Philippine Travel Notes

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...

Arrived! Suostei Cambodia! Susadei Phnom Penh! Nice seeing you again! Oh wow you have changed for the best! I silently said all of those, after what I have seen from the air ! This place has a very special place in my memory and in my heart, for I have seen it in its 'backward past' or should I say its 'lagging-behind-all-of-ASEAN-situation' then. Let's continue my arrival encounters from the last story . A modern airport terminal compared to what this was that I saw in the 1990s. Airport personnel are not anymore sloppily dressed in khaki airbase-like uniforms! Those folks down there were having a briefing (I'm sure of that). They're surely part of the ground servicing crew (cleaning, etc.) waiting for their cue to step into action. When will that "action" be? When all of us passengers have already disembarked. Look at my fellow passengers. Happy to note that the world has started pouring in! Some of them came from Doha, some of t...