Angkor Archaeological Park (Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Our second day in Siem Reap was to be spent exploring Angkor Archaeological Park, particularly its star attraction – Angkor Wat.  After breakfast at Bopha Angkor Hotel, Violet, Osang, Jandy and I were met at the lobby by our previous tuktuk driver who brought us, from the bus station, to the hotel the previous day. A lot of tourists tour Angkor this way.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Bopha Angkor Hotel & Restaurant”

He agreed to bring us, on board his tuktuk, to the park and back for US$5 each (they prefer this payment rather than their local currency – the rial).

Touring Angkor Archaeological Park via tuktuk

Aside from Angkor Wat, we were to also visited Bayon Temple, Preah Pithu, Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King, Royal Palace and Phimeanakas Temple, Baphuon Temple, Chao Say Tevoda, Ta Prohm Temple, Banteay Kdei and Thommanon Temple.

A rainy arrival……

The tuktuk drive took around 20 mins. and we arrived at the park by 10:30 AM.  It was drizzling when we arrived.

Check out “Bayon Temple,” “Preah Pithu,” “Terrace of the Elephants,” “Terrace of the Leper King,” “Royal Palace and Phimeanakas Temple,” “Baphuon Temple,” “Chau Say Tevoda,” “Ta Prohm Temple,” “Banteay Kdei” and “Thommanon Temple”

Old Market, Pub Street and Angkor Night Market (Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Angkor Night Market

Though the focus for most visitors to Siem Reap are the ancient temples of Angkor, there is still much to do  after dark. After all, Siem Reap is a tourist town and the liveliest, ‘must see’ areas after dark are the Old Market area, and its surrounding area which includes the nearby Pub Street, the alley and lane off Pub Street, and the Angkor Night Market area (open in 2007, it is the first night market in the country).

Psar Chaa (Old Market)

The very popular,tourist-friendly and open-air Psar Chaa (Old Market) stretches from the river across to the night markets along Sivutha Blvd.. (the main north – south road a block or so west of the market). It is now the dining, shopping and nightlife center of town. Here,Osang, Violet, Jandy and I had dinner at the Nai Khmer Restaurant and Bar.

Pub Street by day

They offer the deepest selection of Khmer antiques semi-precious stones, and tourist souvenirs (T-shirts, backpacks, silverware, silk scarves, wallets, key chains, etc.), especially on the river side. You have to learn how to haggle, taking it to an art form level when buying more than one item..

Osang and Violet at Nai Khmer Restaurant & Bar

The north side of the market. along Street 9, is a good place for a budget meal and a taste of Cambodian cuisine as it sports a number of inexpensive cafe stalls serving Cambodian fare in an interesting, local atmosphere.

A variety of goods sold at Angkor Night Market

The Angkor Night Market, with a labyrinth of over 240 shops, fosters a very Cambodian atmosphere with its series of stylishly traditional, Khmer style huts. Items sold here include paintings, wood carvings, silk, and local delicacies.

Jandy at the Old Market

Weaver at Angkor Night Market

There were also a few massage and spa bars.  Here, Violet had a free fish spa massage after a foreigner challenged her to last 5 mins., with her legs immersed and nibbled on by fish.  He lost and paid for the session.  At a massage spa, we all indulged in a little more pampering after a full day of exploring the city.

Violet rises to a challenge at a fish spa at Angkor Night Market

Pub Street, a couple of blocks from the Angkor Night Market, is a short alley flanked by clubs, bars and restaurants that offer a wide variety of  Khmer culinary specialties and Western favorites.

Osang and Violet join revelers at Pub Street

Psar Chaa (Old Market): 2 Thnou St, Krong Siem Reap

Wat Preah Prohmreath Pagoda (Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓
Wat Preah Prohmreath Pagoda

Wat Preah Prohmreath Pagoda

From Hard Rock Café, Jandy, Osang, Violet and I again walked, along the riverside, to Wat Preah Prohmreath Pagoda, one of the oldest monasteries in Siem Reap in terms of running time. It had a large imposing gateway and a red wall with a base of huge, golden lotus flower (which represents all achievement of all enlightenment) petals and Bayonesque heads on top of it .

The imposing temple gate

The imposing temple gate

This monastery, dedicated to Ang Chang-han Hoy, a revered 14th century monk, and the spirit of Ta Pom Yeay Rat (who provided the land for the temple), ancestor of a rich family in the area, was founded in 1371 AD.  It was also built to spread the Dharma (teaching of Buddha) and to provide lodging for monks.

