In the Streets of Phnom Penh
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I am in the streets of Phnom Penh today and going for my shopping trip in a minute.
Internet Access in the street cost 1500 Riel per hour, that's around USD0.50.
I realize that there are 2 economies in Cambodia, the USD one and the Riel one. Locals deal in Riel and have pocketful of Riel currency. Foreigners deal in USD, and locals, when they see foreigners also deal in USD. It's definitely not a cheap place unless, you live and eat like a local. Food at the roadside cost as low as 1000 Riel but when I had my pizza at the riverside, it cost USD4.50.
Beer is cheap! USD0.80 a mug!
I visited the Touel Sleng Genocide museum yesterday and witnessed a great example of the chinese's (from china) act of nationalism.
There was a log book for foreigners to write down their thoughts after seeing how more than a million cambodians were tortured and killed during the Pol Pot regiem between 1975 and 1979. Most people expressed sympathy, anger and sadness.
Know what the chinese wrote? One said "This is the same as what the japanese have done in china. Japanese must repent". There were a couple more entries in the same nature....
Shopping time! Bye bye! -
Oh yes, it reminded me of a phase I learnt during O Level chinese.
"Jie4 Ti2 Fa1 Hui1"
Borrow an irrelevant topic to prove a point... -
quite interesting. and cheap. looking forward to more of ur entries
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Oh yes, I also saw two women fighting by pulling each other's hair on the streets. Everyone is crowding around, watching and laughing. Indifference is not a Singapore-only culture I realized.
This is irrelevant, but one of them look a little like FI. -
man, eating pizza in cambodia?
go try their local stuff, i kind of find it special
Angkor Wat is a tourist trap, but there is 1 spot in there you can really see the most beautiful sunset.
Bad as it seems, try not to give money to locals, u give 1, all will flock to u, asking for more. -
The income gap in Phnom Penh is wider than the Mekong River.
I visited the Naga World Casino and hotel. Here, you find Hong Kongers, Chinese and even the cambodians themselves throwing money away like nobody's business.
And across the streets are crumbling squatters and children roaming naked.
The funny thing is, hardly any Singaporeans. For the 1 whole week I am here, I only heard Singlish sounding people once. Maybe its the time of the year, no Singapore school holiday, so no Singaporean. -
I tried the Khmer fried rice last week. But ended up eating just the plain fried rice. Because everything else scattered across the rice was raw.Originally posted by BeEtHoVeN:man, eating pizza in cambodia?
go try their local stuff, i kind of find it special
Angkor Wat is a tourist trap, but there is 1 spot in there you can really see the most beautiful sunset.
Bad as it seems, try not to give money to locals, u give 1, all will flock to u, asking for more.
I also ate this sauteed vietnamese bee hoon, but ended up pouring hot soup all over it because everything on the bee hoon was raw. The bee hoon was cooked, but they went to freeze it before serving it to me.
I always keep some Riel handy just in case kids in the streets come flocking and holding on to me. Haven't happened yet, heng ar...
My pizza is called the Happy Phnom Penh Pizza leh... the signboard say must try.. haha -
Shopping?
Got go "Su lian Shi chang"(They call it russia market) anot? You can buy branded clothes at like 5USD. Dont buy clothes at "Central Market". Those sold in Central Market are all imitations. In Russia market, some are imitation too, but some are real stuff, stolen from the garment factories there.
To tell the difference between real and fake, look at a few things. Material, real stuff use good material, if the hand feel is bad, most likely it's fake. Small accessories, like zips, real branded jeans use YKK zip, the small nailed button should says "levi's" too instead of a blank copper button. Look for tags, a decent branded garment should have the brand tag with size and factory code(a 6-12 digit Alphabet/number mixed code), material tag, washing & care tag inside the garment.
If you go central market, can buy some jewellery there, those stones(ruby sapphire emerald) are real, but just the cutting quality is bad. If you look at earrings, you will see the cutting of left / right is different, which shows they have bad cutting skills. So buying pendants / rings are OK, try not to buy earrings. Dont buy stones alone, airport custom wont let you bring it out, must be on rings/pendants/earrings then can bring out.
Custom also dont let you bring out "Hong Mu"(red wood?) stuffs.
If you dont mind, can get some fake branded watch too. For around 30-50 USD, you get a imitation watch that is really mechanical, sapphire crystal surface(cant be scratched, the shopkeeper will show it by using a screw driver to scratch it), basically it works as good as a real one. -
Haha "Happy pizza", i remember i used to eat "Lucky Burger" there.Originally posted by Illegal Operation:I tried the Khmer fried rice last week. But ended up eating just the plain fried rice. Because everything else scattered across the rice was raw.
I also ate this sauteed vietnamese bee hoon, but ended up pouring hot soup all over it because everything on the bee hoon was raw. The bee hoon was cooked, but they went to freeze it before serving it to me.
I always keep some Riel handy just in case kids in the streets come flocking and holding on to me. Haven't happened yet, heng ar...
My pizza is called the Happy Phnom Penh Pizza leh... the signboard say must try.. haha
Try the "deep fried banana", it's a local snack there.
And one advice, DONT find prostitute there. AIDS rate very high.
If you have frens to ensure your safety, can go disco to play, those vietnam girls will go stick to you, you can hug them touch here touch there, dance and play around. And then give 5USD(Market rate at 2003, now i dont know) tips when you want to go off. If you choose to "bring her out" to hotel, which i advice you better not, make sure you get some good condoms. -
Lucky Burger by the riverside? I passed by today. I want to find a spaghetti aglio to eat leh.Originally posted by mochou:Haha "Happy pizza", i remember i used to eat "Lucky Burger" there.
