Readers Digest Asia 02.2022

A Fairytale Train Journey

Drawing on tenuous historical and literary connections, the romantic and spooky-
looking Bran Castle in Transylvania has been rebranded as Dracula’s Castle

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Trans-Siberian Express, most seemed Yantra River that, according to our
drawn less by the train itself and guide, a local joke is that directions
more by the ease of our cruise-like are given in terms of up and down,
itinerary. Being conveyed from place not right and left. We checked out an
to place without having to repack or equestrian monument to the rulers
carry bags or manage logistics is no of the Asen dynasty, who had over-
small asset in places such as rural thrown the Byzantines in 1186, and
Romania, where tourism infrastruc- then the Tsarevets fortress, which
ture is on the rudimentary side. had failed to stop the Turks.

NEXT MORNING I woke in Bulgaria. In the nearby village of Arbanasi,
Outside the window, wispy fog and we visited the 16th-century Church of
the green Balkan Mountains had re- the Nativity, a low stone structure that
placed Istanbul’s sprawl. In the night, looked like a meeting hall for hobbits.
the train had click-clacked northwest The inside, which was densely paint-
across the shifting frontiers of former ed with saints in red, gold and green,
empires, fought over for centuries – gave me the giddy feeling of a holy
today all but forgotten. kaleidoscope. An illustration that took
up most of one wall showed a man
A little after 9am, we reached our ascending to fortune and glory before
first stop, the medieval fortress city tumbling into ruin and hell. A lesson
of Veliko Tarnovo, which is stacked for empires, perhaps.
so steeply uphill from the winding
As we reboarded the Danube

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READER’S DIGEST

a quandary. They are im-

practical dwellings and

no longer serve defensive

purposes, but letting them

decay would be a shame.

So admission must be

charged and curiosity cul-

tivated. We visit to connect

with the past, to marvel at

the idea of living in such

vast structures. Peleú Cas-

tle was built mostly in the

Budapest marks the end of the journey 1870s as a summer palace

for Carol I, who became

Express that evening, it dawned on Romania’s ruling prince in 1866 and,

me that I wouldn’t be spending much following its formal recognition as a

time on the train. I’d imagined lei- country, its first king in 1881, which

surely hours reading in my cabin, but honestly seems a little late to launch

soon learned that on journeys like a monarchy.

these, night-time and early morn- Nestled in the Southern Carpathi-

ings are when the distances are cov- an Mountains, Peleú is a 160-room

ered. Daytime was for walking tours, fantasia done in a catch-all style

which were always interesting and, known as neo-Renaissance. From the

since our visit coincided with the tail outside, it looks like an over-the-top

end of a heat wave, always character- Bavarian hunting lodge, timbered

ised by the search for shade. and spired; inside, it’s a showcase of

embellishment, with once-futuristic

HOW’S THIS for a sightseeing mara- features like a cinema and a central

thon? The next day we disembarked vacuum system. Final touches were

at 7.45am in the Transylvanian alpine added in 1914, a mere 33 years be-

town of Sinaia to visit Peleú Castle, re- fore the Communists would seize all

boarded for a quick trip to the city of royal property. Touring Peleú’s public

Braúov, took a bus to Bran Castle for rooms, I felt an odd melancholy for its PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

dinner, and returned to the train af- builders, who had been oblivious to

ter 11pm, at which point I collapsed the looming end of their gilded era.

into bed. Half a dozen passengers, all Bran Castle, too, excites the imag-

decades my senior, adjourned to the ination, but more for marketing rea-

bar car for a nightcap. Heroes. sons than for anything related to his-

Castles in modern times present torical fact. It was built in the second

100 february 2022

A Fairytale Train Journey

half of the 14th century as a fortress On the last day, I woke to find that
to defend against invaders, including Romanian cornfields had given way to
the Ottoman Turks. the Great Hungarian Plain, a vast ex-
panse of grassland that occupies the
In the 1970s, enterprising travel eastern half of Hungary. We stopped
companies promoted the castle based for one last excursion, which involved
on a tenuous connection to Vlad the sampling the local schnapps and
Impaler, a 15th-century Wallachian watching a traditional horse show. In
prince with a predilection for skewer- Budapest, we disembarked the Dan-
ing his Ottoman enemies on stakes. He ube Express for the last time.
is widely believed to be the inspiration
for Bram Stoker’s fictional vampire in THAT EVENING I sat beside the riv-
his book Dracula. Disappointingly, er drinking a vibrant orange Aper-
Stoker never came to Transylvania, ol spritz under a sunset the precise
and there is no concrete evidence he colour of an Aperol spritz. Barges
based his bloodthirsty Count Dracula passed. Young women sat chatting
on the historical Vlad the Impaler. on the embankment with their legs
dangling over the edge.
Bran is now known as Dracula’s
Castle, a tourist-trappy label re- Like Istanbul, Budapest is an an-
inforced by the stalls, clustered at cient city. The Romans, the Huns,
its foot like a feudal village, selling the Visigoths, the Magyars, the Ot-
plastic fangs and glow-in-the-dark tomans, the Hapsburgs, the Nazis,
wolf T-shirts. the Soviets – they all had a hand in
shaping it. The city’s spires darkened
Despite this, Bran is one of those to silhouettes, and it struck me how
attractions that transcend cheesi- crazy it is, really, how touching, that
ness. Perched on a rocky bluff, it’s the human belief in the permanence
arresting and romantic and genu- of cities and borders and ways of life
inely spooky-looking. Inside are ap- persists despite ever-accumulating
pealing, whitewashed living spaces. evidence to the contrary.
Squeezing up a narrow stone stair-
case, we emerged into a high room Someday, travellers might take
where a long table was waiting. trips designed to spark a sense of
French doors opened onto a balcony nostalgia for our era. Someday
overlooking the castle’s towers and people might look on our mighty
courtyard: the setting for a private projects and laugh. Someday – and
dinner. A string quartet played while this is certain – we will be the
we dined and chatted about travel, as ancient ones.
tour mates tend to do. No bats flew
off into the twilight, but sometimes a FROM TRAVEL + LEISURE (DECEMBER 11, 2019),
meal and a breeze are enough. © 2019 BY MAGGIE SHIPSTEAD

