This post is part of the series on ‘Gap year travel‘
As karma would have it, I arrived at ‘Happy house 19‘, Phnom Penh on an eventful day. But I was not aware of this until late that evening.
I say karma, because I had planned to check-in at Camory backpackers but that was not meant to be :).
Day 1 of my travel and already my first brush with the unwritten rules of hostel booking!
I would know soon that this was going to be a day of many firsts.
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The Cambodian stairs
I vaguely recall the hostel tour, picking a room, paying for 2 nights of stay, making a mental note of the activities brochure and of the poster advertising Angkor beer. But the defining moment was my first taste of the Cambodian stairs. I did not know this then, but this was my initiation into a routine cardio, that I would indulge in for the next few weeks.
I remember chalking off the stairs to resourceful Cambodians making the most of the space they had. How naive and clueless I was :).
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Colourful, bustling, never ending, communal evenings
At about 3:30 PM I ventured out to the riverside walkway, and started my 10 minute walk to the Royal Palace. Along the way I noticed activity building up. Vendors trickling in with their stalls, people unloading speakers, lighting equipment and what not from vans parked along the road.
On arrival at the Royal Palace, I was informed that I only had 1 hour to explore today or I could come back tomorrow and explore the palace premises in leisure. This was a no brainer, today I would explore the street culture of Phnom Penh.
Outside the palace walls, the public gardens had attracted many people. Stretched out on their picnic blankets, families settled in to watch the sun set. Prospective treats had also attracted many pigeons. The atmosphere was picturesque, to say the least. In the distance, from the riverside walkway, I could sense the hum of activity gaining tempo.
I made my way back along with the setting sun and witnessed the Cambodian evening unpack. There were joggers everywhere, t-shirts rolled up – mid-riffs exposed, mixed groups playing jianzi and the open air gym operating at a full house.
What was an empty walkway 45 minutes ago had transformed into an events venue, the stage had been set: red carpet, neon lights, loud speakers an emcee – this was a min-event.
A “star” instructor waltzed in to workout music and began his aerobics session. Slowly the crowds gathered, forming crude lines and following the dance-exercise. The atmosphere was electric – ladies had come dressed up in their fitness best and were working on their moves.
It was magic, the newness of it all and the openness of it all. 🙂
I strolled further along the Mekong’s riverside path, taking in tiny nibbles of Cambodian street food with a side of its immense culture and people.
The timeline of a Cambodian evening is fascinating. Beautifully organic and foreign. As I write this memory down, I realise how much there was to unpack as a novice traveller. It begins with a sudden flurry of moment in the late afternoon, picks momentum as the sun sets and then refuses to fizzle even past dinner time. Evenings are for socialising and for exercising, people come together and play, exercise and do activities as a community. I witnessed this over and over in my time there.
Even by 11:30 pm the energy had only settled into a slightly quieter hum, the evening’s energy seamlessly transitioned into a slightly calmer atmosphere of families and friends out dining. Quick bites of peanuts and fruit were now replaced by stalls of meat and fish. The energy had also shifted gravity, from the riverside onto the river, where “cruise ships” and boats left trials of neon on the waters of Mekong.
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This wasn’t the Cambodia I had imagined. Briefly I thought, perhaps this was the touristy stretch of Phnom Penh?
But the truth was most patrons here were locals. The tourists mostly stuck to dinner, drinks and parties in restaurants. For most visiting, Phnom Penh was a pit stop before or after Angkor Wat, with a handful staying back to see the killing fields. But that is a topic for another day, today we celebrate the evenings in Cambodia.
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Night.
Reluctantly I made my way back to the hostel, not wanting to skimp on sleep.But I was in for another surprise.
Remember, how I said today was an eventful day at the hostel?
Turns out it was the owners son’s birthday tomorrow – technically 5 minutes away.
As I entered the hostel, I was handed sparklers. The other backpackers had sparklers too. The reception and sitting area of the hostel had been cleared to make room for a huge dinning table brimming with a birthday cake, food and largely beer for everyone. The room erupted into the Cambodian rendition of “Happy Birthday”, sparklers were lit and everyone was cheering the little kid as he entered the big 6.The party that went on till the early hours, much after I had called it a night.
I vaguely recollect asking the owner to move me to a quieter room, he said with a proud twinkle in his eye “Today is day to party, there is no quite room :)”.