Philippine Travel Notes

Let's explore this museum. It's (of course) the biggest in Cambodia, and more about the country's fascinating (Khmer) culture and arts of the past than present or future. So 'wag kang umasa na me makikita kang 'rocket science' or 'captured military tanks' ! Wala ring 'landmines' or 'genocide' dito. Or at least wala akong ike-kwentong ganyan! In fact, nabasa ko ang Objectives nila: The National Museum of Cambodia houses one of the world's greatest collections of Khmer cultural material including sculpture, ceramics and ethnographic objects from the prehistoric, pre-Angkorian, Angkorian and post-Angkorian periods. The Museum promotes awareness, understanding and appreciation of Cambodia's heritage through the presentation, conservation, safekeeping, interpretation and acquisition of Cambodian cultural material. It aims to educate and inspire its visitors. Things on display are about their ancient culture and arts until...

Continuing my Phnom Penh stroll, I headed to my 'next destination' as mentioned in the previous story - eastward from the Independence Monument, turning left at that hard-to-pronounce street (Preah Ang Yukanthor St.), going to the National Museum. Numbered Streets! Well, almost all road names here are long and hard to pronounce, so that, they have number equivalents. I walked east on 268 Blvd. , then turned left to 19th St. , instead of sayin I walked east on Prea Suramarit Blvd. , then turned left to Preah Ang Yukanthor St. That makes Phnom Penh unique - where there is a concious effort to "numerate" or "numberize" their street names in what they call their "central grid" (central district) - without dropping, erasing or forgetting the 'original names' that are already existing. So don't be confused if you see street names with numbers enclosed in parentheses at the end. A good example would be: 182 Preah Norodom Blvd. (41)...

Let's walk! First meeting today ended early (ayaw yata magpa-lunch ni host)! And two more are happening later - 1 in the afternoon, and 1 in the evening! Ikot agad pag me chance! I walked towards a nice park, beside the Cambodia Independence Monument . From a mere rotunda (the monument) of long ago, OMG it is now about as long as Luneta! And still beautifully expanding! But.., as I always say.., let's start from the very beginning! I heard about this park being upgraded and I have seen pictures where I could say, it was a wow compared to what I saw in the '90s. So I planned to come and see it live . That is also one reason I chose Toyoko Inn (aside from being a 'member'), because it is just nearby. And, I feel more safe and secure in this area - you will see later why. Oh, not later, now na! I walked westward from Toyoko, turning right to this street: That is the National Assembly St. Over at the end is the park. The street name alone should alread...