Day 15, October 10

We’re in Phnom Penh. We’re moored alongside one of the Mekong Jewel’s sister ships which we had to cross to get to shore. There we again got into Tuk-tuks for a drive around the city. Traffic is again total chaos, with no traffic signals. An ongoing game of chicken with, seemingly, no rules. I wouldn’t drive in these cities for a million dollars. We stopped at a beautiful monument to the once and future king, Norodom Sihanouk, who was king, then crown prince and politician, and then king again before abdicating to his son. Sihanouk was involved in bringing in the Khmer Rouge and then becoming their enemy, and then negotiating the peace treaty which again led to Cambodia’s independence and normalization of relationships with the West and Viet Nam. The king is strictly a ceremonial role, the prime minister is elected every 5 years, but Hun Sen had been prime minister since 1985.

Then we toured the grounds of the royal palace, getting pictures of the exteriors of buildings, but being forbidden to photograph the inside of the large reception hall or the silver pagoda. I did get photos inside a side building used as a museum. Apparently, each day of the week, the royal retainers wear a different color of clothing. Examples of these were on display. Also, many Buddha statues and the clothing worn by the king and queen during the coronation were shown.

We did not go to the big central market in the afternoon. Instead, we elected to read and nap in the afternoon heat. Before dinner, a dance troupe from a local orphanage that Uniworld sponsors performed four pieces, two folktales and two fun dances. They were excellent, and as always, the costumes were wonderfully done.