Monday, August 27, 2012

Phnom Penh: Final Impressions

14-15 August 2012.

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The Independence Monument (Vimean Ekareach) was inaugurated in 1962 to celebrate Cambodia’s independence from the French in 1953.  It also serves as a cenotaph to Cambodia’s war dead.

The 20 metre high monument was designed by Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann, and is shaped in the form of a lotus.  This shape can be seen in structures at Angkor and other Khmer historical sites.

I took this picture from a tuk tuk as we passed.  Any shaking would be more from the trembling of my hand as the tuk tuk negotiated the busy traffic around the monument, than from the movement of the tuk tuk itself.

Currently, the monument is having a bit of a clean up.

 

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In the markets you can buy anything including the kitchen sink – although many people wash their dishes in bowls beside the roads.

 

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They certainly cook eggs (and other things) on the footpaths.

 

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Coconut seller.

 

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Three on a bike.

 

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Four on a bike.  (Later, in Hanoi, we saw a family of six on a bike.)

We felt really lucky to have been able to spend a few days in this fascinating city.

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