1367. Travel stories - Ferry to Santorin

Big rolling waves. So a bigger ferry came to pick us up at Mykonos Island to go to Santoriri Island. Hence half a day was "wasted". But in this Greek Island Tour, the main complaint from one senior citizen was too many "free and easy" tours of half days. "What's the point of packaged tours if one is left "free and easy?" for so many occasions? The younger ones organized taxi trips to visit other places nearby but not this senior citizen couple.

 

 

 

 

Black and white traveler at ferry point in Santorini

 

Backpackers

 

Strong rolling waves rock this ferry from Myokonos Island to Santorini Island although the skies look bright and calm. After the recent Korean ferry disaster, nobody complained about the change to a bigger safer ferry to go to Santorini Island, delaying the travel by half a day. I used zoom lens 55-250 mm and had a split second to focus on the lady's eyes and click.

1366. Travel stories - Crete

May 16, 2014, Galaxy Hotel, Crete, Greece. Room 430
A modern hotel with free wireless connections in the rooms unlike the other Greek hotels on this packaged tour, permitting only free access at the lobby. It has sufficient power points too.

We had a rare long-table dinner yesterday of 32 travelers.
My camera lens 18mm - 135mm was not suitable for such photography. Probably I need a lens of 18 mm - 200 mm or more research on how to get everybody in focus. Is it possible?

 

 

 

 

In Crete, the restaurant is still busy after 11 pm. The above restaurant closes at 12 midnight.

1365. Travel Stories - Santorini, Greece

May 16, 2014

Yesterday, I got sunburnt while on a boat cruise to the Volcanic Mountains and Hot Springs. The fees were 55 Euros/person as an optional tour. Some Singaporeans spotted the "Cheapest excursions" for the above tour, reduced from 20 Euros to 15 Euros and some snapped images.

"Did you pay 15 Euros?" the kind-hearted girl asked me as I was a belated participant. The others had paid up for this optional tour. "The tour leader has to earn a living as he is not paid a full salary," I just paid the same amount. "He spends time making travel arrangements and accompanying us."  It is a hard life for the tour guide as he has to coordinate and attend to complaints and changes and so I don't begrudge him the money.

This kind-hearted girl, in her late 20s, held the hand of a senior citizen lady crossing a busy road. The senior citizen asked her to take care of her husband. The husband said in the Mandarin equivalent: "I open the way for you all." I was shocked when the kind-hearted girl remarked in Mandarin: "Don't bullshit me!"  In Mandarin, it sounded "don't pass gas". This young Singaporean wife and another one are more frank in the treatment of their husbands.

As  for me, in the old school, I am not used to such frankness but this is the new age.


Yesterday was hectic.

Cable car ride, boat cruise to Volcanic Mountain where my left leg fell into the gap between two boats as I was boarding the boat after the walk up the Mountain. It is like walking into the gap between the subway train and the platform. Fortunately I did not suffer much injuries. One person slipped and fell walking up the pebbly Volcanic Mountain.

At the Hot Springs, I dared not jump in to swim but had a video.
Donkey rides for most of the younger Singaporeans while I took the cable car up.

In Greece and Dubai where my packaged tour travelers stay, usually only the lobby has free wireless internet. 

 

Today, I manage to post one interesting image from the cable car station.  I thought this lady wore an appropriate T-shirt as there were donkeys or mules in this part of Santorini. She said it was a coincidence as she did not get this T-shirt from Santorini. 

 

In Greek mythology, if you look at Medusa, you will turn into stone. Medusa is portrayed as having snakes in her wavy hairs. So, the image below reminds me of a modern Medusa in Greece.  Bright morning sunshine at around 10 am, near the cable car station. Donkeys pass by and poop on the cobble-stone streets.  

In this tour, some of the 33 travelers asked for emails to email pictures to each other.  Our Singaporean guide said that he could do it for us. I doubt it as most don't seem to have time to do it and so it is better to do it ourselves.  I also don't email pictures to fellow travellers when I am back to Singapore. I email this image at Hotel Galaxy in Greece as it reminds me of a modern Medusa in Greece.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

1364. Travel stories - Mountainous monasteries, Greece

May 13, 2014  6 am

Divani Palace Acropolis, Rm 356

Leaving for the Greek Islands at 6.15 am. Yesterday, visited two monasteries in the high mountains. We got a much bigger room with more power points than on arrival when we were given a smaller room on the 2nd floor. This hotel is said to be 5-star but the smaller room would be given to packaged tour travellers who are the mass market. So we use the lobby's free wireless rather than pay for use in the rooms.

Bright sunshine, blue skies and cool days.

I manage to post one good image of fellow travelers after the visit to the mountainous monasteries, one for the monks and one for the nuns. Red and white comes out well in this image if you can appreciate the contrast. A thin band of sunshine lit up the fair lady (2nd from right)

 

Yesterday, after the visit to the nunnery, outside waiting for the bus to move out at 11 am.

The sunlight was there and the red and whites make an interesting photo. I can't figure out what they aere looking at. Probably a stray cat?

Red and black. Rose gardens are rare in Singapore. 

