I had some "alone time" today so I went out walking to see the sights and here is what I saw....

http://www.jimgoodman.com/gallery/asia2006

First let me say that it was hot.... The Central Market: built by the french in the 30's, a huge central dome with halls leading away from it, each with a different item/category sold in it. The meat stalls and fish areas were pretty gruesome. Much of it was just H5N1 waiting to happen (you can see it in a out of focus shot, but you still can understand it). Every piece of clothing imaginable with tailors on the spot to sew. Between the halls in the outside portion, it was more stalls crammed full. So crowded in fact that you could easily get lost. There were also a lot of food vendors, selling what I don't know, and not much of it looked terribly appetizing to my western palette. Oh, and the smell, well that's just another story altogether :o)! There is a smell in much of Phnom Penh and i have come to understand that it's sewer... much of it is not totally open but let's say there is easy access and you can see it :o(!

Phnom Wat: the temple that the locals use to give offerings to bring them good luck. Street urchins asking for handouts as you ascend to the temple. You can buy a bird and release it for good luck. Urchins will watch your shoes for a buck (it seems that almost everything here is a dollar and the whole country unofficially uses the US Dollar). There are monkeys in the trees and guys that sell bananas, and they're not for you to eat....