The capital city of Cambodia is lovely and calm if it is compared to Vietnam. The population of the whole country is twice the population of Saigon. So things are cleaner and infrastructure easily supports the people. The Khmer people are very proud of Angkor Wat, the temple complex is on their flag, and the national museum, holds the centuries of history that is the heart of their culture. We like Cambodians very much, they ask if you are interested in a tuk or a restaurant but it is good natured rather than the more desperate tone of Vietnam. The Royal Palace is spectacular, the iron work for the gates was just as beautiful. We wander thru a pagoda and saw the area set up for a large event. We found out that the monks had invited 100 families in to receive food baskets for the upcoming new year. We asked if we come observe, it was a big deal . . . The mayor of Phnom Penh came and the “king of the monks” co hosted this celebration. Each family got a sack of rice and what looked like soy sauce since this upcoming week is such a big celebration here.
In the evening we look for some cultural show, and we found this group of street kids who are recreating Khmer dance, a former Cambodian dancer returned after the Kkmer Rouge killed all educated people in the name of communism between 1975 and 1980. Many artists and teachers died and as a result the arts have been just now recovering. It was a good time.
As usual though, our best experience was out on the bikes, we were riding in the country side, stopped at a pagoda to rest. This young man (with monk) said he was coming to pay alms and asked if we would like to join him . . . The monk is his brother so his family brings food to the monastery daily. We were later invited by that monk to tour their pagoda which was being repainted, the pictures tell the story of a Cambodian poem, at least that is what I think he said. They were so welcoming and gracious, and we always feel like the best memories belong to these spontaneous situations the bicycling affords us to have.
