Fabulous Destinations

Fabulous Destinations BY JOHN NICHOLLS BOOTH THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEWYORK 1950 TO Edith and Barbara Anne CONTENTS 1. RESTLESS SPIRIT i 2. SQUEEZING THROUGH THE GATES OF JAPAN 4 3. THE FUKUI DEATH MARCH 10 4. ROYAL PEOPLE AND SACRED PEAKS 26 5. THE WRESTLING MONKS OF ENGAKU-JI 38 6. FEAR ON THE TOKYO-PEIPING JOURNEY 49 7. RIDING THE GREAT MUKDEN AIRLIFT 62 8. LEARNING CHIANG KAI-SHEKS SECRET 68 9. THE TYPHOON AND THE TRAIN WRECK 77 10. PHOTOGRAPHING THE PHILIPPINE GREATS 91 11. THE CRUISE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL YACHT APO 97 12. HOW TO BECOME A DICTATOR IN ONE EASY LESSON 109 13. EIGHT DAYS UNDER BRIGANTINE SAILS 120 14. WITH GUERRILLA FIGHTERS IN THE MALAYAN JUNGLE 136 15. SINGAPORE CELEBRITIES 149 16. EXPOSING THE WORLDS GREATEST HOAX 157 17. I MEET THE FOUNDERS OF MODERN INDIA 172 18. DANGER WITH A SACRED COW 182 19. THE MAHARAJAS SEVENTEEN EMBARRASSED ELEPHANTS 190 vii vtli CONTENTS 20. HOW TO SECURE PERMISSION TO ENTER FORBIDDEN TIBET i 97 21. TO THE ROOF OF THE WORLD 208 22. THE MYSTERY OF THE CHOMO LHARI CHIMES 222 23. EXODUS ON A MULE 2 33 ILLUSTRATIONS Facing page Japans next Emperor, Akihito, tries to catch the disappearing cage while assisting the author in a program of magic 20 The abbot and Dr. Daisetz Suzuki are moving spirits in the ancient monastery of the wrestling monks 21 The roads became choked with earthquake-splintered buildings 21 Toyohiko Kagawa, whose life is a legend, is called one of the worlds three greatest living men 52 Before 1911 no commoner was permitted to enter the precincts of the Forbidden City in Peiping 52 Loading the plane with rice, at Peiping, for the flight across Com munist lines into besieged Mukden 53 Signals on the Kowloon typhoon tower warnHong Kong to prepare for Typhoon Gertrudes approach 53 The presidential yacht passes the superstructures of war-sunk ships projecting above the surface of Manila Harbor 116 The interview with Marshal Li Chi-shen, in his Hong Kong hide out, had unbelievable repercussions in China 116 A Siamese princess drew up the authors Bangkok itinerary, includ ing the Grand Palace of the King 117 Piloting the globe-circling brigantine Yankee, two hours daily, while crossing the South China Sea was an unforgettable thrill 148 Four Prime Ministers of Asia Pibul Songgram, Siam Hitoshi Ashida, Japan Jawaharlal Nehru, India Wong Wen-hao, China 149 Into the Malay jungle after guerrilla bandits went Major Rowlette and the author, who is in army tropical uniform 180 Between the Sultan and Sultana of Johore stands the rulers famous elephant-leg trophy 180 After our luncheon Mahatma Gandhis famous son, Devadas, and part of his family posed for this photograph 181 x ILLUSTRATIONS Hunting killer leopards from elephant back is one of the ancient royal sports of India 212 The High Lama sat on his holy dais and denied that Jesus had ever visited Phari Dzong 212 Soaring above the dirty rooftops of the worlds highest city is the summit of Tibets Holy Peak 213 Booths expedition of six men and a mule trekking across the Himalayas and out of forbidden Tibet 213 FABULOUS DESTINATIONS RESTLESS SPIRIT I HE WAR WAS OVER. BARRIERS TO TRAVEL WERE BEING LOWERED. IT was spring, and all my long latent desires to scramble through faraway lands were seeking fulfillment. And yet the role of tourist had no place in my mind. Dramatic incidents, historical events in the making, unvar nished life itself, were what interested me. I feltan irresistible urge to break out of the home-town ruts, to broaden and deepen my experience with life. My desire was receiving added stimulus from one of those periods that come occasionally into the life of everyone. I knew that I must unravel the kinks and tensions that overwork had developed in my body and brain. A prosaic two weeks at the seashore would be futile. Something vigorous, challenging was needed...