Give a bit back while visiting Angkor's splendor

Central Siem Reap, Cambodia
The unassuming earth-tone stucco building could easily be missed, as one zips by on a $1 precarious but memorable moto taxi, en route to the main park entrance to the wonderous Angkor Wat UNESCO site.
In fact, the building almost no visitors notice or stop at is home to the KANTHA BOPHA Children's Hospital.
This children's hospital (and another of the same name in Phnom Penh) is the brainchild of Swiss-born Dr. Beat Richter.
He relies heavily on visitor support via blood donation so that he can perform various pediatric proceedures most cambodian families cannot afford.
All his medical supplies are purchased in Switzerland to assure donors the most modern and comfortable donation environment.
Blood donation is, speaking from limited experience, pain-free and only takes a few minutes.
Cambodian people, it would seem to make more sense, would make better sources as a blood donor pool, right?
As it turns out, many locals cannot donate themselves due to Hepatitis C being common and which, when transmitted, eventually causes liver failure.
(I was told this by a long-term American expat who himself made a big contribution to Cambodia's post-Khmer Rouge era by introducing the Internet to Cambodia back in the early 1990's, thus helping the blooming and ever-expanding tourist industry)
Stepping through the gates of the Children's Hospital was intimidating, as grieving parents desperate for medical care to heal their kids line up each day in the hope that they'll be helped.
Within the hospital compound, fans attempted to cool the throngs of people sprawled about, either too weak to move or exhausted from the long wait for clinical services.
I felt almost ill with guilt as the gaunt, desperate eyes waiting in shaded yet tropical heat followed my course, a healthy if not overtly plump caucasian tourist, into the hospital compound.
It was a true cultural gauntlet to walk, luckily my moto driver caught on and escorted me in without missing a stride. Although the $5 I paid him for a moto ride to the clinic, to Angkor and back to my hostel was equal to a full week's work for the average Cambodian...
As you help, through your tourist dollars, (Cambodian Riel is in effect a locals-only currency) to make Siem Reap a mainstay in Southeast Asian holidaymaking, pause for just a bit and try to give back.
You could just be the one to help Dr. Richtner save yet another child's life.
Learn more at: www.beat-richner.ch/

from my site at: http://www.thingsasian.com/goto_article/tell_story.3205.html

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Isle of Smiles: Taiwan's Hospitality

An eight-day trip whittles away fast, travelers know this is both the curse and the blessing of a week's venture to a new place, culture and in this case, an island.
Whilst staring dumbfoundedly at perplexing sidewalk cafe menus displayed in Chinese characters or trying to explain directions to a Cabbie, I felt a pleasant air about the people. They really want visitors to enjoy their time and act as such.
Some of my best Taiwan experiences were sipping pungent tea from a miniscule pot in Pinglin on a rainy November morning and being offered a harrowing moped ride on the descent from a day hike in Yushan National Park.
I really hope to invest more time in exploring this island and its multitude of welcoming hosts.
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Published on 1/11/05

http://www.thingsasian.com/goto_article/tell_story.3091.html

So... more unpaid markets. My fans- please pass these around. Later on I hope to add to these and make them saleable.

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