June 19th
June 19th
Daily Flight Information:
The World Flight will be delayed in Bangkok at least one day while a US Destroyer travels to Tavoy, Burma to establish a refueling stop for the next scheduled hop to Rangoon, Burma.
World Flight waits at Bangkok
Daily Report
by Lt. L. P. Arnold, "Chicago", Mechanic
We slept late & arose at 10 feeling fine -- until noon we looked over maps, etc. and returned to the destroyer for lunch.
Later we went back to town where we met Dickinson, Charge de Affairs here, who took us to look over the town. We saw the White Elephants, the Palace, Thrave Halla, a miniature of the famous ruins near here that were recently discovered, and visited a couple of Buddha temples. In one was a huge sleeping Buddha, a gigantic thing. We also visited the Kings temple & here saw the famous jade Buddha with the diamond in the forehead -- reputed to be worth well over a million dollars.
Returning to the destroyer after dark we saw the fireflies at work -- thousands of them will gather on a tree & all flare up in unison, giving the effect of a reflection or search light suddenly being thrown on the tree; and to see a number of trees like that is very weird. This noon while going down the river in a launch we passed all kinds and sorts of debris.
As a mark of special consideration we were all invited to attend and witness a beheading which takes place tomorrow morning -- but none of us were very keen about that & lost no time in declining.
Bangkok is a very cosmopolitan town -- foreigners & foreign boats of all nations being here. The Siamese are a very keen race -- smart, courteous, kind, and very likable. It would be most interesting to stay here long enough to see more of the country, to learn & observe some of its customs, and to see some of its worthwhile sights.