Phnom Penh, Cambodia

We took a 1 hr. flight from Saigon to Phnom Penh (pronounced "pahnom pen"), the capital of Cambodia. First impression... Sticker Shock: Most restaurants and services are priced for foreigners since the Cambodians use the US Dollar (USD) interchangeably with the Cambodian Riel. The mark-up for food, drink and goods was noticeably higher in Cambodia than Vietnam, which was surprising considering that Cambodia is much further behind the times than Vietnam.

Phnom Penh is described in guide books as the "seediest" city in SE Asia. We've traveled to Zimbabwe and walked across the border to the Zanbia side, and the unease we felt walking around the city in the late evening was similar and a bit unsettling; I have to take care of wifey or else I'll have 2 sets of parents and 2 brothers to answer to upon my return!

Some Phnom Penh pics...
You know the country has issues when this is one of the first things you see after stepping outside of your hotel (see the sign under the sign)...

Now this is carpooling!

The "gas station"...

The Royal Palace...

Signs of poverty: a boy bathing in the water coming out of a fountain in front of the beautiful Royal Palace... his family joined him shortly thereafter...

3 to a bike... along with a big bag of rice!

Guys playing a form of Cambodian hacky-sack alongside the river... note the fancy footwork!