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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2020)
Wednesday, April 15, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 11 Commentary... Visiting Thailand before pandemic By Craig F. Eisenbeis Columnist Many readers expressed interest in my previous arti- cles about our Southeast Asia <Ghost Ship= cruise to nowhere. Many, though, asked what the cruise was like before the stop in Hong Kong made people aboard our ship into international pariahs. It was wonderful! We saw, learned, and experienced things that can never be understood without the first-hand observation of international travel 4 travel that has since come to a worldwide standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My wife, Kathi, and I departed Sisters in a dark, January snowstorm. It was a relief to arrive in Singa- pore on time after more than 20 hours in the air. We flew into the wealthy city-state just after midnight, and my principal impression was of the vast infrastructure sup- porting the massive metro- politan complex stretched out beneath us. My second impression was of the hun- dreds, probably thousands, of ships anchored and moored in the harbor. I worked with ships and ports my entire Coast Guard career, and I never saw so many ships in one place. Singapore is a place that is both familiar and unfamil- iar. With an internationally acclaimed airport that looks like a sci-fi movie set, all road signs, and most com- mercial ones, are in English. Also of note, your visa is prominently marked in red letters <WARNING: DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICK- ERS.= There are also stiff penalties for things like spit- ting, feeding pigeons, and failure to flush the toilet. Public displays of affection are always frowned upon but, if same-sex, are punishable by stiff fines and jail time. We saw impressive archi- tectural triumphs and, in the few areas not covered by con- crete and steel, dense jungle- like vegetation 4 Singapore is, after all, little more than a degree above the equator. Our stay there was brief; and, not long after being trans- ported to Holland America9s Westerdam, we were sailing off into the Gulf of Thailand. Cruise ships such as these are like floating cities, with eating, shopping, recreation, and entertainment venues scattered throughout. West- erdam is a smaller, mid-size ship carrying fewer than 2,000 passengers. Still, first- rate shows are conducted in the huge theater with illusion- ists, comics, musicians, and 4 most notably 4 elaborate Broadway-style live produc- tions with singers and danc- ers. Additionally, nightclub- like venues abound, with live shows ranging from classical, to blues, to rock. The most obvious advan- tage to cruising is that you take your hotel with you; there is no packing and unpacking. So, after two nights and a relaxing first full day at sea 4 during which we found a nice couple from Illinois to play bridge with 4 our <hotel= had moved to Koh Samui, Thailand. The highlight of Koh Samui was unquestionably riding an elephant on a trail through an eco-safari park. I can9t say that elephant riding is exactly the most comfort- able mode of travel we9ve ever used, but it9s certainly the most unusual. Our ele- phant <operator= (mahout) has had his job for 7 years, and he works with only one elephant. He lives in a nearby home, which he pointed out to us; and he takes the ele- phant home and lives with it and cares for it. <Lily= is 25 years old and one of 25 ele- phants in this park. Before the 30-minute ride, we were treated to a <baby= elephant show. These 2-3 year old <babies= are quite huge and very friendly; they seem to genuinely enjoy what they do and did various tricks and dances. They come right up to you in the hopes of get- ting treats, such as a bunch of bananas, which they wolf down, peels and all. Ele- phants consume 250 pounds or more of food and 50 gal- lons of water every day. While there have not yet been any reports of COVID- infected elephants, we have since learned that the pan- demic is taking a serious toll on Thailand9s captive elephants. According to a BBC report, thousands of captive elephants are in dan- ger of starving because Thai- land has closed its borders to tourists due to the pandemic. Sadly, that closure has dried up the income flow neces- sary to support these inter- esting, and enormous, ani- mals. In most areas, there is not enough forest left to turn them loose and let them for- age. As a result, the elephant keepers are struggling to help their animals survive. The elephants we saw seemed happy and well-cared for. Just as we had no idea how the coronavirus would affect our lives, we do not know what fates might be in store for the elephants. The next day, we awoke to find ourselves in Laem Chabang, gateway to Bang- kok, where we would spend the next two days. Although we saw a few stereotypical Thai water buffalos on the trip, Bangkok is a modern city of 10 million and hardly rural. In the morning, we had an expansive boat tour of Bangkok9s waterways, principally the Chao Phraya River, which provided an ideal avenue from which to view this exotic city and its unusual architecture. An unexpected sight, however, were the six-foot long water monitor lizards! We were served an excel- lent lunch at the downtown Ramada Inn, where we began what would become a daily litany of superb Asian lager beers. Pre-pandemic traf- fic in Bangkok was terrible; and, at one point, we took 45 minutes to travel just three downtown blocks, forcing us to miss a drive-through of Bangkok9s Chinatown. We learned that 95 percent of PHOTO PROVIDED Craig and Kathi Eisenbeis ride an elephant in Thailand shortly before the pandemic crisis. The animals are now threatened with starvation due to the interruption of the tourist industry caused by the pandemic. the very friendly and courte- ous population is Buddhist. Homes and businesses have little shrines outside that look like tiny temples on pedes- tals; they are referred to as <spirit houses= and are main- tained to provide a revered, nearby residence for departed loved ones, as well as spirits that lived at the site before. Our second day in the area centered around the town of Pattaya and the Wat Ben- chamabophit, or the Marble Temple, and its elaborate thousand-acre monastic grounds. This is one of the most visited sites in Thailand. Later, we visited Sala Viharn- sien Pavilion, which houses a spectacular collection of ancient Chinese art, princi- pally statuary. The exhibits include the only permanent display of Chinese terra cotta warriors outside of China. I9ve seen many museums all over the world and am not easily impressed; I was very impressed. The final high- light of the day was a visit to a 390-foot image of Buddha etched onto a mountainside. Finally, we returned to the ship for an excellent steak dinner and an evening pro- duction show in the theater. Our agents are ready to meet your insurance needs As life changes, so should your policy Call or come in today for a free Farmers Friendly Review 541-588-6245 • 257 S. Pine St., #101 www.farmersagent.com/jrybka AUTO • HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS Formerly F Form o erly er rly Big B Bigfoot ig gfo f foot Wellness Well lne Wel lnes s Yes, We Are Open… Chiropractic is considered essential! We are treating low-risk patients suff ering acute pain and taking all precautions to make care safe. To schedule an appointment, visit our website: www.blackbutte chiropractic.com 541-389-9183 392 E. Main Ave., Sisters Boone Dog Pizza is Open! PIZZA/BREAD ORDERS FOR PICK-UP BEGIN APRIL 17... 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