Phnom Penh – Recovering from the Shadows of Darkness

Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, sits at the confluence of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers and is the largest city on the Mekong River. This city has a colonial history influenced by French politics and culture after they claimed Phnom Penh in the 1860’s. Although those days are long gone, it is the legacy of the French influence we notice immediately as we arrive at Sisowath Quay after our river journey from Vietnam.

The city is more modern than we expected with wide boulevards, large open areas with manicured parks, flowering shrubs and distinctive colonial villas. Most signs are in English and French, and the American dollar is the main currency. It is a surprise introduction to this lively city where we are welcomed by smiling people and warm Cambodian hospitality.

***Phnom Penh is a city of wide boulevards and parks.***

But to visit Phnom Penh is also to visit a torrid recent history. The juxtaposition is a city working to free itself from the shackles of poverty and the memories of the devastation caused by the Khmer Rouge who captured Phnom Penh in 1975. During the four years they were in power, over a quarter of the population was killed and Phnom Penh was left a desolate shell as the city’s inhabitants were forced to the countryside to work on collective farms.

In 1979 the Vietnamese evicted the Khmer Rouge. Although recovery has been slow, it is now a city that is shining a light on moving towards a brighter future after leaving behind the darkness of the 1970’s and the horror and brutality of the Khmer Rouge years.

Our first night in Phnom Penh begins on a balmy, summer evening in the open-air theatre of the tropical gardens of the National Museum. We have come to see the Cambodian Living Arts as it presents a captivating music and dance spectacular with performers in elaborate, jewelled costumes bringing to life the history of Cambodian folk tales.

This company has a rich and varied history and has proceeded to work hard over the last 20 years to reclaim their artistic heritage after 90 percent of artists did not survive the Khmer Rouge regime leaving a creative heritage in danger of being lost forever.

*Dancers in the Cambodian Living Arts performance. Image:* Jakob Halun CC BY-SA 4.0

The night is as emotionally uplifting as it is visually splendid when combined with the knowledge of their history. It is a wonderful introduction to the Cambodian culture and their determination to reclaim their artistic heritage.

The following day, we book a city tour. While there are day tours available, and private cars for hire, we choose to go with a Mr Shanti on our favourite mode of transport, the tuk-tuk. Our meeting with him is friendly and welcoming. However, Mr Shanti’s day begins to unravel, as did ours, when he tells us where he intends taking us.

Top of the list is The Killing Fields, where hundreds of men, women and children are buried having lost their lives during Pol Pot’s reign, followed by the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former secondary school that was turned into a torture prison. Of the 14,000 people who entered this prison over the four years of Khmer Rouge rule, only seven survived. Unfortunately, these sites are ranked as two of the top sites to see in this city.

We tell Mr Shanti we cannot visit these sites as we have read of the atrocities of that regime and do not want to be left with any more memories of brutality and horror of what has been inflicted on the Cambodian people. Mr Shanti discloses that his parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge. We offer him our sincere condolences but are left unsettled by his admission and by what we sense is his disappointment that we don’t want to visit these sites.

*The beautiful Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. Image:* Adam Hill

So, we re-negotiate with him. We show him the city map of where we would like to go but he constantly squints at the map as he turns it over and over and up and down. Eventually, we set off on a revised city tour, seeing some of what we anticipate and some of what Mr Shanti thinks we should see. In a busy city where tuk tuks, taxis, scooters, motor bikes, cars and buses jostle for road space, we cannot fault Mr Shanti’s driving.

We line up with the crowds for a tour of the Royal Palace, set in beautifully manicured gardens; this is the official royal residence of the King of Cambodia. Guides and plaques will help you learn the history of these elegant and architecturally unique buildings. Nearby is the Silver Pagoda, housing the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The temple’s distinctive flooring has over 5,000 solid silver tiles, a gift to the Buddha – definitely not for walking on; it’s strictly for viewing only.

We move onto the Central Market with its creative art deco facade, one of the many interesting markets in this city along with the Russian Market and the Night Market. As with all the markets there is a profusion of distinctly Cambodian souvenirs, a plethora of colourful handicrafts and an abundance of silver jewellery, not to mention a variety of food stalls. Judging by the number of tourists browsing, this is a popular spot.

As we move through the city, Mr Shanti takes us on a winding route to show us the many different faces of Phnom Penh. We see the Independence monument, an impressive, prominent example of Khmer architecture, built after Cambodia’s independence from France in 1958.

