Siem Reap (REP) Day 6

Most of the other members of our PEPY trip were returning today, but I stayed an extra day to tour some more around Angkor Wat and the people of this beautiful ancient city. Chin (pictured with his wife) was my tuk tuk driver for most of my time in Siem Reap, and by the end of the trip we became good friends. He took me around to several temples and we spent all day together. Chin used to be a Buddhist monk and so received free education so his English is pretty good. We talked a lot about his life and his concerns for the welfare of his child that his wife carries. "I don't want my baby to beg for money from foreigners everyday like other children do. I see it all the time, and I don't want my baby to do that. That is why I work hard, late at night, driving people home in my tuk tuk, but it's very hard to make money. People hate me; they hate tuk tuk drivers. I drive people to Le Meridien where they pay hundreds of dollars to stay, more than $20 to eat dinner (most meals are less than a dollar in Cambodian restaurants) and almost $5 for a beer, BUT when I ask them for $2 to ride in my tuk tuk it's always the same: 'TWO DOLLARS!! TOO EXPENSIVE!!'. I don't understand why they hate us."