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THE BOYS

In The

CAVE

For the soccer team trapped deep in a
Thailand cave, rescue seemed impossible

BY Matt Gutman

FROM THE BOOK THE BOYS IN THE CAVE

102 february 2022

BONUS READ

PONG, 13

TITAN, 11 NOTE, 15
DOM, 13
MARK, 13 BEW, 14
MIX, 13
TEE, 15

ADUL, 14

NIGHT, 17

TERN, 14

COACH EK, 25

NICK, 15

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READER’S DIGEST

aturday, June 23, the cave’s channels hadn’t started PHOTOS, PREVIOUS SPREAD:(CAVE) PONGMANAT TASIRI/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK. (BOYS) ALL COURTESY OF FACEBOOK
2018. The 32°C air in yet. Behind him were Night; 15-year- OPPOSITE PAGE: THIERRY FALISE/LIGHTROCKET VIA GETTY IMAGES
Mae Sai, Thailand’s olds Note, Nick and Tee; Bew, Adul
northernmost town, and Tern, all age 14; and 13-year-olds
was like a hot damp Dom, Pong, Mark and Mix. Giggling
among them was the littlest guy, iron-
Stowel w r apped ically nicknamed Titan, aged 11. With
around the Moo Pa Ek, they were 13 in all.
(‘Wild Boars’) soccer team, but they
cycled to the pitch anyway – they al- The mouth of the cave was large
ways did. enough to fit the Taj Mahal. Mud
stains some six metres up showed
If head coach Nopparat Khan- the high-water mark of previous
thavong was the team’s general, as- years’ floods. About 1.6 kilometres in
sistant coach Ekapol Chantawong they turned left at a T-junction. They
– ‘Ek’ – was his friendly lieutenant. wanted to reach Pattaya Beach – a
With his smiling eyes and chirpy sandbar named after a Thai resort
voice, at age 25 he was more like a town – more than half a kilometre
big brother to the kids. Having spent further in. The boys, marching fast,
much of his childhood in a monas- encountered small passages they had
tery, he had learned Buddhist disci- to stoop down and squeeze through.
pline, meditation and kindness. Titan, who was also experiencing the
cave for the first time, found himself
Ek often took his players to Tham afraid of the dark and the creepy
Luang cave at the base of Doi Nang shadows cast by their torches. But he
Non mountain after practice. A half- didn’t dare tell anyone.
hour bike ride away, it was a refuge
from the heat and, especially ap- There wasn’t much to see at Pattaya
pealing to Ek, the phone signals Beach, but the Wild Boars were hap-
upon which the boys were hooked. py to have an adventure to celebrate
So at noon the group headed there. It Night’s birthday. Coach Ek checked
was the first time for Peerapat Som- his watch; they’d been in the cave
piangjai, nicknamed, as many Thais about an hour. They headed back.
are, with a shorter name: ‘Night’. He
planned to be home by 5pm for his But before they reached the T-junc-
17th-birthday celebration. tion, instead of the stagnant water
they had crossed on the way in, they
Entering the cave they passed a sign found deep, fast-moving water. Ek
that read, in Thai and English, ‘DAN- pulled a rope from his bag, tied it
GER! From July to November the cave around his waist and instructed three
can flood.’ Coach Ek, who led the way, of the bigger boys: “If I yank twice, pull
wasn’t worried; it was still June and me back. If I don’t, you can come too.”
the monsoon rains that would flood

104 february 2022

The Boys In The Cave

Ek dove down, but

the darkness, depth and

current defeated him.

He yanked twice. Night

felt a surge of panic as he

helped haul in his coach.

It was now about 5pm.

The scared boys hadn’t

eaten in hours. Worried

they would panic, Ek

told them something he

didn’t believe himself

– that the water would Beneath Doi Nang Non mountain are a number of

p r o b a b l y r e c e d e b y underground water courses, including Tham Luang cave

morning. “You’ll see,”

he said. “Why don’t we find a place The only answer came from the

to sleep?” cave: echoes bouncing the names

They retreated to the high sand- back.

bar of Pattaya Beach, which typi- At 7am on Sunday, June 24, rescu-

cally remained above water during ers entered the cave. Among them

the floods. Ek gathered the boys for was Vern Unsworth, a 63-year-old

their usual Buddhist prayers, chants British caver who lived in Chiang Rai,

he hoped would soothe them, before who came to the cave after receiv-

they clumped together for sleep. But ing many phone calls overnight. He

the boys’ sobs echoed off the walls. knew this place better than anyone.

The Rains Arrive Early Over several expeditions, he and his
friend Rob Harper had created a new,

Though the Wild Boars didn’t know extended survey of the cave system,

it, the monsoon rains had arrived replacing one from the 1980s.

early. And parents grew alarmed At t he T-ju nc t ion, Un s wor t h

when their sons didn’t return home. stopped in his tracks. The bowl that

At 10pm, a local team of rescuers he’d seen so many times was now

was called in and a few parents completely under water. He’d been

made their way through the deepen- told there was water, but didn’t ex-

ing mud to the cave entrance, near pect this much. There was nothing he

where the boys’ bikes stood parked. could do so he returned to the mouth

The ranger wouldn’t allow them to go of the cave.

