Our travels have brought us to the small SE Asian kingdom of Cambodia. More specifically, we have landed in the capitol of Phnom Penh,
where most of the action happens. Though the historical city of Angkor
Wat is much further north, Phnom Penh is the largest city and,
naturally, has a story all its own. All week, we will be highlighting
our experience in this magical city.
Situated on the banks of the mighty Mekong River, the city was once considered the 'Pearl of Asia'
and it sat on one of the major trade routes of the region. Many
chapters of the history book have been written since this time, most
infamously regarding the Khmer Rouge, which devastated the nation. Currently, Cambodia is a monarchy with a king, so, to start, let's have a wander around the Royal Palace.
We handed over the equivalent of 6 US dollars to gain
entry to the palace, but immediately through the gates visitors are
confronted with many touts for paid tour guides. We decided to go it
alone and navigate ourselves. In retrospect, we should have hired a
local guide to explain to us what we were looking at; not to translate,
but to get to know the locals a bit more.
First we spied the King's residence, with the Cambodian National Guard rehearsing for a diplomatic arrival, we headed to the many separate buildings, each with a history to shed some light on the monarchy and the years of (good) rule the nation has seen.
A respectful nod to both Asian design and the French colonial influence, our exploration seemed like an even mixture of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and 'Dangerous Liaisons.' With just about half of the royal grounds cordoned off, we only really got to see a fragment of what made this tiny nation tick and how most people we met hold the King in high regard by referring to him as "my King."
[Photos: Rayme Gorniak/Jaunted]
First we spied the King's residence, with the Cambodian National Guard rehearsing for a diplomatic arrival, we headed to the many separate buildings, each with a history to shed some light on the monarchy and the years of (good) rule the nation has seen.
A respectful nod to both Asian design and the French colonial influence, our exploration seemed like an even mixture of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and 'Dangerous Liaisons.' With just about half of the royal grounds cordoned off, we only really got to see a fragment of what made this tiny nation tick and how most people we met hold the King in high regard by referring to him as "my King."
[Photos: Rayme Gorniak/Jaunted]
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