Tuesday, December 22 - There’s not a ton of stuff to see in Phnom Penh. All the tour books and pamphlets recommend the same 10 must-see sites to visit in this city. And we did them all.
The first thing we did was visit the Grounds of the Royal Palace – where the King of Cambodia resides, receives foreign visitors, and worships. We decided to hire a tour guide for this site, and were glad of the info he provided. He was able to tell us a bit about each of the buildings, the history of the royal line and the impact the Khmer Rouge had on the country, as well as some interesting tidbits about tradition and religion.
The Silver Pagoda – where the king goes to pray – was included on the tour. Another of the “must see” items, the building is named for the thousands of silver tiles that pave the interior’s floor. It’s filled with a plethora of Buddha statues, including both the Emerald Buddha (made of jade) and a gold Buddha bejewelled with hundreds of diamonds, including a particularly large one on its crown (25ct!). Unfortunately, we couldn’t take photos inside the pagoda, but we were able to take a bunch of photos during the tour – here’s a selection.
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