Surviving Phnom Penh, Cambodia

By: Paula Wallis Phnom Penh is a difficult city to write about, for many reasons. It is a city rife with contradictions; extreme poverty and opulent luxury exist side by side, seemingly in harmony. Ancient temples of long ago glory sit next to bombed out buildings, never repaired, simply used as is. Beggars mournfully approach, displaying missing limbs, sheared off by land mines, only to turn around and produce a cell phone from the folds of their garb to text a friend. Another reason I find it difficult to write about Phnom Penh is the mindset I was in at the time, I fear that I will not do this great Asian city the justice it so deserves. I arrived in Phnom Penh the day after receiving an email from back home imparting the news to me of the death of a close...

Read More