*The National Museum is a recommended stop. Image:* © Vin Coffey

We visit the National Museum for a cultural experience of Khmer art history and to view the extensive collection of Khmer historical and archeological treasures of Cambodia. We pass the commercial centre and shopping malls, the trendy Street 240 with its retail outlets and well patronised restaurants and cafes, the old French Quarter reminiscent of another era, before we arrive at Wat Ounalom near Sisowath Quay.

Built in 1441, Wat Ounalom, one of Cambodia’s oldest temples, is the headquarters of Cambodian Buddhism, and an important adjunct to the social and cultural life of Cambodia; yet they too were decimated by the Khmer Rouge who attempted to destroy the religion.

We are welcomed by an elderly monk and invited to sit under a shady tree and enjoy the peaceful surrounds of this beautiful, ornate temple. Sitting in silence and contemplation, knowing of Cambodia’s history, I can’t help wondering what this elderly monk with his gentle, kind demeanour has experienced through his lifetime.

I would love to speak to him, but too soon, the silence is broken and we are back with Mr Shanti heading along the riverfront to our hotel.

*The ornate entrance to Wat Ounalom. Image:* © Vin Coffey

For older travellers there is a wide choice of accommodation from five-star hotels to guest houses, although many of the smaller hotels only have stairs. We are in a small family hotel, Le Safran La Suite, across the road from another monastery, Wat Langka, which is hidden behind a tree lined, ornate grey stone wall.

As I sit on the balcony drinking tea in the warmth of the late afternoon, I see the monks in their orange robes coming and going from the monastery, walking sometimes together, sometimes alone. I find it reassuring to see them shopping in the markets, out in the early morning with their bowls for daily food supplies, riding side-saddle on the backs of motor bikes with orange robes trailing in the slip stream, and walking together in the evenings along the riverfront. Seeing the monks is a reminder that in this country 93 percent of the population is Theravada Buddhists.

And I hear the food sellers coming along the street. Pushing a rickety cart or riding a bicycle overloaded with food, the loudspeakers attached to the front of their machines blare out a repetitive mournful message letting people know what they are selling. It is what I love about these communities, the connection to their past, the timelessness of their lived traditions, and the little carts with a smorgasbord of moving food.

The sellers with their early morning breakfasts for the work crowd, the young lad with his chopped pineapple and watermelon on ice, the lady with her array of noodles and the sticky rice sellers – would you like mango or durian with that? These are the things I want to remember about Phnom Penh.

*Monks stroll down a city street. Image:* © Jillian Huntley

We enrol in a cooking class at La Table Khmer to learn more about Khmer cuisine, the spices and flavours. It is a highly organised kitchen, our ingredients are all laid out and we have a very competent chef. Unfortunately, I get left behind with the pace of chopping vegetables and overdo the chillies, but still manage to put together a reasonable meal which we share at a sit-down lunch with our fellow travellers from all over the world.

The following day we experience a welcoming lunch with a difference. Poverty is a constant in the lives of many families and communities in Cambodia, but in Phnom Penh there are many community and neighbourhood programs that work to support and educate those described as the ‘Urban Poor,’ the most vulnerable in the community.

‘Friends the Restaurant’ is a training ground for former street children and marginalised young people designed to develop the hospitality skills they need to create a better future, and it is here we stop for lunch. We are warmly welcomed into this lively atmosphere. Attentive young, smiling waiters are keen to practice their English, to explain the excellent menu and to deliver first class service.

It is an uplifting and enlightening experience as is our visit to Daughters of Cambodia where we buy beautiful handmade gifts. This organisation provides jobs and recovery programs so that young people trapped in the sex industry will be able to remain connected to their families and communities while healing from trauma and creating a new lifestyle.

*Afternoon crowds on Sisowath Quay. Image:* © Street VJ

In the late afternoons we return to our favourite place – Sisowath Quay. As the sun sets and the night lights come on in cafes and restaurants and along the promenade, the riverside comes to life; it is lively, energetic and colourful. There is no shortage of eateries offering a diverse selection of Asian and Western foods, and after a delicious meal, you can join the crowds walking the expansive promenade with its manicured lawns, seating areas and palm trees lining the river front.

Families gather in the warm summer night, lovers saunter arm in arm, while elderly people let their dogs walk them. And we too become part of the strolling crowd on the promenade as nearby, in the darkness of the river, the brightly lit dinner cruises glide silently by. On a hot summer night, with a gentle cooling breeze it is the only place to be and this too, is what I want to remember about Phnom Penh.