ARRIVAL AT PHNOM PENH AIRPORT

HOTEL AT PHNOM PENH

FROM PHNOM PENH TO ANGKOR

AT ANGKOR

AT PHNOM PENH

 Arrival at Phnom Penh airport

Before I went to Cambodia, I heard of stories of bribery at the immigration counter at the airport, so I was well prepared when I arrived at the Phnom Penh airport, there was several U.S. dollars in my pocket. Unexpectedly, at the time I stepped into the immigration hall, I smelt the atmosphere 'normal' and non-tense. First, there was comfortable (not too weak) air-conditioning, which was a surprise to me. I had visited some richer and bigger countries which do not have air conditioning in their airport. Okay, air conditioning was a good sign. The person who checked my passport was a woman, she looked young, having one earphone plugged into one of her ears, apparently she was enjoying her music... then I passed through the counter... smoothly.
 

Hotel at Phnom Penh

We had taken a package with a travel agency in HK because the package price was so much lower than the self arrangement.

When we arrived at the package hotel in Phnom Penh, the hotel people told us the hotel had no electricity and could not offer any services to us, more than this, they had never received a booking from the HK travel agency. Gosh! What kind of luck we had! I didn't know whether I should believe their words, so I tried to 'press' them, but without avail. Finally I asked them to issue a letter to me to certify they had never received any booking for us and therefore couldn't offer any service to us. I needed this letter in case I need to make claims against the HK travel agency after our return to HK. They agreed. But it turned out that they took a l...o...n...g time to write this letter. Why? Because they were professional! So professional that I could have never expected of it! They used a formal company letter head to write, used a computer to print it out, with proper signature, with the most courteous and formal English, explaining everything in detail. Boy! Their English was even far better than mine! I was so impressed by their professional hotel standard and the hospitality of the staff. What I needed was just some kind of writing evidence - could be a scribble of a few words in hand writing, but they did far more than this. Although later, we called up the HK travel agency which had arranged another hotel for us, and so the letter became useless, I still felt grateful for their assistance and their professionalism! The hotel is not more than 3 star graded, but their professionalism far exceeds 3 star level.

From Phnom Penh to Angkor

We took an early morning flight to Angkor. We took a moto to the airport in Phnom Penh. I had negotiated a price with the driver, but on the way, he kept asking me to pay more, I refused. When arrived at the airport entrance gate, I got off the moto, paid him, he refused to take it - he wanted more. I insisted on our initial agreed price. He blocked my way with his moto. I was forced into a dead corner. I initially had thought of paying him more but I was so annoyed by his rudeness. I didn't concede. Finally there was one moment I found a leeway to escape, I immediately ran past the gate. He was barred from entry by the gate bar. I knew I was safe then. I 'BS' him heartily and loudly. Interestingly, he didn't refute nor respond. The most interesting thing was, later when I returned to Phnom Penh from Angkor, outside the same hotel, I met my 'enemy' again. I believed he stationed at our hotel. He recognized me. He just smiled, didn't approach us for business. I simply ignored him. Although I hate my 'enemy', I was impressed by his self-control. In fact, the Cambodian people I met were mostly very calm, they spoke slowly and were very friendly. No sadness on their face, just endurance.
 

At Angkor

Angkor can be compared with a national park. Big and dense trees along the way leading to the temple area. A moat around the temple complex. The architecture design is symmetrical, central temple at the centre with adjacent temples around. The ladders to the temples are all one way straight up without any intermediary landing. This may dramatize the highness of gods.

The temples are made of stone. With long time weathering, the stones have become dark coloured. Occasionally there are some interior ceilings which are coloured. But overall the temples are very dull in colour. The grey sand stones were vastly used. Is this a sign of solemnity?

The two major temple architecture are the Hindu temples in Angkor Wat and the Buddhist temple complex in Bayon. The former is surrounded by a moat and a wall, inside one major temple at the centre and 4 minor temples at four corners. The architecture layout together with the tallness of the temples make the whole structure very imposing. On the other hand, the temple complex in Bayon excels in its delicacy. The Buddhist temples have four sides carved with Buddhist faces, lively face carvings, some are smiling too! However, the Buddhist temples in Bayon are too closely 'packed' together, one feels 'non-free' and uncomfortable surrounded by so many temples, although some of them are 'smiling' at you.

Although we pay expensive entrance fee to visit these temples, one shouldn't expect there are any facilities in the whole Angkor area. There are no signs, no illustrations for the temples or any structure inside the area. You are absolutely 'free' after you have paid the entrance fee.  If you have a kid and he doesn't like sight seeing, tell him to look around for a toilet, that will be more fun for him because the toilet location is very hidden and there is no sign to show you the location! A toilet is not to be sought, but is to be encountered! Or, if you like nature, then 'do' it in nature - plenty of trees around. The area was buried in a forest before.

The whole Angkor area is very huge. It once was a prosperous city and the capital of the Khmer kings. Now the palaces and the houses which were made of wood had already disappeared leaving the stone temples relics behind. One really need some imagination to imagine how prosperous the area was once.
 

At Phnom Penh

There are no buses. The most common transport vehicle is motorcycle - they call it 'moto', it does not run fast and no one wears a helmet. The motos are far more than the bicycles in number.

On the street, you can also find beautiful cars, most of them are white Camry of Toyota. Who are the richest people in Cambodia? the ministers and the businessmen who run illegal business.

Cambodia is not weak in its natural resources. On the markets, we found so many kinds of vegetables and so  many kinds of fruits - banana, orange, pineapple, 'lung an' etc. They have river for irrigation and rich soil and rainfall. But the country was ruined by the bloody history and internal power struggles and internal wars. And now, half of the government expenditure is paid by foreign aid. This country still has a long way to go...