The morning sun rose, bringing golden light to Cambodia’s bustling capital city—Phnom Penh.
We arrived in the early hours to the sounds of this lively heart of the kingdom, sailing in along the Tonle Sap River—full of expectation of what this many-faceted day would offer. Aroma of fresh coffee lured the earliest risers to our lovely elevated open deck, overlooking the harbor, where we chatted excitedly about sights and sounds before us.
Halfway now, on our journey through this intriguing country, many of us had initially been inspired to embark our Jahan cruise for a unique way to see famous temples surrounding Angkor Wat and certainly to explore the cultural aspects of the lands beyond. Just as today’s destination of Phnom Penh lies at the confluence of four different rivers, today’s culture in Cambodia is a rich and complex blend of religion and ethnicity.
We had seen and experienced so much so far, yet casual conversations, over dinner, or sharing a glass of wine while sunset cruising, continued to return to repeat the same mantra—the people of Cambodia are so beautiful.
Smiling faces of children waving to us from the riverbanks, the genuine warmth of villagers who proudly enjoyed us watching them shape household items from clay, the welcoming smile of a village lady in her eighties, inviting us to see inside her house—the day before her granddaughter’s wedding—and the unforgettable toothy grin of Mr. Rie, who well into his sixties was climbing palm trees for hours, both at sunrise and sunset, to harvest sugar for food and trade to support his family.
Today we would appreciate so much more, what these good people have endured, and how incredible it is that they remain so open hearted. A leisurely, scrumptious breakfast on board readied us for the adventures of the day ahead and we disembarked our vessel to board individual cyclos—personal man powered bicycle taxis, for an entertaining and fun buzz around the city sights.
Definitely awake now—we arrived safely delivered as our cyclos ‘kneeled’ at the Royal Palace. Here we explored the resplendent Silver Pagaoda, named for its floors made of silver, admiring in awe, treasures donated from around the country including hundreds of silver and bronze Buddha figures. Stepping out into the light, arresting green gardens and sacred Bodhi trees nearby created a peaceful sanctuary.
An excellent visit to the National Museum followed. Architecturally Khmer in structure yet built by colonial rulers, the museum showcased major treasures of the Angkor and pre-Angkor periods, as well as an interesting variety of contemporary items.
A lovely relaxing and spoiling lunch at the nearby contemporary Topaz restaurant recharged us for the afternoon.
An after-lunch visit to the S-21 Interrogation Museum is an eye-opening encounter to the unspeakable times and experiences of local people detained and tortured during the Khmer Rouge. We then chose between a drive out to the actual fields where many of those unfortunate souls would perish, or a wonderful visit to the tempting gift shop of a non-profit organisation for local women, creative wares of silk and silver on show.
Returning home to Jahan, we toasted to a full day of many experiences. Softened hues of orange papaya painted a changing sky, as a lychee red sun dropped away from view.
We enjoyed a fabulous barbecue buffet out on the open pool deck with the city now lighting up all around us.
Still our day had one last surprising waiting—beautiful Aspara dancers appearing to perform traditional Khmer dances for us—we admired, photographed, and were duly enchanted—spellbound from an exceptional and unforgettable day.
