This is a preview of my new film, "Laurence of Cambodia: Journey into Phnom Penh".
It will be action packed and exciting. Enjoy.
Showing posts with label Phnom Penh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phnom Penh. Show all posts
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Friday, 5 August 2011
Settling in...
I've now been in Phnom Penh for ten days, so this first entry is well overdue, at least according to my mum.
I was last here eight years ago. In that time lots has changed; there are now large buildings; Beoung Kok Lake, where the backpacker area was located, has sadly been filled in ready for development; there are scores of ATMs (there was one last time); the roads are now mostly paved; there is development everywhere (some apparently halted since the GFC); you can buy almost anything Western you want now (Vegemite, tampons, French cheese, Corn Flakes); and every second café and bar has wireless internet.
But, with all that said, Cambodia feels the same. When I walked off the plane onto the tarmac (yes, you still walk on the tarmac), I got an instant dose of nostalgia based purely on the smell; a smell that I had never known I had classified and one I only knew I knew once I arrived (just call me Jean-Baptiste Grenouille). The vibe is the same, the people smile like they did before, the traffic functions on the same organised chaos, the moto is still king on the roads (although there is now an abundance of Lexuses (Lexi?), many of which have a government-issued VIP badge on their dash), and the food is still cheap.
I was last here eight years ago. In that time lots has changed; there are now large buildings; Beoung Kok Lake, where the backpacker area was located, has sadly been filled in ready for development; there are scores of ATMs (there was one last time); the roads are now mostly paved; there is development everywhere (some apparently halted since the GFC); you can buy almost anything Western you want now (Vegemite, tampons, French cheese, Corn Flakes); and every second café and bar has wireless internet.
But, with all that said, Cambodia feels the same. When I walked off the plane onto the tarmac (yes, you still walk on the tarmac), I got an instant dose of nostalgia based purely on the smell; a smell that I had never known I had classified and one I only knew I knew once I arrived (just call me Jean-Baptiste Grenouille). The vibe is the same, the people smile like they did before, the traffic functions on the same organised chaos, the moto is still king on the roads (although there is now an abundance of Lexuses (Lexi?), many of which have a government-issued VIP badge on their dash), and the food is still cheap.
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