Try the "deep fried banana", it's a local snack there.
And one advice, DONT find prostitute there. AIDS rate very high.
If you have frens to ensure your safety, can go disco to play, those vietnam girls will go stick to you, you can hug them touch here touch there, dance and play around. And then give 5USD(Market rate at 2003, now i dont know) tips when you want to go off. If you choose to "bring her out" to hotel, which i advice you better not, make sure you get some good condoms.
Nah, I been staying in the hotel at night. The furthest I ventured after nightfall was the amuesment park outside my hotel.
You sound like you have been in Cambodia for a while. What did you do there? -
I was at both markets yesterday and today. Shopping is pretty much the only things I do for the last 2 days, after having visited most of the places in the tourist guide book. hah.Originally posted by mochou:Shopping?
Got go "Su lian Shi chang"(They call it russia market) anot? You can buy branded clothes at like 5USD. Dont buy clothes at "Central Market". Those sold in Central Market are all imitations. In Russia market, some are imitation too, but some are real stuff, stolen from the garment factories there.
To tell the difference between real and fake, look at a few things. Material, real stuff use good material, if the hand feel is bad, most likely it's fake. Small accessories, like zips, real branded jeans use YKK zip, the small nailed button should says "levi's" too instead of a blank copper button. Look for tags, a decent branded garment should have the brand tag with size and factory code(a 6-12 digit Alphabet/number mixed code), material tag, washing & care tag inside the garment.
If you go central market, can buy some jewellery there, those stones(ruby sapphire emerald) are real, but just the cutting quality is bad. If you look at earrings, you will see the cutting of left / right is different, which shows they have bad cutting skills. So buying pendants / rings are OK, try not to buy earrings. Dont buy stones alone, airport custom wont let you bring it out, must be on rings/pendants/earrings then can bring out.
Custom also dont let you bring out "Hong Mu"(red wood?) stuffs.
If you dont mind, can get some fake branded watch too. For around 30-50 USD, you get a imitation watch that is really mechanical, sapphire crystal surface(cant be scratched, the shopkeeper will show it by using a screw driver to scratch it), basically it works as good as a real one.
Central market is not as crowded as Russian market. Russian market is really really hot. If there's a big fire there, everybody inside will definitely die.
Thanks for the tips. I will try to visit Russian market a few more times during lunch time over the week and see if I spot any gems.
I had this white fried kway teow with pork (I think she gave me chicken) and vegetables at this little resturant by the riverside called Pink Elephant. Taste good.
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post some photos leh..
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Average prices paid for T-shirt - USD2
Average prices paid for Singlet - USD1.50
Average prices paid for bermudas - USD3
Average prices paid for Polo T-Shirt - USD3
Managed to shave the prices down by USD0.50 per item after pretending to walk away. Works. But I still think I am fleeced. The locals are paying in Riels!!!
I think I am paying as much as 5 times more than the local rate. But nevermind, when i am in SG, I cheat angmos too. What goes around comes around.. -
ya, i worked there for a few months. During weekends will come out to play. Place of interests only visited the prison thing and the place with many skulls.
I didnt have the chance to go Naga(that time Naga was the ship only, the hotel under construstion during 2003), our company rules dont allow us to visit casino.
Mostly is go russian market, central market to shop, and go supermarket buy daily items.
I dont know how bad is the crime rate now, verture around alone was a very dangerous thing to do for foreigners.
First time i go to the disco, they have security guard at the entrance, with the metal detector like airport custom...... to make sure ppl dont bring guns/knife inside. -
ya, that time i went there i bought some jackets and jeans for 5USD per piece, formal shirts 3 for10USD, i rarely wear Tees so i didnt buy. Didnt bother to bargain too much, i was sweating like hell, just want to buy it and go off.Originally posted by Illegal Operation:Average prices paid for T-shirt - USD2
Average prices paid for Singlet - USD1.50
Average prices paid for bermudas - USD3
Average prices paid for Polo T-Shirt - USD3
Managed to shave the prices down by USD0.50 per item after pretending to walk away. Works. But I still think I am fleeced. The locals are paying in Riels!!!
I think I am paying as much as 5 times more than the local rate. But nevermind, when i am in SG, I cheat angmos too. What goes around comes around..
As i said, some of the garments are stolen from factories, so they are sort of "No cost". -
Have you whispered into the hole yet?
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Originally posted by mochou:ya, that time i went there i bought some jackets and jeans for 5USD per piece, formal shirts 3 for10USD, i rarely wear Tees so i didnt buy. Didnt bother to bargain too much, i was sweating like hell, just want to buy it and go off.
As i said, some of the garments are stolen from factories, so they are sort of "No cost". x2 -
I think it got better. But I usually get back to the hotel after 7. So I don't know how it is like in the evening.Originally posted by mochou:ya, i worked there for a few months. During weekends will come out to play. Place of interests only visited the prison thing and the place with many skulls.
I didnt have the chance to go Naga(that time Naga was the ship only, the hotel under construstion during 2003), our company rules dont allow us to visit casino.
Mostly is go russian market, central market to shop, and go supermarket buy daily items.
I dont know how bad is the crime rate now, verture around alone was a very dangerous thing to do for foreigners.
First time i go to the disco, they have security guard at the entrance, with the metal detector like airport custom...... to make sure ppl dont bring guns/knife inside.
The hotel part of Naga is still under construction now. But parts of it is ready and the casino is burstling with business.