in, so they shouted into the entrance: That second night, the boys were

“Night! Bew! Titan!” pushed further into the cave system

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READER’S DIGEST

T-JUNCTION

DIVE BASE ENTRANCE

PATTAYA BEACH DISTANCE:
2.3 KILOMETRES
BOYS FOUND
DIVES
WADING
DRY

Bird’s-eye view of the cave tunnel

by rising water. In what would later elite force – had failed to find them. MAP: COURTESY OF MATT GUTMAN/HARPER COLLINS
be called Chamber Nine, about 2.3 A thousand troops and helpers gath-
kilometres from the entrance, the ered outside the cave, and the world
muddy ground slanted sharply up watched news reports, hoping for a
towards the cave wall. A flatter area miracle. But as waters rose, the mili-
served as living and sleeping quar- tary suspended rescue attempts. On
ters. Whenever a boy started to cry, June 28, the fifth day after the boys
the others would hold him and try to entered the cave, an expert in water
cheer him up. They were cold, hun- management, 32-year-old Thanet
gry and scared, and Ek helped them Natisri, began an operation to divert
stay calm with regular prayer and water on the mountain above the cave
meditation. They had no food but with pipes and pumps so that it didn’t
the stream below gave them water. seep into the cave. It made the differ-
Tee held his mouth open under a sta- ence; the tunnel became navigable.
lactite and swallowed drop after drop
until he felt full. On day ten, Monday, July 2, a pair
of the world’s best cave divers would
This was only the start of a more attempt to find the boys. Vern Un-
than two-week ordeal. sworth had drawn a map of where he
thought the boys could be, and the
Where Were The Boys? newly arrived Brits – Rick Stanton, 57,
and John Volanthen, 48 – committed it
Days went by and still nobody knew to memory. Then, for three hours they
where the boys were, or if any had finned against the current, breath-
survived starvation, hypothermia or ing heavily into their regulators and
drowning. Thai SEALs – the navy’s

106 february 2022

The Boys In The Cave

carefully unspooling a thin guide line when the men had noticed air spaces

behind them. Basic diving protocol, above, they would bob up and take a

the line was their link to the outside sniff, their noses supplying informa-

world. They were further into the cave tion their eyes couldn’t. This time,

than any of the rescuers before them there was the distinct smell of either

could get. human excrement – or decaying bod-

Stanton checked his air gauge; he ies. “Hey, John,” he said in the dark.

had consumed about a third of his “We’ve got something.”

supply, which meant they had to turn Then, voices. As they drifted to-

back soon. Cave divers use a third of wards the sound, they saw a beam of

a tank on the journey in and a third light flick on and scan the water.

on the journey out, and reserve a third

in case of trouble, like getting lost or “When Will You Be Back?”

stuck. Death can result Moments earlier,

from equipment fail- THE RESCUE Coach Ek had heard
ure, flash floods, slam- DIVERS FIGURED somet hing: men’s
ming headfirst into voices. The boys
rock and panicking. THAT, SADLY, stopped cold as Ek
WHEREVER asked everyone to
They passed Pat- THESE BOYS hush. Silence. Then
taya Beach, which WERE, THEY the voices again.
water had swallowed WEREN’T ALIVE
up. Unsworth’s guess The boys were
had been that the boys unsure if what they

had taken refuge a were hearing was

few hundred metres real. They so zeal-

beyond in a room that offered high ously conserved their torch batteries

ground. that they’d mostly been in complete

Stanton and Volanthen were vet- darkness. They knew by their digital

erans of multiple cave rescues; some watches that ten days had gone by.

were successful, but more often they Oxygen was dwindling, and sleep

found corpses. To their knowledge came fitfully; they longed for food,

nobody with zero provisions had sur- their parents, their beds.

vived this deep into a cave for this Too tired to move, Ek whispered

long. They figured that, sadly, wherev- to 13-year-old Mix to go to the wa-

er these boys were, they weren’t alive. ter’s edge with a torch to check it out.

Stanton made a mental note to tell “Hurry. If it’s a rescuer they might

Volanthen they need to turn around pass us.” Now the boys saw two crea-

soon. Then he surfaced, took off his tures that looked like spacemen with

mask and sniffed. Along the way, hoses attached to their mouths, and

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READER’S DIGEST

helmets bristling with lights. The desperation when they’d be back, the

semi-submerged figures were talk- men responded, “We hope tomorrow.”

ing. Mix froze with fear. Adul, 14, took “We are hungry,” said the boys, lift-

the torch from Mix, and called out in ing their soccer jerseys to reveal bony

Thai, “Officer! Officer, hello! Over ribs. The divers hadn’t expected to find

here!” The voices didn’t answer. them alive and had no food for them.

Adul, stupefied that they had been Stanton took stock of the group. The

found, was doubly confused when he little ones and the coach seemed le-

realised the men were speaking Eng- thargic and frail, but some of the big-

lish. He crept to the water’s edge. He ger boys looked surprisingly energetic.

could speak some English, but right As the men prepared to leave, each

now could only muster a “Hello!” boy came over and wrapped skin-

The divers first surfaced about 45 ny arms around them. In a country

metres away. By 20 or where physical con-

so metres out, their THE BOYS tact among strangers
headlights illumi- HUDDLED is unusual, where
nated a couple of the TOGETHER ON hands pressed togeth-
Boars. “How many are THE SANDBAR er in front of one’s
you?” shouted Volan- TO SLEEP, THEIR face takes the place
then. “13!” came the SOBS ECHOING of a handshake, the
reply. “Brilliant,” said OFF THE WALLS embraces showed the
Volanthen. They were enormity of the boys’
all alive. relief and gratitude.

He added: “Many As news spread that

people are coming” the Boars had been

– though that promise would later found, cheers rang out at the camps

haunt Stanton and Volanthen with of soldiers and volunteers that had

the sting of guilt. The more they came sprung up around Mae Sai. In the

to understand the boys’ predicament, park-ranger hut the boys’ parents

the less optimistic they felt. high-fived and hugged.

“I am so happy,” Adul told them. The next day, seven Thai SEALs

“We are happy, too,” replied Volan- made the perilous journey, bringing

then. They went onto the sloping space blankets, medical supplies and

mud bank and stayed about 20 min- energy gels to the boys; four of the

utes. Stanton inspected their living men stayed behind with them. A day

quarters, the three-metre-long ‘escape later, Volanthen and Stanton delivered

tunnel’ they had been digging, and the military ration packs. It was the first

sleeping area they had levelled out. food the boys had seen in 12 days.

When one boy asked with a hint of With food in their bellies, the boys’

108 february 2022

The Boys In The Cave

vigour returned. To pass

the time, they played

checkers with the SEALs

using clods of dirt and

rocks as pieces.