The beautiful and quiet garden

The beautiful and quiet garden

King Ang Chan (reigned from 1806-1834) came to this temple to pray for victory against his rivals and, when he achieved this, the temple was named Ta Pum Yeay Rath. In the 1940s, it was renamed Wat Preah Promreath.

Golden lotus petals and a cannon

Golden lotus petals and a cannon

An active monastery and a school for monks, it also has stupas (cremation boxes) where the rich and famous have their ashes interred. Enjoying the peace and quiet of the gardens, we noticed a number of odd, garishly painted statues and a large replica of a boat with a monk on top.

Large replica of the monk and his boat

Large replica of the monk and his boat

The revered monk Ang Chang-han Hoy (1358-1456) was said to have traveled 300 odd kms. every day by boat across the Tonle Sap lake, from Siem Reap to Long Vek (near Phnom Penh), to collect alms and then returned, that same day, to Siem Reap to have lunch.

One day (so the story goes), his boat was struck by a shark and cut in half. He continued on to Siem Reap, using the front half of the boat, while the other half ended up at Wat Boribo in Boribo District, Kampong Chang province.

Thanking Buddha for saving the monk, a temple was built at each place.  In Siem Reap, a huge, reclining Buddha was made using wood from the boat.  The golden boat statue in front of the vihear was built by Cheakaro Tong Teourm in 2007.

 

Inner wall with religious murals

Inner wall with religious murals

The small open-sided temple has small statue of Buddha while the inner walls have a number of murals of religious scenes. The Preah Vihear (main temple), built in 1945, has a vast open hall with a huge seated Buddha at one end. The enormous reclining Buddha, which we failed to notice, draped in a very decorous orange and gold cloth robe, can be found in a pit at the back.

Posing with some monks in the temple

Posing with some monks in the temple

Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (Cambodia)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Jandy and I were to leave Phnom Penh for Siem Reap on the 7 AM Aero Express bus, so we woke up early, picked up our complimentary packed breakfast, checked out of the Elite Boutique Hotel and were picked up by our free coaster service, with Osang and Violet now on board, that would bring us to Central Market where our airconditioned bus was parked. Bus travel is the cheapest and the most popular means of overland transport between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Arrival at the Central Market

Arrival at the Central Market

We loaded our luggage at huge baggage storage compartment at the side of the bus, below the passenger deck, stored our hand carried bags at overhead racks and occupied a row of reclinable, side-by-side bucket seats with armrests.  Our bus had an on-board toilet, ideal for the long haul trip that awaited us.

Our airconditioned Aero Express bus

Our airconditioned Aero Express bus

As the road from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is under construction, our 319.6-km. long trip was likely to take at least 7 hours no matter which bus we took. As we left the market, our bus slowly negotiated the mild traffic of the city center.

Road condition most of the way

Road condition most of the way

Once out of the city, the road quality of Highway No. 6 changed dramatically, with frequent potholes and sometimes the road wasn’t even paved. Due to the road construction, we encountered some traffic bottlenecks that slowed down the traffic a bit.

Houses on stilts

Houses on stilts

However, we were also ushered into some interesting, though not spectacular, rural scenery as we observed small villages filled with traditional or modern stilted houses, rice paddies, small but pretty temples, distant mountains and rivers.

The roundabout at Skun

The roundabout at Skun

About 80 kms. out of the city, after crossing the Japanese Bridge, our bus passed the roundabout in Skun which has a statue of 2 children holding a bird. Highway No. 6 continued on to the left, going to Kampong Thom and Siem Reap.

View from across a bridge

View from across a bridge

About 206 kms. out of Phnom Penh, we arrived at the provincial capitol of Kampong Thom,  We were now more than halfway into our journey and here we made a 30-min. lunch stopover at a restaurant located between Arunras Hotel and the market. The food served was mostly Cambodian fare.

A small temple along the highway

A small temple along the highway

Having lunch at a restaurant in Kampong Thom

Jandy, Osang, the author and Violet having lunch at a restaurant in Kampong Thom

After lunch, we again boarded our bus for the remaining uneventful half of our journey.  At a little past 3 PM, our bus arrived at the main Chong Kov Sou bus station near Phsar Leu (the ‘Upper Market’), a couple of kilometers west of Siem Reap city center.  The journey took just about 8 hours.  On arrival, we got out our luggage and easily got a tuk tuk (US$1 per pax) to take us to the Bopha Angkor Hotel.

