So a week and a half into my holiday here in Cambodia, I finally decided to tap into that 'inner tourist' of mine and go sightseeing. Thank God the weather was on our side and it was a gorgeous day out!
Cruising along the riverside, you'll find a long row of flags from all over the world. Try spotting your country's flag when you get the chance!
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| Vimol Thoam Thong, Phnom Penh |
Now check this out - this is Cambodia's Supreme Court. Yes, this gorgeous building. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. See if you can when you catch sight of this beauty.
I mean, seriously. Imagine if all Supreme Court buildings looked somewhat like this? Gorgeous.
We had originally planned to visit the Royal Palace which is just across the street from the Supreme Court beauty, but as it turns out it's only opened from 7 to 11am and 2 to 5pm everyday. We got there at 10:50am. Guess that was bad planning on our part. Instead of waiting until two in the afternoon and walking around in the intense heat, we decided to just come back tomorrow and set off for the Russian Market.
According to Phnom Penh's website, the aptly named Russian Market (aka Psah Toul Tom Poung) served as the foreigner's market in the 1980s, when most foreigners were from, you guessed it, Russia. They've got a whole array of fabric, souvenirs, clothes and food here, so this is definitely a must visit when you're in the city. Get ready to bargain.
Now according to my mom, we used to come here quite often when we visited years before, as this was the place to buy clothes at a bargain price. Again because my memory is pretty hazy, I can't exactly remember how it used to look like. Apparently, the floors weren't always cemented and the ceiling wasn't this 'high'.
What I found funny about this was the fact that she was wedged between two garment stalls!
A tailor/ fashion designer's heaven - fabric galore!
With so many gorgeous colours and designs, how can you choose which scarf (or table runner, tablecloth, pillowcase, etc.) you want?
It's too tempting to get everything!
I couldn't resist and practically drooled over the home decorations. I tell you, when I finally have my own place, you could expect to see a lot of this...
Walking through the market, I couldn't help but see the similarities between this place and Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City. Ben Thanh was practically my second home while I was growing up in Vietnam, so don't judge me. Both markets are tourist musts and they sell pretty much the same stuff - scarves, table runners, home decorations and handmade bags. If you've ever been, you'll know what I'm talking about. Another thing was the bargaining element - my rusty skills were put to use once again. I couldn't help but feel right at home here!
One thing though - it's easy to get lost in this market. With all the things you can find here, you may not realize that you've reached the other side of the market already. A good tactic on their part to keep you in. Russian market isn't exactly organized, with designated garment, food, souvenir and home decorations sections as I had hoped, unlike HCMC's Ben Thanh Market which I know off by heart, even with it's little passageways. Then again, that's all due to experience - guess I better visit more often. And don't fret. The people here are really friendly so don't hesitate to ask for directions.
Bargaining 101 (if you will...)
When it comes to prices, I would say that it's pretty reasonable, but never, and I mean NEVER, take the seller's first price. Sure, it's affordable but you can always get these things for much cheaper - all you have to do is bargain, bargain and bargain. And it helps if you buy more than one item too or are shopping with your friends. The more you buy, the more likely the seller will agree to lowering the price for you.
But if the seller won't agree with your price after a few minutes of haggling, don't be afraid to walk away. Canvass if you have the time. There is almost a 100% chance that the item you want can be found three stalls down for a much cheaper price or, quite often, the seller will finally agree when you take one step away from their stall.
This advice would apply to anyone visiting Ben Thanh Market in Vietnam too, or anywhere else really.
If you're ever in town, pop by the Russian market and see what you can find! Tip - visit in the morning. That way, it's not too hot and bargaining will be easier if you're the first customer to visit a stall. Beware though, you may end up buying more than you can carry back home.
Happy discovering!
