1 December 2022, Thursday

After four days of cycling, we had a day off today to let our bodies rest a little, and to do some sightseeing in Cambodia’s capital city. I took the opportunity to sleep in and had a late breakfast at 7:30am. At 9:17am, we left our hotel for the National Museum of Cambodia, just a two-minute walk away.

According to its website, the National Museum of Cambodia (click here) houses one of the world’s greatest collections of Khmer cultural material including sculpture, ceramics and ethnographic objects from the prehistoric, pre-Angkorian, Angkorian and post-Angkorian periods. About 1,877 works of art are on display in the museum galleries, with a further 12,320 items secured in the basement storeroom.

The museum buildings were constructed between 1917 and 1924, with further renovation to the central section of the east façade done in 1968. The striking red building showcases traditional Khmer architecture, reminiscent of the Cambodian temple prototypes seen on ancient bas-reliefs and reinterpreted through colonial eyes – the museum was designed by George Groslier, the first French child ever born in Cambodia.

We had an English-speaking guide to lead us through the galleries. She shared that during the pre-Angkorian period (before the 9^th century), 90% of the people in Cambodia were Hindus, but by the 11^th to 12^th century, majority of the population had turned to Buddhism due to the beliefs of the reigning king. Angkor Wat was originally constructed as a Hindu temple before it was gradually converted into a Buddhist site.

The guided tour lasted for about half an hour, and we had time to explore the galleries on our own after that. I had never been to this museum before so it was good to pop in for a look. However, we would be visiting Angkor Wat and a few other temples later in the trip, so we would be seeing the real artefacts in their rightful places up close, which would be even more interesting.

At 10:20am, the group departed for the second stop of the city tour, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. I had been there during my first visit to Cambodia 10 years ago and it was a sobering visit, so I elected not to join them this time. As part of the half-day city tour, we were also supposed to tour the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (all paid for in our package) but they were closed today. Hence, I decided to separate from the group here and do my own free-and-easy for the rest of the day.

From the National Museum of Cambodia, I took a leisurely walk around the city centre and reached SORYA Center Point shopping mall at 11:10am. It was a small shopping mall with a Starbucks outlet, supermarket, a few fast food restaurants and individual retail shops, many of which were not open yet. I walked past Starbucks and saw that a cup of peppermint mocha cost US$4.70 (S$6.40), which was not cheap at all. I wonder how the locals can afford it, when the annual household income per capita is only US$1,591.88 (based on December 2021 data), or about US$133 per month. Evidently, there are a lot of wealthy expats or locals living in Phnom Penh.

As it was a sweltering hot day, I needed a cold drink to cool down so I went to Koi Thé and bought a small cup of oolong milk tea with pearls, which cost me US$2.20 (S$3), or 9,100 riels. I didn’t have any Cambodian riels with me so I paid in US dollars, and received my change in riels. You can pay in USD or riels in most places, and the most-commonly accepted exchange rate on the street is US$1 = 4,000 riels.

After my refreshment break, I walked over to Central Market nearby. The huge, pale yellow building was completed in 1937 in art deco style and it has a 26-metre high central dome, with four wings extending from the dome. Like the National Museum of Cambodia, the Central Market was also designed by a French architect, a man named Louis Chauchon. The imposing structure is one of the landmarks of Phnom Penh and one of the most beautiful buildings in the city.

Inside the market, the area beneath the cavernous dome was dominated by stalls selling watches, gold and jewellery. I stood there for a few minutes just to admire the central clock tower and the impressive dome. I walked through the four wings to browse the products on offer. Virtually everything you needed for your everyday life was available here – toiletries, pots and pans, clothes, shoes, bags and even joss paper. There was also a dried food section and a wet market area selling fresh meat and produce. Central Market is the cleanest, best ventilated and most well-organised market in Phnom Penh. It is worth a visit even if you’re not buying anything.

