Feb 03 2012
Many think Phnom Penh sits on the Mekong River, but it doesn't. The murky brown water you see swirling in front of the riverside boulevard is in fact the Bassac River, which flows up to fill the Tonle Sap (the Mekong is the far river, on the other side of the island you can see). When the river is high, as Tonle Sap fills, the river goes mad with fishermen.
Slow moments by the Bassac.
Dec 14 2011
One of the many great things about Southeast Asia is the fresh produce markets. They're a fascinating (and photogenic) insight into how regular people just get on with their lives. Often though you don't even need to head to the market -- as this hand-operated sugarcane press snapped in Phnom Penh indicates. Set between a couple of impromptu fuel bowsers behind the Foreign Correspondent's Club, this makes for a refreshing late afternoon thirst quencher -- and at a fraction of the cost of an iced latte upstairs.
Gimme three sticks with ice on the side.
Nov 29 2011
Phnom Penh boasts some of Southeast Asia's most interesting modern architecture -- though it's often forgotten about with the focus tending to be on much older Angkor Wat instead. Take a tour to see what's left of Cambodia's glorious 1930s to 60s-era pieces, or just wander around yourself. A good place to start is at the unusual looking Psar Thmei, or Central Market, a 1937-built art-deco ziggurat designed by Desbois and one of the most important 1930s buildings remaining in the Cambodian capital. (Many post-colonial era buildings were then designed by Vann Molyvann.)
The clock is ticking on Phnom Penh's historic buildings.