Central Market (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

After our ice cream treat at Sorya Shopping Center (we were again to return here for supper), Osang, Violet, Jandy and I continued on our way to the nearby Central Market, a Phnom Penh landmark and “must see” stop just a 5-min. walk away.

The Central Market

The Central Market

The large, bright ochre-colored Phnom Penh Central Market or Psar Thmay  (“new market”),  built in 1937 in the  Art Deco style,  consists of four wings branching out into vast hallways and dominated by a central dome.  When it first opened, it was said to be the biggest market in Asia. Its initial design and layout were done by French architect Louis Chauchon and its construction work was supervised by French architects Jean Desbois and Wladimir Kandaouroff.  During the Franco-Thai War, the market was bombed heavily by Thai aircraft, causing heavy damage, and it had to be temporarily closed. After the end of World War II, the market was rebuilt in the modern style. From 2009 to 2011, it underwent a US$4.2 million renovation funded by the French Development Agency.

The market interior

The market interior

Within the four wings as well as around the compound outside,  almost anything you can think of are on sale.  The extensive amount of products that are offered for bargain include electronic equipment, second hand clothing, watches, bags, suitcases, gold and silver curios , dried and fresh foodstuff, jewelry, cheap t-shirts, kramas (Khmer scarves), antique coins, pseudo-antiques, clocks, fabrics, shoes, flowers, luggage, books (including photocopied travel guides) and lots of souvenirs (key chains, ref magnets, postcards, etc.).

The market's huge dome

The market’s huge dome

Central Market: Neayok Souk, Phnom Penh 855.  Open daily, 5 AM – 5 PM.

Sorya Shopping Center (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

After our National Museum and Royal Palace tour, Osang, Violet, Jandy and I made our way, on foot, back to our respective hotels to rest and freshen up.  After an hour, we again met up, this time to go shopping for souvenirs at the nearby Central Market.  Again, we made our way on foot.  Along the way, we decided to make a short stopover at the 8-storey, Western-style Sorya Shopping Center, located just one block south of the Central Market.

Sorya Shopping Center

Sorya Shopping Center

The first real mall in the city, this 40,000 sq. m. airconditioned shopping oasis, the largest in the city, was quite large, with passenger elevators and escalators (then a strange novelty when it opened in 2003).  Inside were a number of Western fastfood restaurants at every level ( Pizza Co., Master Grill, Kentucky Fried Chicken,  BBQ Chicken, BBWorld, Lucky Burger, etc.) plus a a variety of shops selling clothes, shoes, jewelry, toys, imitation watches, latest release DVD copies and some electronics and appliances.

Osang and Violet trying out the foot massage demo

Osang and Violet trying out the foot massage demo

As we entered the lobby, we encountered a lot of “demo” booths promoting products such as a stainless steel multi-tiered steamer; a stride-glide exerciser; a hand-held vacuum and recliner-massage-chairs.  Osang and Violet each tried out the foot massager.We  also each tried out a sundae treat (US$2.30 each), with many premium quality toppings such as Mars, Snicker, Oreo Cookie, etc., at Swensen’s, a premium ice cream parlor which originated from the U.S.A.  It opened its first branch in Sorya Shopping Center in September 2007.

"Cooling off" at Swensen's

“Cooling off” at Swensen’s

The well-stocked Lucky Supermarket, the first supermarket set up in Phnom Penh (and now the city’s largest supermarket chain), has a branch at the ground floor. On the upper floors there  a 3D cinema complex (Sabay Cineplex, Level 5), roller skating rink, sporting goods store (City Mart Sports Supply, Level 4) and games arcade.

Swensen's sundaes

Swensen’s sundaes

After shopping at Central Mall, we all had dinner at the  local food court at Level 4. Virtually all varieties of dishes were available at very reasonably prices of US$2.00 to 5.00. However, their coupon system was a hassle as we had to buy a ticket first before ordering food from any outlet.

Food Court

Food Court

Though less colorful than the traditional markets, Sorya Mall was still a such a good place to cool down, hang out or simply to take a break from the ‘culture shock’ that hit us when we arrived in Phnom Penh.

Food court fare

Food court fare

Sorya Shopping Center: 11-13 Preah Trasak Paem (Street 63),  Phsar Thmei 2 Commune , Daun Penh District, Phnom Penh.  Tel: +855 23 210 018 and +855 16 700 001. Open daily, 9 AM to 9 PM.