An American mili-

tary pararescue team,

called in from their base

in Okinawa, Japan, was

placed in charge of res-

cue-plan logistics. One

option – leaving the boys

in the cave for months, This photo captures the moment when cave divers
until after the monsoon discovered that the group was alive

season – was dismissed

when an oxygen reading in the boys’ Jewell. On Friday, July 6, the pair de-

chamber showed just 15.5 per cent; livered food and wet suits to the boys.

it meant there was no way the boys Hours later they arrived back at camp

could survive that long. with notes from the boys to their

Volanthen and Stanton knew that families, possibly their last commu-

only a handful of cave divers in the nication. Eleven-year-old Titan had

world could survive the round-trip written, “Mum, Dad, don’t worry, I’m

journey as they had; they suspected OK, please tell Yod to prepare to take

bringing the boys out could be im- me to eat fried chicken. Love you.”

possible. A plan was then decided:

the Boars would be sedated. Other- A High-Risk Mission

wise, if a boy panicked, he and his Before the rescue could begin, hun-

rescuers could die. The linchpins dreds of air tanks had to be hauled

of this effort would be two Austral- to points along the extraction route.

ian divers who were also medical Flexible plastic stretchers called

experts, veterinarian Craig Challen Skeds, which wrap around a casualty

PHOTO: AP/SHUT TERS TOCK and anaesthetist Richard Harris. In like a taco, were dropped off in

all, about a dozen divers, working Chamber Three; the boys would be

in shifts over three days, would be put on them for the last treacherous

needed to swim the 13 out: four on stretch before the cave entrance.

each of the first two days, and five on On July 6, Saman Gunan, a square-

day three. jawed ex-Thai SEAL, was ferrying air

Two of the lead divers flew in from tanks in the sump between Cham-

Britain: Jason Mallinson and Chris bers Three and Four, his last dive

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READER’S DIGEST

of the day. His dive buddy turned July 8, the lead divers – Challen, Har-
around to find him unconscious. He ris, Stanton, Volanthen, Mallinson
couldn’t be saved. No one knows ex- and Jewell – slipped into the water at
actly why, but he had run out of air. Chamber Three, spaced a few minutes
Gunan’s death unnerved everyone. apart. Harris would stay in Chamber
Nine all day. Mallinson had volun-
On Saturday, July 7, the day before teered to be the first to lead a boy out.
the rescue was to start – and two
weeks since the boys had entered the When they reached Chamber Nine,
cave – Harris and Challen made their Note was readied for the trip. Harris
way to Chamber Nine to examine the administered the shots, and after
boys and calculate how much seda- Note lost consciousness, Harris and
tive each one would need. Some had Mallinson zip-tied his limbs to pre-
symptoms of chest infection, but they vent them from getting injured or
and their coach seemed relatively entangled, and strapped on a pos-
healthy, if rail thin. The doctors also itive-pressure face mask. It would
brought letters from the boys’ fami- feed air continuously to ensure the
lies. “Dad and Mum are waiting to boy kept breathing while comatose.
arrange your birthday party,” Night’s Harris tested the mask seal by dunk-
parents wrote. “Please get out soon, ing the boy’s head into the water. But
and stay healthy.” Note had stopped breathing. Then,
an eternal 30 seconds later, bubbles
Harris would administer a sedative flowed from the side of his mask, in-
so each boy would be calm before dicating exhalations.
setting off. Then at dive time they
would get two injections: ketamine With an oxygen tank now secured
to knock them out and atropine to around Note’s waist, Mallinson
dry up their mouths and lungs so gripped the two straps on the back
they wouldn’t choke on saliva. It was of the boy’s inflatable vest and start-
likely that each boy would wake up a ed kicking, following the guide line.
few times during the three-hour ex- The first section was the longest – a
traction as the medication wore off, 20-minute, 320-metre swim. Towards
and would need to be re-sedated by the end was a choke point; Mallinson
their diver. So each diver was given a had to contort Note’s body to get him
crash course on how to administer a through it.
new shot of anaesthetic.
Note’s head, facing down, inevita-
Despite the meticulous planning, bly struck unseen rocks. His bare feet
the rescuers knew that some casual- dangled low and scraped the sharp
ties were likely. There were just too rocks and gravel on the tunnel floor.
many things that could go wrong. But Mallinson’s mission wasn’t neces-
sarily to bring the boy out uninjured;
Without fanfare, at 10am on Sunday,

110 february 2022

The Boys In The Cave

it was to bring him out alive. His sole soon his breathing stabilised – in fact,

focus was the mask’s seal. If it became he was coming to. Harris knocked him

dislodged, Note could drown. Soon out with another ketamine jab, and

after the two emerged in Chamber Stanton resumed their journey.

Eight, Volanthen, who had been be- Ahead, Mallinson, the first diver,

hind them, arrived with Tern. They was leaving Chamber Seven when he

were followed 20 minutes later by felt Note twitch – he was coming to.

Jewell with Nick. Then one by one In neck-deep water, he pinned Note

each diver and boy entered the sump against a wall while trying to get the

at Chamber Seven and kept going. ketamine from his bag, but when he

found it, the syringes popped out,

“There’s Nothing We Can Do” slowly floating away. Mallinson man-

Back at Chamber Nine, Harris dosed aged to grab one, and injected Note.

the day’s last boy, The last and most

Night, with ketamine. HARRIS challenging choke
For a few moments CRADLED THE point was a narrow
he stopped breathing UNCONSCIOUS vertical squeeze from
– then came a slow BOY’S HEAD, Chamber Four to
breath. Stanton nosed THINKING: THIS Chamber Three. Vis-
into the canal with the ibility was poor, and
boy, watching careful- IS GOING feeling their way was
ly for the bubbles that REALLY BADLY even more difficult
indicated breathing. when holding both the

Some 50 metres out, line and a boy.

