the palace of the the Cambodian King

old woman at night market

I venture out at night. A few years ago the streets were nearly dark. It still feels a little eerie, but today there far many more lights. Progress.I pass various lady-bars/brothels, a gaggle of scantily clad women wearing too much make-up trying to beckon me inside.At nearby markets vendors hawk wares ranging from local fruit, breads, and fowl, to candies and cheap souvenirs. The Cambodian financial system operates on the US dollar. If you need small change from handing over an Abe Lincoln it comes in the form of Cambodian currency, which, when touched, has the feel of monopoly money but is an actuality, worth less.Restaurants in prime locations of the capital cater primarily to tourists and government officials. You can eat a wonderful meal preset meal here at an Italian restaurant called Caravan consisting of appetizers, a glass of wine, a main course, and a scrumptious dessert for $12. Good luck getting that price back home.While people seem generally friendly, there is undoubtedly a collectively felt trauma still present in the population from the genocide committed by the Pol Pot regime. Many of today's parents and elders grew up without families, forced into slave labor, witnessing atrocities, with nowhere to turn for help, a combination which rarely makes for a healthy mind. Sadly a gift bestowed upon the next generation.Phnom Penh is not a must see, but if you do go, accept it for what it is. I'm doing my best.