After a short visit, I left Central Market and walked along Charles de Gaulle Boulevard to Orussey Market, about 20 minutes away on foot. Orussey Market is not to be confused with the more famous Russian Market in Phnom Penh. Russian Market is also known by the locals as Tuol Tompoung. It is so-named because it was popular among Russian expats during the 1980s when most of the western expats in Phnom Penh were Russian. You can buy souvenirs like ornaments, silk scarves and bags there.

Unlike the Russian Market where many visitors are tourists, the clientele at Orussey Market is almost exclusively locals. The three-storey building was packed with household products and goods ranging from fresh food to gold to electronics to clothes. The aisles were barely a metre wide and every inch of space was taken up by the multitude of wares and products. I shuddered to imagine what would happen if a fire were to break out here.

The prices at Orussey were much lower compared to Central Market. I saw the same handstitched shirt with traditional print design selling for US$55 at Central Market but it cost only US$25 here. I didn’t buy anything, but it was a fascinating glimpse into the everyday life of Cambodians, away from the usual tourist places.

From Orussey Market, I flagged a tuk tuk off the street to take me to Aeon Mall Phnom Penh. The driver initially quoted me a fare of US$4 but after bargaining, we agreed on US$2. I love taking tuk tuks because we don’t have them in Singapore. Upon arrival after a 12-minute ride, I handed the driver a US$10 note. I was a little taken aback when he returned me a change of 30,000 riels instead of 32,000 riels (based on the commonly accepted exchange rate of US$1 = 4,000 riels). After I questioned him, he gave me 1,000 riels more. I accepted it because to be fair, it was a longer ride than I expected. Honestly, 2,000 riels is not a big amount but rather, it was a matter of principle. To avoid such disputes, it is advisable to pay the exact amount or to book a tuk tuk on the Grab app instead, where the fares are fixed and you can pay using your credit card.

Aeon Mall Phnom Penh is one of the three Aeon malls in the capital city. Like the other Aeon malls in Japan and other Asian cities, it was huge and modern, with almost 100 stores spread over its five floors. After braving the mid-day heat earlier, it was nice to bask in air-conditioned comfort for a while. For my lunch, I had a striploin steak and drink set at Sante Fé restaurant, which cost me US$12.32 (S$16.72), inclusive of 10% VAT.

After a spot of window shopping, I wandered the streets and stumbled upon a very cool café by accident. The café was called Pleng Chan (Preah Norodom branch, click here). and it was housed in a building that looked like a greenhouse for farming vegetables. The building’s structure looked so out of place among the row of shops and residential buildings that it prompted me to drop in for a look.

When I passed through the doors, I was greeted by the sight of a beautiful garden setting with a ficus tree in the middle and dozens of potted plants with trailing roots hanging at various heights from the roof. Right in front of the entrance was an upright piano with an acoustic guitar next to it. The atmosphere was very chill, with soothing music playing in the background. The scene captivated me right away and I knew I had found the place to spend the rest of the afternoon. I had been searching for a nice café in Phnom Penh and this was exactly what I was looking for. Best of all, it was air-conditioned and not crowded.

I ordered an iced mango coffee (US$3.25) and a French toast with fruits (US$4.50). The bill amounted to US$8.53 (S$11.60) after tax. It was indeed a very nice place to chill at, a quiet piece of paradise in Phnom Penh.

At 6pm, I dragged myself out of the comfy seat and back to the noise of the bustling city. I walked along Preah Norodom Boulevard in a northwards direction towards our hotel. I eventually reached a large roundabout at the intersection of Preah Norodom Boulevard and Preah Sihanouk Boulevard, where the impressive Independence Monument stood in the middle of the busy roundabout.

Built in 1958 to commemorate Cambodia’s independence from France in 1953, the Independence Monument is 37 metres tall and takes the form of a lotus-shaped stupa, similar to those at Angkor Wat and other Khmer historical sites. The monument was beautifully lit and shone like a beacon in the middle of the city.