he shouted back to Mallinson had

the doctor: “He doesn’t seem to be memorised the squeeze. He pulled

breathing much!” Night was taking Note upright, stuffed him through the

maybe three breaths a minute. narrow opening and slid in behind,

Harris shouted back, “There’s noth- careful not to let go of the boy. It was

ing we can do, keep going!” one of the darkest parts of the dive,

With four boys on their way out, and Mallinson hoped his battered

Harris now set off. Arriving in Cham- ward was still alive.

ber Eight just after Stanton, he saw When they arrived at Chamber

that Night was blue and cold, barely Three, the second-last one before the

breathing. Harris lay cheek-to-sand entrance, Note was unresponsive. A

and cradled the boy’s head, trying to Thai doctor stationed there assessed

keep his airway open. This is going re- his vitals.

ally badly, he thought. But then Night “He’s a l i v e! ” c a me t he c a l l .

began to take sporadic breaths and There was a burst of cheers from

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READER’S DIGEST

surrounding rescue-team members. dive, when they’d try to bring four

Now some 1000 metres more had more boys to safety. Nobody could

to be covered to get Note out. First he stop yet – there were dozens of empty

was strapped into a Sked, which was tanks to refill and ropes to tension.

harnessed to a newly built rope-and-

pulley system that would enable the An Unlikely Feat

boys to be lifted over a series of boul- The human shuttle continued for two

ders. After that, the Sked was carried more days. On the second day, Nick,

by another team for more than 60 Adul, Bew and Dom were brought

metres around stalagmites and boul- out without a single incident or scare.

ders. Then, Thai SEALs manoeuvred Harris told a rescue planner, “Man,

the stretcher via another rope system this has never been done before.

down a 45-degree slope to a para-res- We’re actually succeeding at mission

cuer, who carried the impossible.”

boy to Chamber Two. THE But they all knew
On the final stretch, INTERNATIONAL they couldn’t be com-
RESCUE TEAM placent. There was a
another Thai SEAL HAD WORKED new threat: the fore-
team hauled Note TOGETHER TO cast was for more rain
through 365 metres of on the third and final
chest-high water, and ACHIEVE THE day, possibly five cen-
then ran him to the IMPOSSIBLE timetres. The rescue
cave entrance. There, would be suspended if
he was exposed to his

first rays of natural there was too much; it

light in more than two could overwhelm the

weeks. pumps that were continuously extract-

As the boys – first Note, then Tern, ing water. But if that happened there

Nick and Night – emerged, ambulanc- was no telling how long they’d have to

es moved them away from the Tham leave the remaining boys, Ek and the

Luang cave and they were helicop- four Thai SEALs in Chamber Nine.

tered to a hospital in Chiang Rai. At Next morning – Tuesday, July 10 –

that point, even their parents weren’t there was a break in the rain. It was

aware of the rescue. But it wasn’t long now or never. They started an hour

before the news leaked: four of the boys ahead of schedule. When the divers

were out, and they were all alive. passed the T-junction they were re-

While the world was learning about lieved to see no clear water in the

the divers’ incredible feat, Mallinson current – Thanet’s diversion system

and the rest of the exhausted team outside was still working.

were busy preparing for the next day’s Later that day, the last boy, Pong,

112 february 2022

The Boys In The Cave

was carried from the cave

and taken to hospital,

where he, his teammates,

and their coach would

remain under observa-

tion for a week. Then, the

four SEALS made their

way out.

As the rescue teams

emerged from Tham

Luang cave to huge

crowds, cheering and Members of the Royal Thai Navy and international
shouts of “Heroes!” and volunteers heading into the cave
“Thank you!” drowned

out the rain. The boys’ parents cried In 2019, the King of Thailand granted

tears of joy. It was over. royal honours on 75 Thai and more

Just hours later, the monsoon rains than 100 foreign rescuers who took

totally sealed off Tham Luang cave. part in this remarkable feat. The

Only the divers and doctors really King honoured SEAL Saman Gunan

understood how unlikely this res- with a posthumous promotion

cue was. They had done something and sponsored his funeral. Craig

unprecedented: extracted 13 un- Challen and Richard Harris were

conscious human beings through jointly named 2019 Australian of

more than two kilometres of jagged, the Year. The four British divers

f looded tunnels without a fatality. – John Volanthen, Rick Stanton,

Military and civilian, Thai and in- Chris Jewell and Jason Mallinson –

ternational, the rescue teams had received gallantry medals from Queen

achieved the impossible. The mis- Elizabeth II and Vern Unsworth

sion had met its objective: the Wild was appointed an MBE (Member of

Boars were going home. the Order of the British Empire). A

Several weeks later, the boys rode Hollywood film called Thirteen Lives

their bikes up the hill to Coach Ek’s (directed by Ron Howard and starring

small temple dormitory to celebrate Colin Farrell as John Volanthen and

Titan’s 12th birthday. It was nearly Joel Edgerton as Dr Richard Harris) is

PHOTO: ALAMY 9pm when the boys cheerily bid Ek set to be released in 2022.

goodbye and pointed their bikes

downhill towards home – betraying EXCERPTED FROM THE BOOK THE BOYS IN THE
not a speck of fear. They were, after CAVE BY MATT GUTMAN, © 2018 BY MATT GUTMAN.
all, the Moo Pa. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF HARPERCOLLINS
PUBLISHERS.

rdasia.com 113

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MORE HOT OFFERS, TOP STORIES AND PRIZES!

Nightmare Alley Psychological Thriller

I s he beast or man? asks dangerous than he is, and
carnival worker Stan Carlisle together the pair swindle people
(Bradley Cooper) to the out of their money.
gathered audience. With a talent
for manipulating people with a Based on the novel by William
few well-chosen words, the Lindsay Gresham, Nightmare
ambitious carny [carnival worker] Alley delves into the shadowy
hooks up with Dr Lilith Ritter, a world of a shoddy carnival filled
corrupt psychiatrist (Cate with confident tricksters. Also
Blanchett). She is even more starring Toni Collette, Rooney
Mara and Willem Dafoe.

