A Rambling Writer Rerun: Thailand, part 20: Home to the Coils of Covid, Chaos, and Cancer
Bidding goodbye to beautiful Thailand, Thor and I flew into the coils of the year 2020 that most of us are eager to flush down the drain of history.
NOTE: Due to health issues, Thor and I haven’t been able to do much travel the past few years, so here’s our Thailand trip from 2020. We were lucky to squeak through the pandemic flight closures that February of 2020 as we returned from our three-week trip. Now crazy times just keep getting crazier. So escape for a few minutes from our new American dystopia to a country as beautiful and colorful as a dream! I’ll interrupt the reruns with occasional book reviews or Geezer Adventures…. (This blog series began 3/15/2025.)
During a year of nearly nonstop trials, I found comfort and welcome distraction in reliving my memories of a wonderful trip, and I hope you found the posts a pleasant “virtual vacation.” I write now amidst the terrible news of mob violence instigated by a power-mad, corrupt U.S. president, and join the many fervently hoping his malignancy can be contained for a peaceful transition of power and recovery for our nation and world. As many others have been recounting their journey through the trials of 2020, I join those voices with the goal of helping purge our collective traumas. Usually I keep these blog posts light and entertaining, and I promise this one ends on a hopeful note! (Update 2025: Who could have imagined that a Trump second term would happen and be even catastrophically worse than the first go-around?? Let us all hang onto good memories and decency and glimmers of hope!)
As Thor and I were preparing to depart Thailand — a last glimpse of its beauty…
…we learned that the airline had changed schedules, and we had to make an overnight stop in Manila, Philippines. By this time, the early impact of Covid19 virus was becoming clear. Before a major source in Wuhan, China, was made public, we had been in many tightly-packed crowds of Chinese tourists, including crammed like sardines with them in a closed tour boat for hours (not recommended). Halfway through our trip, Thailand closed to flights from China, which started us wondering. We had no symptoms, luckily, and passed the temperature check at the Bangkok airport with flying colors.
We were getting used to seeing the mask-wearing practice that would soon prevail back home, at least among people capable of reason.
I’m posting my complete blog entries on my own author website at www.sarastamey.com, where you can finish this episode and enjoy all the accompanying photos. Please continue reading by clicking on the link below, then you can return here (use “go back” arrow above) to comment, ask questions, or join a conversation. We love your responses!
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You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Café is Pause, a First Place winner of the Chanticleer Somerset Award and an International Pulpwood Queens Book Club selection. “A must-read novel about friendship, love, and killer hot flashes.” (Mindy Klasky). It’s also a love letter to the breathtaking wilderness of Sara’s native Pacific Northwest. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com