Royal Palace – Exhibition Halls (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Prior to ending our tour of the Royal Palace, Osang, Violet, Jandy and I visited a number of exhibition halls.  The multi-purpose White Elephant room, located just outside the palace’s southeast wall, was traditionally used for special regal occasions including Royal births, deaths or weddings. The sacred white elephant is the most auspicious and revered symbol of royal beneficence. Here, we saw lines of ornate, gold-adorned chairs that elephants carried royals on.

White Elepant House

White Elepant House

The Showroom of Royal Palanquins and Bossabok displays royal palanquins used by Cambodian kings and queens as they are paraded around the city as well as bossaboks (traditional Khmer-style thrones).

The Showroom of Royal Palanquins and Bossabok

The Showroom of Royal Palanquins and Bossabok

The Elephant Boxes Showroom in Gold, Silver, Brass, Marble and Wood has wood and glass display cases filled with elephant figurines, of various sizes, made with gold, silver, brass, marble and wood.

The Elephant Boxes Showroom in Gold, Silver, Brass, Marble and Wood

The Elephant Boxes Showroom in Gold, Silver, Brass, Marble and Wood

The second floor, airconditioned Showroom of Royal Dancers Ornaments (Preah Kossamak) has wood and glass display cases exhibiting Royal Palace documents; royal dinner sets and silverware; utensils; medals; and dance costumes, musical instruments and ornaments of the Royal Dancers.

Showroom of Royal Dancers Ornaments (Preah Kossamak)

Showroom of Royal Dancers Ornaments (Preah Kossamak)

There is also a model of a typical, 2-storey traditional Khmer house,  an exhibit of.photos of recent Royal Processions and a model of the King’s inauguration procession.

Traditional Khmer house

Traditional Khmer house

Royal Palace: Samdach Sothearos Blvd., Phnom Penh.  Open daily, 8 to 11 AM and 2 to 5 PM.

Royal Palace – Silver Pagoda (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓
Silver Pagoda (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

Silver Pagoda (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

From the Throne Hall, Osang, Violet, Jandy and I proceeded to south side of the Royal Palace complex.  The beautiful Silver Pagoda, built in honor of the Lord Buddha, is the official temple of the king of Cambodia.  Formerly known as Wat Ubosoth Ratanaram, its official name is Preah Vihear Preah Keo Morakot (“Temple of the Emerald Buddha”), after the green baccarat crystal Buddha it houses.  Its name is commonly shortened to Wat Preah Keo.

Mandapa of Satra and Tripitaka

Mandapa of Satra and Tripitaka

Constructed in 1962, at Queen Kossamak’s command, by King Norodom Sihanouk, it replaced the wooden pagoda built by his grandfather in 1902,  the original aging structure being too weak to stand. During the Khmer Rouge years, more than half its contents were stolen but the pagoda itself was pretty much unscathed.

King Norodom's Statue

King Norodom’s Statue

The Silver Pagoda, is so named because of its 5,329 silver floor tiles, each around  20 cm. (8 inches) square and each weighing 1.125 kg (2.48 lbs), and having a total weight of more than 6 tons. Some of its outer facade was remodeled with Italian marble. The pagoda’s construction shows the clear influence of Bangkok’s Wat Phra Kaeo, also home to a precious crystal Buddha to which the one in Phnom Penh bears an uncanny resemblance.

King Ang Duong's Stupa

King Ang Duong’s Stupa

After removing our hats and leaving our footwear outside, we were allowed to enter the vihara which houses a rich collection of 1,650 royal gifts received by the Royal family over the years, including artifacts and Buddha images, many of them national treasures.  The pagoda is more a museum than place of homage and no monks stay in permanent residence here. However, on entering the pagoda, we only saw a small area of the temple’s signature  silver tiles as much of the floor was covered by carpets. Photography is also not allowed inside.

Kantha Bopha's Stupa

Kantha Bopha’s Stupa

On display are gold and jeweled Buddha statues, notably a a small 17th century baccarat crystal Buddha (the “Emerald Buddha” of Cambodia) and an impressive, life-sized gold Maitreya Buddha. The latter, housed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, was created in the palace workshops between 1906 and 1907.  It weighs in at 90 kgs., is dressed in royal regalia commissioned by King Sisowath, and is decorated with 9,584 diamonds (the largest of which weighs 25 carats).