COMPILED BY DIANE GODLEY

rdasia.com 115

READER’S DIGEST

CYRANO Musical/Romance/Drama PHOTOS: (CYRANO) PETER MOUNTAIN ©2021 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES INC;
(AMBULANCE) ©2021 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
T his is an epic reimagining of the 1897 play about a tragic love triangle.
Cyrano de Bergerac, a brilliant poet and swordsman, is played by
Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister from Game Of Thrones). Bergerac falls
in love with his beautiful cousin and good friend Roxanne (Haley Bennett).
Although he dazzles his audience with his wit and swordplay, he believes
his appearance renders him unworthy of Roxanne’s affections.
In the meantime, she falls in love with Christian (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) who
uses Bergerac’s romantic poetry to woo her.

Ambulance Action/Thriller

A n American adaptation of the
2005 Danish thriller, Ambulance
dishes up plenty of car chases
and shooting action. Decorated war
veteran Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul-
Mateen II) is desperate for money to
cover his wife’s medical bills – who
is in a life-or-death situation. When
he asks his adoptive brother Danny
(Jake Gyllenhaal) for help, the career
criminal offers him a job in LA’s
biggest bank heist. The getaway goes
spectacularly wrong and the brothers
hijack an ambulance with two people
on board. The ambulance is tailed by
police on the ground and from the air
in a high-speed pursuit across the city.

116 february 2022

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evidence and tiny clues left behind can help solve
crimes. In this case, detectives were baffled by
two vicious killings until they found minute
specks of grey.

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her ‘revolutionary’ medical testing technology
allowed to put patients at risk?

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often from dubious sources. This well-researched
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to health scams and exposes junk science behind
health fads.

Sherlock Holmes Audio
Book
Sit back and immerse yourself in
some exciting mystery investigations.
Featuring the brilliant detective Sherlock
Holmes and partner Dr Watson, this
collection introduces listeners to classic
tales such as A Scandal in Bohemia. Search
for Sherlock Holmes on www.youtube.com.

HOW TO GET PODCASTS To listen on the web: In a search engine, look up
‘The Dropout’, for example, and click on the play button. To download: Download an
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rdasia.com 117

THE
GENIUS
SECTION

Sharpen Your

Mind

Are You A

TINGLEHEAD?

Up to 60 per cent of people experience an intriguing tingly

feeling in their head in reaction to certain sights and

sounds. We investigate the phenomenon of ASMR

BY Helen Foster

118 february 2022

The Genius Section

t feels like tiny bursting stars catch up with people’s experiences,
that begin at the base of my neck and we still don’t know exactly what’s
and then move up and over my going on, but we do know it’s real as
head,” says Judy Bennett. “At it shows up during brain scans,” says
Professor Alais.
“Ifirst, I thought there was some-
thing medical going on – like ASMR expert Professor Craig Rich-

a nerve problem – but then I heard ard from Shenadoah University in the

about ASMR and had a major OMG US is the scientist behind many of

that’s what happens to me. Now I use those brain scans. “The specific areas

it all the time to help me fall asleep of the brain that activate when some-

as it leaves me feeling really relaxed.” one is experiencing ASMR highlight a

ASMR stands for Autonomous Sen- likely involvement of reward chemi-

sory Meridian Response SOUNDS cals like dopamine and
oxytocin,” he says. Pro-
“and it’s a pleasant feel- fessor Richard say ox-
ytocin is known as the
ing some people experi- INCLUDE love hormone, and the
ence down the spine or WHISPERING OR behaviours that trigger
across the head upon its release – touching,
exposure to certain trig- SOFT TALKING bonding and close per-
gers,” explains Professor AND CRUNCHING
David Alais who studies

audiovisual perception sonal connection – are

at the University of Sydney. “It first similar to those that trigger ASMR.

started being talked about around “Oxytocin is known to stimulate

ten years ago, after a single internet feelings of relaxation and comfort,”

poster asked if anyone else felt the he says.

same warm, fuzzy feelings they did Alpha wave activity in the brain

– and hundreds of people replied.” also increases during an ASMR reac-

Next thing someone came up with tion and heart rate falls – by an aver-

a name for it and a new global phe- age of 3.14 beats per minute, accord-

nomenon was born. ing to research at the UK’s University

What sets off the ASMR reaction of Sheffield. Levels of skin conduc-

varies between individuals, but the tivity which measures psychological

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES most common sounds include whis- and physical arousal in the body also

pering or soft talking, gentle tapping, drop. These responses are similar to

crisp kind of crunching sounds and what happens during meditation

crinkling paper. Some people also ex- which could explain why so many

perience tingles from rhythmic sights people feel calmer after watching

like folding laundry or hair being ASMR, and why it might help trigger

brushed. “It’s taken science a while to people to sleep.

rdasia.com 119

READER’S DIGEST

However, not everyone who watch- in the way that people’s brains re-

es an ASMR video gets these reac- spond to ASMR stimulus, experts say

tions so researchers are working hard that it’s unlikely that non-responders

at building a picture of those who can learn to experience it. “You might

do. Professor Richard estimates that find the videos relax you or that you

20 per cent of people experience it enjoy them, but you won’t get the tin-

strongly, and another 40 per cent have gles which are the clear signifier of a

a milder response. true ASMR experiencer,” says Roberts.

