Buddhist Monks in Phnom Penh

Buddhist monks are a common sight in Phnom Penh especially in the morning when they walk around asking for alms.  Here are two girls showing their devotion to monks while giving them their alms.

Koh Oknha Tei Island close to Phnom Penh

Koh Oknha Tei Island is also known as Silk Island. I don’t really know how it got the name Silk Island, I mean I understand it is because here are a lot of families making a living by weaving silk but I can see the name being slightly confusing for tourist that might think they will find a lot of silk vendors here.

If you come here for the silk someone from the boat will guide you to a family that will show you their weavers, house and some scarves (they will even show you scarves that are imported from China and not hand-woven at their house, so be careful).

Anyway, I did not come to the island to see the silk weaving. I just took a relaxing boat trip and a small hike on the island because it’s nice to get away from the busy streets of Phnom Penh center sometimes. 

Independence Monument 1961 and 2012

I found this picture of Independence Monument from 1961 and then I had one I had taken in May 2012. I wonder if it is the same trees that are standing there today as the one you see on the picture from 1961, it looks like the same kind at least. Otherwise it seems like they have changed the streetlights and painted the monument in a reddish color. I didn’t know that the monument use to be grey.

Thieves caught in action

In most of the markets and even in some shops around Phnom Penh you will find whiteboards where they post photos of people who have been caught stealing. The first time I saw one of these whiteboards I actually thought it was missing people until I asked a women who worked in the stand next to the whiteboard and she told me it was thieves. It makes sense, why would missing people pose with a sign before they go missing (haha), don’t know what I was thinking.

A boat trip on Mekong River in Phnom Penh

This weekend I took a boat trip on Mekong River with one of the boats that you can find in the north part of Sisowath Quay. It was a nice and very relaxing thing to do during a Sunday afternoon, when you are too tired to do anything active.

It is also a nice way to get a glimpse of the country life around Phnom Penh, it’s actually amazing how close the country side is to Phnom Penh Center.

Traditional Cambodian Medicine – Coin scraping (Kos Khyal)

Today I saw a girl getting her back scraped by a man on a bed on the sidewalk. It is called coin scraping or Kos Khyal in Khmer and it is a very common treatment when you have a cold, fever or back pain here in Cambodia. It is believed to originate from China where it is called Gua Sha. They first put oil or tiger balm on the skin and then they scrape the skin with a spoon, a coin or an instrument made from buffalo horn or wood. The scraping normally leaves marks on the skin that can look like you have been beaten.

The first time I saw one of my Cambodian colleagues with these marks I thought he had been in fight, until he told me that his wife had treated him the night before because he was starting to get a fever. When he told me about the method I was very skeptical, why would something that you almost can describe as abuse help when you are getting sick? Since then I have read a lot about it and the next time I get a fever in Phnom Penh I will try it myself to see if it really works. 

An uninvited guest on the Balcony

Yesterday I had an uninvited guest on the balcony. I have been told that you should be careful with the monkeys here in Phnom Penh since they can be aggressive and might also carry diseases such as rabies. But at the same time how cool isn't it to have a monkey on the balcony?

A Pagoda 2 km west of Phnom Penh Airport

On my way back to Phnom Penh today I stopped by a Pagoda and took a short break. I was driving along National Highway 4 towards Phnom Penh when I saw the Pagoda and decided to take a break. It was a beautiful and peaceful Pagoda just 2 km west of Phnom Penh Int. airport. Sometimes I forget how much I need these peaceful breaks to just enjoy the beauty of Phnom Penh.

Map directions to the Pagoda (11.532233,104.81869)

Don't forget to take a break and enjoy what you have around you!