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Plane Crash Update
Rescuers on Wednesday said they had found the wreckage of a missing PMT Air flight and were now cutting their way through thick jungle towards it.
A break in the appauling weather conditions which had hampered the search since the plane disappeared Monday morning local time had enabled searchers to hack their way into the area the plane was last seen, they said.
However there appeared to be little hope of finding survivors. The Antonov AN-24 was carrying 13 South Korean tourists, three Czechs, a Russian pilot and six Cambodians when it went down.
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Bayon: New Perspectives
It is more than 30 years since the story was last told of the Bayon, the enigmatic state temple of Jayavarman VII, the greatest king of ancient Angkor. Recently, researchers from several disciplines have again been probing the mysteries of this extraordinary monument and its giant face towers. Under an eminent editorial team, Bayon: New Perspectives brings together for the first time leading scholars whose findings and insights challenge, not always in consensus, many of the earlier interpretations of the Bayon's art, architecture and inscriptions.
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South Korea's World Toilet Association races to rescue Cambodia
Cambodia's hoards of tourists marvel at its temples, but shudder after an encounter with its toilets, prompting a recent rescue mission by South Korean-based World Toilet Association (WTA), Tourism Minister Thong Khong said this week.
The minister said chairman of the WTA Assembly, legislator Sim Jae-Duck, had led a recent delegation to Cambodia and extended a warm invitation to the kingdom to join the WTAA meeting in South Korea in November and discuss accession to that body.
The WTA goes by the motto of 'Toilets for health! Toilets for life! Making it happen now'.
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Clean, green Christmas trees on sale at Central Market
Madame Hieng at Shop 9 Central Market is a convincing seller. She has to be. Selling ice to Eskimos has to be easier than selling Christmas trees in predominantly Buddhist Cambodia.
"These trees come from Vietnam," she says. "After Christmas, you can put them in the garden. No need to buy one next year. I guarantee."
Many expatriates find the tacky plastic Christmas trees not only less than authentic or aesthetic but less than environmentally friendly. Now there is a living alternative. -
The Tastes and Tales of the FCC
If restaurants could talk, the FCC would tell some interesting tales. As one of Phnom Penh's most established restaurants, it has witnessed much of Cambodia's tumultuous history. Enviably positioned right on the riverfront, the FCC is the capital's pre-eminent meeting place for tourists and expatriates.
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ABAC Melbourne Cup Day
Melbourne Cup Day was celebrated with style and aplomb at Raffles Hotel on Tuesday 7th November. With the race starting at 11a.m Phnom Penh time, the complimentary champagne cocktails were being quaffed at 9a.m and by 10a.m, many punters had moved onto the main cocktail list, spurned on by a ½ price deal organised by The Australian Business Association of Cambodia. Women arrived in fabulous dresses and hats and the Australian Women's Connection had jockey style silks made for the Le Royal staff so all in all it was a very carnival like atmosphere.
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From Spinning Chairs to Rollercoaster Rides
The smiles on the young Khmer faces were as wide and arching as Phnom Penh's Japanese Bridge. Although initially surprised by the arrival of a busload of Americans, the Cambodian students were now well and truly in their element. They graciously accepted gifts, posed for photographs and played games with their newfound friends.