A study from teams at James Cook This hasn’t stopped millions of

University in Singapore and Gold- people giving it a go, though. ASMR

smith’s University in London, for ex- is now the fifth most searched for

ample, found that ASMR experiencers term on YouTube (of all time) – to

tend to score highly on feelings of em- compare, singer Justin Beiber is only

pathy, concern and fantasising. “We at number 24 – and you’ll find over

know it’s also likely to af- 13 million ASMR videos
fect those who are better IT’S UNLIKELY on the platform to pick
at monitoring their in- THAT NON- from. And it’s also mov-
ternal feelings and who RESPONDERS ing offline too: in the US,
find it easy to get very CAN LEARN TO you can physically visit
absorbed into a task,” Whisperlodge, an ASMR

says Professor Alais. EXPERIENCE IT live-experience run by

“But we also think Singaporean Melinda

there’s actually a slight- Lauw who says she had

ly different connection pattern in the a “weird liking for certain sounds”

brain of those who experience ASMR,” from childhood. Even Tourism Aus-

says psychologist Natalie Roberts from tralia has harnessed the trend with

Sydney’s Macquarie University. “The its Australia 8D advertising campaign

parts of their brain involved with em- using locally generated ASMR sounds

pathy and emotional connection are such as wombats crunching in snow

just a little more active and they have to promote the country. The cam-

a more blended response to a trigger paign, which ran in countries includ-

than other people do,” she says. ing Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore

In other words, when an ASMR ex- and South Korea, was seen by over

periencer hears their ‘special’ sound, 200 million people.

more parts of the brain switch on in However, if you do discover it works

response than normal and this leads for you, don’t abuse your power. “Our

to reactions that spread far beyond preliminary data shows that about

just hearing the sound. 30 per cent of people who experience

Because of this potential difference ASMR lose the ability for a brief period

120 february 2022

The Genius Section

of time,” says Professor Richard. “And sensation might be your brain’s way
loss was most commonly associat- of saying ‘psst, take a break and do
ed with watching too many videos.” something else for a while.’”
Most people regained their tingles af-
ter a 1-2 week break, leading Professor Hmm, if only that worked for the
Richard to speculate that “the loss of rest of the internet, we’d probably all
get a lot more done!

ASMR ACCOUNTS THAT MAY SOOTHE YOU

If you’re intrigued to discover whether you respond made by people, like
to ASMR, here are a few accounts to try the chewing:
experience. Note that even if you are an ASMR youtube.com/c/
experiencer, not every video or presenter will work Janeasmrr
for you. And, even if you don’t get the tingles you
might feel more relaxed or find it easier to sleep Jimmy Hazelwood
after watching – which can’t be bad. New Zealand is the
tenth biggest searcher
Sleep Whispers then join the 167,000 for ASMR content, and
This podcast is run by people who subscribe Jimmy’s calming Kiwi
Professor Craig Richard to this Melbournian’s accent will make you
and he says people channel at: feel right at home. Pick
using it usually fall youtube.com/c/ from guided
asleep within five LaurenOstrowskiFenton meditations or quirky
minutes: unboxing videos:
Sleepwhispers.com Jane ASMR youtube.com/c/
South Koreans JimmyHazelwoodNZ
Gentle Whispering currently come second
Russian expat Maria is in the worldwide table Dong ASMR
one of the biggest for people searching for Singapore-based
ASMR stars on YouTube ASMR videos and Jane YouTuber Dong Li
with over 2.1 million ASMR is one of the discovered ASMR when
subscribers. Find her at: most popular Korean he couldn’t sleep and
youtube.com/user/ creators with over now combines ASMR
GentleWhispering 15 million subscribers. with comedy. It must
Her videos focus on work as he has over
Lauren Ostrowski chewing sounds which 422,000 subscribers on
Fenton is interesting as many his channel:
If you want calming ASMR experiencers youtube.com/c/
meditation alongside also have misophonia – DongASMR
your ASMR triggers, a dislike of the sounds

rdasia.com 121

READER’S DIGEST

PUZZLES

Challenge yourself by solving these puzzles and mind
stretchers, then check your answers on page 126.

Crossword

Test your general
knowledge.

ACROSS 14 Career golfers (4) DOWN CROSSWORD: CROSSWORDSITE.COM
17 Six-legged 1 Dam across the
9 Strangle (9)
10 ‘Steady state’ creatures (7) Nile (5)
20 Superficial area (7) 2 Second-largest
astronomer 21 Short death notice (4)
Sir Fred H---- (5) 22 Not here (9) continent (6)
11 Creatures (7) 27 Makes sorrowful (7) 3 Timidity (9)
12 A member of the 28 Regulate (7) 4 Old word for a
Senate (7) 29 Essentials (5)
13 Deliberate destruction 30 Genuine (9) young woman (6)
of property (9) 5 Continues

obstinately (8)
6 Telecommuni-

cations device (5)
7 Emotional

outburst (8)
8 Downcast (9)
15 Luxurious car (9)
16 Northern Russian

city (9)
18 Superficial (4-4)
19 Rep (8)
23 Stir to action (6)
24 Something

unusual (6)
25 Animal (5)
26 Absence of

light (5)

122 february 2022

Puzzle BRAIN POWER
Answers brought to you by

PAGES 126

1 68

2 91

695 1 3

94

5 96 8

72

1 5 983

76 5

497

Sudoku

HOW TO PLAY: To win, you have to put a number
from 1 to 9 in each outlined section so that:
• Every horizontal row and vertical column
contains all nine numerals (1-9) without repeating
any of them;
• Each of the outlined sections has all nine
numerals, none repeated.

IF YOU SOLVE IT WITHIN:

15 minutes, you’re a true expert
30 minutes, you’re no slouch
60 minutes or more, maybe numbers aren’t your thing

"Write, Erase, Rewrite"

READER’S DIGEST

FAMILY FUN Puzzle
Answers

PAGES 126

Spot The Difference

There are ten differences. Can you find them?

Contact ILLUSTR ATION: (MONKEYS) VECTEEZY.COM

How to play:
Draw a line from each number to an
outlet. Each line should pass as
many empty squares as the number
indicates. No square remains empty,
and no outlet remains unused.
Example:




124 february 2022

The Genius Section

TRIVIA

Test Your General Knowledge

BY Samantha Rideout

1. Even during a power outage, 7. Residents of Chumbivilcas, Peru,

food-crop seeds would remain celebrate Christmas by challenging

safely frozen in the Global Seed each other to what? 1 point

Vault, located where? 2 points 8. Every human has wisdom teeth.