Reamker Frescoes

Reamker Frescoes

The main building (vihear) is bounded, to the east, by the statue of King Norodom (sitting on a white horse) and to the north by the Mondapa of Satra and Tripitaka, a library housing Buddhist texts.  At the eastern corner is the bell tower, south of which, near the exit, is a model of Angkor Wat. South of the vihear stands 4 structures, from west to east – the chedi (stupa) of King Suramarit and Queen Kossamak, the Dharmasala, the Chedi of Princess Kantha Bopha and the Phnom Mondop (Mount Mondop, where the statue of Preah Ko is situated). The last mentioned is an artificial hill with a pavilion housing a bronze footprint of the Buddha from Sri Lanka.

Osang, Jandy and Osang at Kantha Bopha's Stupa

Osang, Jandy and Osang at Kantha Bopha’s Stupa

These structures are surrounded by a wall – the oldest part of the palace – covered with 80 m. long, colorful series of frescos depicting episodes from Reamker, the Khmer version of the Indian Ramayana, , one of the great Hindu epics.ainted from 1903 to 1904, its bottom half has faded, throughout the Khmer Rouge years, due to neglect. Some restoration has been done but much of the damage is still clearly visible.

Royal Palace: Samdach Sothearos Blvd., Phnom Penh.  Open daily, 8 to 11 AM and 2 to 5 PM.

Royal Palace – The Throne Hall (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

Posted on by — Leave a reply
Throne Hall (Preah Tineang Tevea Vinichhay)

Throne Hall (Preah Tineang Tevea Vinichhay)

Upon paying the admission fee of US$6.25, Jandy, Osang, Violet and I started our guide-less tour of the Royal Palace grounds.The first major building we passed was the open-sided Preah Tineang Phhochani, the banqueting and dance hall, inaugurated in 1912. The pristine gardens of the palace grounds are dotted with topiaried trees and are planted with tropical flowers and plants such as Allamanda cathartica, Couroupita guianensis and Jatropha integerrima.

Osang, Violet and Jandy at top of grand stairway

Osang, Violet and Jandy at top of grand stairway

We started with the cross-shaped Throne Hall (Preah Thineang Dheva Vinnichay Mohai Moha Prasat, or “Sacred Seat of Judgement”), the most impressive building in the royal compound.  The Throne Hall , crowned with 3 spires, is the second building to be built on this site.  The King’s confidants, generals and royal officials once carried out their duties here and it is still in use today as a place for religious and royal ceremonies (such as coronations and royal weddings) as well as a meeting place for the King’s guests.

A 7-headed naga

A 7-headed naga

The first building was constructed of wood in 1869-1870, under King Norodom, then demolished in 1915 and the present 30 x 60 m. building, a  faithful reproduction of Norodom’s wooden palace, was built in 1917 and inaugurated by King Bat Sisowath in 1919. This building, as well as all buildings and structures at the Royal Palace, faces the east (best photographed in the morning). The building’s central, 59 m. high spire is topped with the white, 4-faced head of Brahma.

A garuda appearing to support the roof

A garuda appearing to support the roof

Inside are 3 royal thrones (2 traditional and 1 Western-style) and golden busts of Cambodians kings and queens, starting from the reign King Ang Doung onwards. However, we, as well as all other visitors, weren’t allowed to go inside, much less take pictures of the interiors, even from the outside.  We could only take photographs of its exterior.

Spire topped with the white, 4-faced head of Brahma

Spire topped with the white, 4-faced head of Brahma

The hall’s broad and grand entrance stairway has banisters formed by 7-headed nagas.  Each column of the colonnaded veranda is topped by a garuda with outstretched wings, all seemingly supporting the eaves of the roof.

Hor Samranphirum

Hor Samranphirum

To the right of the Throne Hall is the Hor Samran Phirum, the Royal Rest House, built between 1915 and 1917.  It is not open for public viewing. On coronation day, this small pavilion is used as a royal rest house and waiting area.  Here, the incoming King and Queen wait for their elephants to be bought around. On one side of the building is a door and some posts which are used to harness the elephants while the royals board.  The king no longer keeps elephants and, today, this building is used to house gifts from foreign dignitaries as well as the royal musical instruments and utensils used in royal coronation processions.

