrives tonight and we head to Kep on Sunday.  Here are a few of the city sights.

Local spa for 90 minute massage.  Excellent place:  Bodia

Market fun

Blessings at the market

Buddhist temple offerings

offerings:  incense

Fish in a bag:  they are heavy users of plastic here

offerings

market food - I think that is some type of intenstines

At a Buddhist temple

Market meats - yup, thats a pig's snout 

Buddhist temple

Battambang: Chef for a day

Green mango salad, spring rolls, fish, akom and coconut pudding. That was today's cooking class menu.  What a treat to divert from the usual sightseeing and creat something yummy.  All morning class and then we were able to dive in.  I must say, it tasted pretty awesome.  

4B: Bats in BattamBang with Bun

Hot, hot, hot!  It is 95 degrees, which is hot even for the locals this time of year.  However, it didn't stop me from going on a half day tour with "Bun" and his tuk tuk.  Bun took myself and two others on a tour of villages and local sights while explaining the in's and outs of local life in Battambang.  He took us past a Buddhist funeral ceremony which typically lasts two days; an old wooden bridge; temples; etc.  He also pointed out a huge house which is owned by a family who lives off of income from family working in wealthier countries.  Bun was pretty negative towards this arrangement and said these families don't work and are arrogant. One of the highlights of the day was the bamboo train ride which was just a rickety open bamboo platform traveling at a pretty high speed.  I remember Anthony Bourdain riding on this same type of train in Laos or Cambodia.  See video.

Have you ever been peed on by a bat?  I was, several times yesterday (just sprinkles).  Yuck!  The second highlight of the day was watching approx. 3-5 million bats come out of a cave at dusk to go find insects. The parade of bats lasts 30-40 minutes, and they smell and pee while flying above you.  Crazy and worth seeing.

Bamboo train at high speeds

Battambang: Strange and bizarre food

Said goodbye to Paul who is now in Phnom Penh.  A great travel companion even though he eats like a bird.  LOL.  He says I eat like a truck driver - and proud of it.  We'll have fun back in DC digesting what we all saw and reminiscing about the highlights, and the strange and bizarre - there was plenty of that.

Now in Battambang for a few days.  A little rougher around the edges with more grit and chaos.  I hit the market in the morning and noticed some new foods:  skinned frogs, crickets, beetles, snakes and eels.  One bus stop on the way to the city was at a roadside stand that sold BBQ wild field rats.  Disgusting!  Here are some market shots.  What was cool about this market was that I was the only foreigner and the locals didn't pay any attention to me at all, allowing me to take time for photos.

frogs on a stick

Cambodia: Stay clear of the Coronavirus

Hoping to stay clear of the Coronavirus.  Scary stuff.  May have to wear masks more than just on the tuk tuks.

Cambodia: Food, food, food

Thought it was time for some food photos. Delicious!