Although some of Phnom Penh's main streets have names most just have numbers. The major boulevards run parallel to the banks of the Tonle Sap and the Tonle Bassac Rivers in a north south direction and east west. Bisecting these wide tree lined roads are hundreds of smaller streets. Theoretically even numbered streets run east-west and odd numbers north-south but they sometimes the system dissolves into a more erratic pattern a bit like the traffic that runs along them.
The numbering system for the buildings on any given street is also at best irregular and at worst eccentric. Originally instigated by the French long years of war and reoccupation destroyed the old system. Repopulation was haphazard with many abandoned buildings playing host to squatters for years who just adopted whatever made sense to them or a number they deemed to be lucky. It is not uncommon to see 12Eo 17 22 24A side by side. there can be multiple houses with the same number on the street and not necessarily together or even on the same side. The Eo or E1, like in the photo, stand for 'etage zero' -ground floor and 'etage un' -the first floor.
It is Diana most people use landmarks or how far away something is from the nearest intersection but you do get used to being bamboozled and I usually try to leave early if its the first time Ive been somewhere :)
Your beautifully edited photo and fascinating caption make me wonder what life as a postal carrier must be like!
I was delighted that you'd had the same beach experience as I pictured today! Like Machans beach that you spoke of, the water and beach here was spotless...a joy to see!
Thanks for your comment - I have made jam, but we don't seem to eat too much of it, so stopped and freeze the berries instead for pies and cobblers - THOSE get eaten up without any problem!
posted August 15th, 2010
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I was delighted that you'd had the same beach experience as I pictured today! Like Machans beach that you spoke of, the water and beach here was spotless...a joy to see!