Hor Samritvimean

Hor Samrit Vimean

Exhibits at Hor Samritvimean

Exhibits at Hor Samrit Vimean

One small but elaborate pavilion we could photograph, both inside and out, was the Hor Samrit Vimean, also known as the Bronze Palace. The Royal treasury, this tall but narrow building houses regalia vital to the coronation ceremony including the Great Crown of Victory; The Great White umbrella of state; The Sacred Sword; The Victory Spear; The Fan; various procession group figures bearing the national, religious and monarchy flags; and clothing worn during King Sihamoni’s coronation on October 2004. We joined other tourists at the small display room at the lower floor where we observed, and photographed, display cases exhibiting some of the more minor royal regalia and utensils. At the rear, we note the 7 mannequins wearing seven days’ worth of colors.

Preah Tineang Phhochani

Preah Tineang Phhochani

Just north of the Preah Tineang Phhochani, the palace grounds are closed to visitors so we could only observe the other buildings beyond from afar. Getting a much-needed facelift and shielded by a huge tarpaulin (with the actual likeness of the building inside) during our visit was the cast-iron, French-style Pavilion of Napoleon lll, the oldest surviving structure on the palace grounds.  It was presented by French Emperor Napoleon III to King Norodom in 1876 and re-erected here. The pavilion was used by the Empress Eugenie (Napoleon’s wife) during her inauguration of the Suez Canal in in Ismailia, Egypt in 1869. It now serves as a museum of royal memorabilia and a photo exhibit of former Cambodian kings.

The Pavilion of Napoleon III and the Preah Reach Damnak Chan

The Pavilion of Napoleon III and the Preah Reach Damnak Chan

West of the pavilion is the Preah Reach Damnak Chan.  Built in 1953, it’s partly a museum housing a collection of gifts to the royal family while another part is an office for the Ministry of the Royal Palace.  Just past the Pavilion of Napoleon III, a gateway provided us access to the Silver Pagoda.

Royal Palace: Samdach Sothearos Blvd., Phnom Penh.  Open daily, 8 to 11 AM and 2 to 5 PM.

Preah Sothearos Boulevard (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓
Preah Sothearos Boulevard

Preah Sothearos Boulevard

After our short visit to the National Museum, Osang, Violet, Jandy and I proceeded on our way to the nearby Royal Palace. The Royal Palace, a good example of Khmer architecture, covers an area of 174,870 sq. m. (402 m. x 435 m.). Its layout features a defensive wall (kampaeng), throne hall (preah tineang), Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Preah Keo Morakot), stupas (chedei), towering spires (prang prasat) and mural paintings.

Osang feeding the doves

Osang feeding the doves

The complex is divided by walls into four main compounds.  On the south side is the Silver Pagoda, on the north is the Khemarin Palace, on the west is the private sector (or the Inner Court) while the central compound contains the Throne Hall . The buildings of the palace were gradually built over time, some were dismantled and rebuilt as late as the 1960s, but some old buildings date back to the 19th century.

Gamely posing with a sentry at his ost

Gamely posing with a sentry at his post

From Street 184, we turned right to the surprisingly car-free (save for one tourist bus) Preah Sothearos Blvd. On its left is a wide promenade with yellow hexagonal floor tiles.  Here, flocks of black, white and gray doves congregate.  Children enjoy chasing them while adults feed them with corn kernels and peanuts bought from vendors nearby. Beyond the promenade is a small park, Sisowath Quay and the mighty Mekong River.

The open-air Preah Thineang Chan Chhaya ("Moonlight Pavilion")

The open-air Preah Thineang Chan Chhaya (“Moonlight Pavilion”)

On the boulevard’s right are the high, yellow crenelated walls of the Royal Palace. We passed two guardhouses, one of them manned, gamely posing with the guard on duty. The  open-air  Preah Thineang Chan Chhaya (“Moonlight Pavilion”), built alongside a section of the palace walls, dominates the facade.

The Victory Gate

The Victory Gate

One of the most notable buildings of the Royal Palace, it serves as a venue for the Royal Dancers, as a tribune for the King to address the crowds and as a place to hold state and royal banquets. During the 2004 coronation of King Norodom Sihamoni, it was used for a banquet and a tribune for the new king.  It also has a balcony that is used for viewing parades marching along Sothearos Boulevard.

Finally ... the visitor's entrance gate

Finally … the visitor’s entrance gate

Past the pavilion is the Victory Gate which faces the entrance steps leading to the palace’s Throne Hall. Traditionally, this gate was only used by the king and queen though it is now used to admit visiting dignitaries.  As such, this gate was locked.  However, the entrance for tourists wanting to tour the palace was nearby.  Upon entering, we walked along a short corridor to the ticket booth.