There were no traffic lights or overhead bridges near the monument so I had to jaywalk across a couple of busy streets to get to the park on the east of the Independence Monument. Sandwiched between Preah Suramarit Boulevard and Preah Sihanouk Boulevard, the large rectangular park was a hive of activity in the evening. At the western end of the park, flags of the 10 ASEAN member countries were fluttering on flag poles. Scores of locals were walking briskly around the flag poles and the park, all of them walking in unison in an anti-clockwise direction.

In the middle of the park stood the Norodom Sihanouk Memorial. Known affectionately as the “Father King” of Cambodia, the late king liberated the country from French colonialism on 9 November 1953. The 4.5-metre tall bronze statue of the former king is housed in a 27-metre tall stupa. Taken together, the Independence Monument and the Norodom Sihanouk Memorial represent the pride of modern-day Cambodia.

I walked to the eastern end of the park, where there were three fountains – the centerpiece fountain had four naga deities and it was flanked on each side by a fountain with a lotus. The whole area was popular among the locals for exercising and hanging out after a hard day’s work. It was nice to soak in the atmosphere and see the locals enjoying themselves here.

Nearby, the glitzy, LED façade of the NagaWorld integrated resort building projected images that looked like digital rain, the computer codes from The Matrix movies. NagaWorld is Cambodia’s largest hotel and gaming resort, holding a 70-year casino licence that runs till 2065. This is where the rich people come to play.

From the eastern end of the park, I turned north and walked into another park, Wat Botum Park. In the middle was the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument, built as a testimonial of gratitude for and in memory of the sacrifice of Cambodian people in the cause of Vietnam’s territorial unification during the 1960’s and 70’s, as well as the sacrifice of the Vietnamese Army and People in the liberation of Cambodian people from the genocidal regime of Democratic Kampuchea (the Khmer Rouge regime) in the 70’s and 80’s.

Two young men were practising skating and they glided effortlessly across the smooth marble floor. Further afield, a group of around 15 men and women were line dancing to a local song that was blasting from a speaker. I soon reached the Royal Palace and saw many locals with their children running about and chasing soap bubbles blown by their parents. By this time, the afternoon heat had dissipated and it was a perfectly nice and cool evening for relaxing and having fun.

I reached the hotel at about 7:20pm and decided to go for a swim. There was no one at the rooftop pool so I had it all to myself. After a refreshing dip, I was hungry again so I looked for a place nearby to eat. A quick search on Google Maps threw up some candidates with good reviews just around the corner of our hotel. I settled for David’s House, which served noodles and traditional Khmer food.

It was a small, no-frills eatery but most of the customers were tourists. The “Tripadvisor recommended” label was prominently displayed. I ordered a plate of Lok Lak with beef and rice, stir fried Cambodian style (US$4 / S$5.44), and a can of Hanuman beer (US$1.25 / S$1.70). The beer was smooth and creamy, and I liked it. The food took a long time to be served even though it wasn’t super crowded. Thankfully, it was worth the wait. The beef slices were marinated with a savoury and sweet sauce, while the spicy sauce at the side was tangy and peppery. It was delicious.

After the meal, I craved for dessert. I spied Pépé Bistro across the road from David’s House so I went in for a look. The interior was cosy and welcoming, and the clientele was mostly French (I could tell based on the language they were speaking). A female European staff member came over from the bar counter to greet me, and I asked her if they served any desserts. She replied courteously that they had passionfruit cheese cake (US$6 / S$8.16), which sounded good, so I ordered it.

I felt a little underdressed as I was wearing a T-shirt, bermudas and sandals, while most of the other diners were dressed in smart casual/formal wear for dinner and had wine glasses on their tables. Evidently, this was a popular place for the French expat community to hang out. I didn’t have much time to feel out of place as my cheese cake was served shortly. Paired with the slightly sour passionfruit, it was simply divine. Craving satisfied!

At 9:40pm, I left Pépé Bistro, went back to the hotel and retired for the day. It was good to take a short break from cycling and to have some free-and-easy time for R&R. However, I was also itching to get back on the saddle for more cycling in Cambodia. Bring on Day 8!