few photographs before venturing inside to browse through hundreds of stalls selling jewelry, gemstones, tshirts, statuary and handmade silks. The Russian Market is another highlight. Its unusual name came about in the 1980s when most visitors to the city were Russian. This market became the top destination for foreign visitors, hence the name. The selection of souvenirs tends to be more varied here, and this is probably the best place in the city to purchase fabrics. The tradition of Cambodian silk goes back hundreds of years. It is often referred to as Khmer Golden Silk thanks to its natural yellow color. The silk thread that comes from the cocoon of the multivoltine is a round shaped filament capable of excellent light reflection. This produces a particularly lustrous silk that is highly desirable. A
notable
bookstore
within
the
city, Monument Books, is well worth a few hours of browsing. They have an excellent selection of new books, among them an assortment of volumes
covering
Khmer
culture,
his-
tory and language. Any of these would make an ideal keepsake of the city.