APAD 083: The last day of the King-Father’s funeral
The Royal Palace.
This photo was taken very early this morning, 6am-ish, from the Chroy Changvar peninsula.
The mourners, coming from near and far, are gathered in front of the Palace, wearing black and white. They’re all going to be queueing at the Royal Cremation Pavillion to pay their last respects to the King-Father Norodom Sihanouk. A sombre mood prevails. As there was not a sign of wind, yet the funeral music that is playing is carried over across the river.
As final touches are being made, it is going to be an elaborate cremation ceremony later tonight.
Here’s a short vid clip where you can listen to the funeral music.
APAD 082: Overcast
Today is the first of the 4-day funeral for the King-Father Norodom Sihanouk. It is going to be an elaborate ceremony beginning with a procession that will take the former King’s body from the Royal Palace, where it was lying in state, to a cremation site in front of the National Museum just a block away. Millions of people are expected to attend, most of which come from the countryside. The cremation will be held on on February 4.
This photo was taken one afternoon, one week earlier. The sky was overcast, a crowd of mourners wearing white and black gathered, waiting to be ushered inside the Royal Palace.
An overcast sky. Even the sky is mourning the King Father’s death.
APAD 081: Top Banana
A friend of mine and I had the most delicious fish and chips meal at a rooftop restaurant last Tuesday. The place is located in Phnom Penh’s Golden Street, aka Street 278, a lively strip with lots of restaurants, boutiques and guesthouses. As I was descending the staircase, this sign caught my attention:
Top Banana.
You’ll never walk alone.
Bottom: We make cool shit happen.
I like the black over yellow background. It catches one’s attention easily.
It shows the silhouette of the iconic landmarks in Phnom Penh’s riverside area – the Royal Palace, National Museum, to name a few.
Top Banana Guesthouse is a popular place for backpackers looking for fun but cheap accommodation in the Penh.
APAD 079: Overloaded
This is how we roll in rural Cambodia.
A jampacked taxi (van) and romorque and a moto.
When I used to work in one of the rural towns in the southeastern part of the country, the sight of jam-packed vans, pick ups and remorques (a motorcyle pulling a long cart) overloaded with goods and people is a common sight. With no transportation provided for project staff like me, I experienced squeezing myself and my luggage in an already full mini-bus. On some days, the overhead compartment were crammed with bags of rice and other produce, sometimes there were also live chickens tied together, or even a squealing pig or two bagged inside a sack, all on their way to the markets in Phnom Penh. Oh, one of the fun times I had back then.
APAD 077: Government building
This is Cambodia’s National Assembly building in Phnom Penh. One of the impressive Khmer-style buildings in the capital. It is located next to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, another Khmer-style government building. While these buildings are really fantastic, I don’t understand why they were built next to a hotel-casino.
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