2. What is generally considered to True or false? 1 point

be the first science-fiction film? 9. What’s the biggest wild cat

2 points native to the Americas? 1 point

3. What major sports tournament 10. Rank the following territories

requires players to dress in white, in order of size from large to small:

to minimise the visibility of sweat Tasmania, Switzerland and Java

marks? 1 point Island (Indonesia)? 1 point

4. What collectible plastic- 11. Which of the following

brick toy sets can sell for countries does not recognise

thousands of dollars and have dual citizenship: China, Turkey

even become targets for or Denmark? 1 point

thieves? 1 point 12. Name the mountain in

5. On average, how much time Malaysia accorded UNESCO

passes between two high tides? World Heritage status? 2 points

1 point 13. He inspired the

6. Anne Bonny and idea of ‘short man

Mary Read were 14. Who wrote the syndrome’, but
notable 18th-century roughly how tall
women because of Winnie-the-Pooh books was Napoleon
their occupations as also featuring Christopher Bonaparte in reality?
Robin, Tigger and Piglet?

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES what? 2 points 2 points 2 points

16-20 Gold medal 11-15 Silver medal 6-10 Bronze medal 0-5 Wooden spoon

ANSWERS: 1. Svalbard, Norway. 2. Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon (1902). 3. Wimbledon. 4. Lego.
5. Roughly 12 hours and 25 minutes. 6. Pirates. 7. Fist fights. 8. False. Increasingly, people are born with
no wisdom teeth under the gums at all. 9. The jaguar. 10. Java Island 128,297 km2; Tasmania 64,519 km2;
Switzerland 41,284 km2. 11. China. 12. Mount Kinabalu. 13. 1.68 to 1.70 metres, which was average in
France at the time. 14. A.A. Milne.

rdasia.com 125

READER’S DIGEST

PUZZLES ANSWERS

From Page 122

Crossword

1A 2A 3C 4D 5P 6P 7H 8D Sudoku
9S U F F O C A T E 10H O Y L E
31 4678259
WRWM ROS P 2785941 36
11A N I M A L S 12S E N A T O R 69521 3847
836721 594
NCRE I EEE 541 936728
13V A N D A L 7 2 98 45 3 61
I SM 14P R O S 4621 57983
15L I 98736241 5
17 I N 18S E C T 19S T 16A I S 1 53489672

20S U R F A C E

MKEA C D

21O B I T 22E L S 23E W H E 24R E

U N 25B E X A A 26B

27S A D D E N S 28C O N T R O L CROSSWORD: CROSSWORDSITE.COM. ILLUSTR ATION (MONKEYS) VECTEEZY.COM

I EA MIGI A
29N E E D S 30A U T H E N T I C

EP TNE L YK

Spot The Difference Contact

















126 february 2022

The Genius Section

WORD POWER

Baby Talk

Babies can start building their vocabularies at eight
months old. How many of these terms are in yours?

BY Rob Lutes

1. echolalia – A: jerky hand 8. babymoon – A: holiday taken by
movement in infants. B: repetition a couple before the birth of a child.
of speech by a child learning to talk. B: eve of newborn’s birth.
C: infant’s joyful response on C: newborn’s first birthday.
hearing music.
9. helicopter parent – parent who is:
2. bantling – A: young child. A: distant. B: dangerous.
B: one-piece sleeping garment. C: overprotective.
C: baby bed with side rails.
10. object permanence –
3. bassinet – A: baby safety gate. A: understanding that objects
B: bond between mother and infant. exist when out of sight. B: toddler’s
C: baby’s wicker cradle. refusal to share. C: infant ability to
keep muscles still.
4. colic – A: infant’s fear of
abandonment. B: intense and 11. postpartum – A: following
frequent crying in an infant. childbirth. B: relating to social-
C: cereal for babies. media images of newborn.
C: describing the birth of twins.
5. Apgar score – measure of:
A: infant intellect. B: physical 12. motherese – A: mother’s
condition of a newborn. C: health euphoria after delivery. B: simplified
of mother after birth. speech used for babies.
C: maternal instinct.
6. quintuplet – A: each of three
children born at one birth. 13. au pair – A: person who helps
B: each of four children born at with child care in exchange for room
one birth. C: each of five children and board. B: stroller that holds two
born at one birth. babies. C: swaddling blanket.

7. fontanelle – A: dimple in cheek. 14. neonatal – of or relating to:
B: sippy cup. C: space between A: newborn children. B: parenting.
bones in an infant’s skull. C: one’s birthplace.

rdasia.com 127

READER’S DIGEST

Answers

1. echolalia – B: repetition of 9. helicopter parent – C: parent
speech by a child learning to talk. who is overprotective. Janet
Liz noticed baby Pia’s echolalia watched the helicopter parents
when she started repeating chase their kids around the room.
everything her big brother said.
10. object permanence –
2. bantling – A: young child. The A: understanding that objects
family reunion had a youthful exist when out of sight. Having
spirit, with many bantlings developed object permanence,
running about. baby Zara knew her toy was
behind Daddy’s back.
3. bassinet – C: baby’s wicker
cradle. Jackson stepped closer to 11. postpartum – A: following
the white bassinet and peered in childbirth. Helena was impressed
wonder at the sleeping child. with the local hospital’s
postpartum care.
4. colic – B: intense and frequent
crying in an infant. Suffering from 12. motherese – B: simplified
colic, the baby rarely slept for speech used for babies. Nana
more than an hour at a time. soothed the crying infant with
motherese.
5. Apgar score – B: measure of the
physical condition of a newborn. 13. au pair – A: person who helps
Bev was relieved to receive her tiny with child care in exchange for
daughter’s perfect Apgar room and board. Fiona loved
score of 10. exploring Paris while working
as an au pair for a well-to-do
6. quintuplet – A: each of five French family.
children born at one birth. The
five boys are the first set of 14. neonatal – A: of or relating
quintuplets born in the village. to newborn children. Born
premature, Khalib spent six weeks
7. fontanelle – C: space between in the neonatal intensive care unit
bones in an infant’s skull. before being allowed to go home
Bharath felt a fontanelle near the with his mother.
crown of his daughter’s head.
VOCABULARY RATINGS
8. babymoon – A: holiday taken 5–8: Fair
by a couple before the birth 9–11: Good
of a child. They spent their 12–14: Word Power Wizard
babymoon walking the beach and
contemplating parenthood.

128 february 2022