Cambodia Part I (Jan 19 - Feb 3?)

The typical streets of Siem Reap, Cambodia

So, after three flights, (Dubai - Bangkok - Siem Reap), I made it to Siem Reap Cambodia, my first time in Asia! Just from the Bangkok airport I sensed that something was different; the people are more accommodating and nicer than in America or the middle east. I detected this almost immediately.
When I first got off the plane in Siem Reap I saw the lush vegetation all around and I shed a tear, thinking about how over 2 years ago I was introduced to this non-profit dam project in Cambodia and here I am... I feel so fortunate to be able to come and see it for myself.
Siem Reap is a charming quaint city. I was taken from the airport to the city center by a "tuk tuk", a metal framed carriage attached to a motor bike. It was a 20 minute drive that cost $2, and was a great intro to this charming place. (They accept American dollars here, but have their own currency, "Riel". 4,000 Riel = $1 US dollar.)
The main roads are paved, but a few blocks away all the roads are dirt and the air is perpetually dusty. I learned how dusty when I tried to go for a run one morning and was inhaling the dust!... its no wonder you see many locals with masks on their faces.
The city is developed enough for me to easily adjust, but there is a simplicity to the place that reminds you that you are hundereds of miles away from home, not to mention the constant warmth.
It was incredible watching the inauguration from a bar in Siem Reap, which was packed with Americans and travellers and locals, all packed in to see history unfold. I was a great experience.
We had some interviews in Phenom Penh which is the capital of the country. Phenom Penh has a completely different feel to it than Siem Reap. The quaintness is gone, and theres a general sense of coldness in this area. There are plenty of nice restaurants and hotels, but the people are harsher and there are many more pushy beggars... the Kings palace is here which is beautiful and full of Hindu / Buddhist temples. Its really hard to tell which temples are Hindu or Buddhist... Today we went to the killing fields from the Khmer Rouge regime only 20 years ago. Apparently from 1976 to 1980 the communist Khmer Rouge regime, head by Pol Pot, in an attempt to cleanse this country and create an agrarian society of farmers and laborers, he ordered the detention and execution of over 1.5 million intellectuals, politicians, monks, women and children. His regime killed over 20% of Cambodia's population and much of the cities were destroyed. It was a holocaust that took place during our lifetimes that no one seems to know about. The results of the genocide can be found in the hearts of the people here, many of whom lived through it. This is perhaps why Cambodia is a hot spot for non-profit organization intervention. I was already introduced to over 10 NGO's in the past few days. And there is still so much to do!