We spent Christmas Eve with a big group of expats and some fried chicken, on a patio overlooking the capital city of Cambodia. We played Christmas music off YouTube, and we drank mulled wine. The others hailed from France, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Latvia, Cambodia, England, Canada, and Australia. At one point after most everyone was gone, the…
Epic Arts Cafe: This place came highly recommended because it’s not just a cafe, but also an NGO. They focus on hiring locals with disabilities, from those who are deaf to those who have limps – and more. So, supporting the cafe helps those with limited career prospects get money and dignity. On the food front, our…
We were in Phnom Penh for six days. Central Market: This is the most touristy of the markets, and the largest. The building is interesting from the perspective of modern Cambodian architecture, but mostly, the market is a mob scene. The jewelry area was the calmest and the most spacious, but the market also has electronics, clothing/shoes,…
Perhaps you imagined the Vatican as I did, like a giant church with many chapels and relics. I thought there might even be cardinals wandering about, conducting the work of the church, and that I could wander part of it, oohing and ahhing over the grandeur of these places of prayer. In reality, the Vatican…
Motorcycle and tuk tuk (motorcycle towing a wooden carriage that acts as a taxi) traffic is busier than in other countries we have visited. This is partially because they use these vehicles to move everything! You would be shocked by what they can haul on a small motorbike: we saw one guy with five family members behind him…
Here are our tips for having a good first trip to Cambodia: DO: Walk slowly when crossing the road! It seems counter-intuitive, given how absolutely crazy traffic is: you’ll likely want to sprint across to avoid being hit. However, it turns out to be a very useful approach. Your slower speed allows motorbikes to predict your location – and…
A few days ago, we attended a performance of Cambodian folk dance. The organization that runs the performances seems very worthwhile, with a very interesting story.1 We went to the Monday night performance, which featured traditional dances done to ask for water, during cardamom picking, at the end of the harvest, and several more. The…
I was talking to my mom last week, and she asked, ‘What is the basic Korean food, anyway? What are they known for?’ The answer is not as neat as saying ‘pasta and pizza’ for Italy, though I would say that: There are a lot of soups and stews There are many foods made of rice Many foods include meats There…
Boat Noodles Restaurant: We found this place on our first night, wanting a sit-down restaurant with something non-breaded on the menu. It’s a fairly large place that’s open to the elements, like a room without walls. There’s even a mini fountain out front, the sound of which kept making me think it was raining. B…
Before visiting Phnom Penh, we had done some research on what to expect. Articles and blogs said that one of the primary things to get used to was the constant hassle and demands: ‘Take my tuk tuk!’ ‘Give me money!’ ‘Buy my product!’ I was somewhat concerned, because I hate that kind of pestering. When…