 

In the prime but has imperfections. We need to embrace imperfections and changes in our lives as globalisation and unemployment adversely affect many of us. In Greece, around 28% of the young are employed. In Singapore, the young in general, job hops and does not want to work on week ends. In Dubai, the taxi drivers are young foreigners working 12 hours, 7 days a week for one to two years and then get a 45-day home leave. They don't get paid a retainer. Commissions are based at 35% for earnings over DH 12,000 and 30% for over DH 10,000 and 20% for less.    

1363. Travel stories - Dubai

May 11, 2014

I was in Dubai from May 8 to 10. This was my 3rd visit to Dubai. Many new changes. The Kinokoniya book shop in Dubai is bigger than the basement floor of the National Library in Victoria Street and around 10 times bigger than the Singapore branch!

Today, May 11, 2014, I am in Athens, Greece now. Some interesting images of Emirates on the flight from Singapore to Dubai, taking 8 hours.

A very successful global airline - Emirates

 

Taxi drivers are probably 100% foreigners.

 

 

 

 

Videoing the Musical Fountain at 6.30 pm

Earning a living at the Musical Fountain, Dubai. Cross-selling products brings in more revenue rather than just depend on photography alone

What do do if a cat can't poop?

What to do if a cat can't poop?

An old cat did not eat and could not pass motion for a few days. Rectal enemas were given by the other vet but no stools came out. I gave rectal enemas with no result. X-rays revealed rectum impacted with stools and more faecal lumps in the large intestine, numbering around 15 balls of stools. What to do?

1. Open up the large intestine and take out the balls of faeces.  Then change to a high fibre diet. This was successful in the few cases.
2.  Using a gloved finger and extract the stools in the anaesthesized cat. This was my choice as the cat was fat. 

VIDEO PRODUCTION FOR NICK. The Aunty's dwarf hamster will not eat. The Aunty's dwarf hamster tilts his head

Many Singaporeans address Chinese women much older than themselves as "Aunties".  These are women usually older than 40 years of age. The senior citizens would dress in  a certain conservative fashion. They would wear short-sleeved blouses and trousers. They are usually more conversant with the dialects or Mandarin. They don't surf the internet to look for hamster vets as they don't use computers.

(WET MARKET SCENES OF AUNTIES IN TRADITIONAL BLOUSE AND SLACKS)

So, I was much surprised to see an "Aunty" who lived quite distant from Toa Payoh, bringing a plump snow white dwarf hamster to Toa Payoh Vets for consultation instead of going to the practice in her neighbourhood. Nowadays, there are over 60 veterinary clinics as in Taipei where it is so convenient to find a vet.

"Mimi, does not want to eat, " Aunty said. "She would scatter the seeds and pellets with her front paws instead of eating them nowadays!"

"Her head is tilting to the left," Aunty pointed to Mimi's left side.

VIDEO OF HEAD TILT

I could see that Mimi loved food as she weighed much more than the average hamster. She was filled up and was as round as a big hen's egg. So why was she not eating? The head tilt would be painful and she would not be able to grasp the seeds properly and eat.

Dr Daniel anaesthesized Mimi, checked that there were no embedded seed fragments in the cheek pouch and irrigated the ears. After 5 days of oral medication, Mimi recovered.


Yesterday on May 2, 2014, this Aunty brought Brownie, a one-year-old male dwarf hamster to consult me saying "He is losing weight day by day, unlike Mimi you treated last week.He weights 38 grams today. Every day, I gave him water by syringe as he would not eat, unlike Mimi who weighed 72 grams when you saw him."

"How's Mimi's head tilting nowadays?" I asked Aunty.
"She is OK now."
"No more head tilting?" I asked.
"None at all. After 5 days of medication, her head is upright and she eats."

This was good news as it is difficult to treat head tilt in hamsters and rabbits as there are many causes.

I weighed Brownie. He was indeed 38 grams. His body looked long as he was very thin. My first diagnosis would be ingrown front teeth and so I opened Brownie's mouth. I saw two upper front teeth growing backwards and upwards hitting the hard palate. The lower front teeth were short and normal in wear.

"He cannot eat because his upper front teeth cannot bite the seeds as they are overgrown and have curled inwards and upwards," I said. "This is the second case as I just treated another hamster with a similar malocclusion problem.  Clipping his teeth will resolve his not eating problem."

VIDEO OF THE FIRST CASE OF HAMSTER WITH INGROWN UPPER TEETH AND SURGERY DONE BY ME

As for Brownier, Dr Daniel anaesthesized him and clipped the teeth and got the action videoed for Aunty.

VIDEO CLIP OF SURGERY

Aunty was delighted to view the clip.

FOLLOW UP THE DAY AFTER SURGERY

Today, a bright blue sunny Saturday morning of May 3, 2014, I phoned Aunty. "Is Brownie eating?" I expected a positive reply.
"Yes, Yes" she said happily. "He ate a small piece of Brocolli. I need to buy something for him to chew. Do you know? He bit me when I tried to clean his belly button!"

"If Brownie can bite, it is good news," I said. "He should be able to crack open the sunflower and melon seeds. Chewing such seeds will be more useful as his teeth can wear down.

"I need to buy him a chewing toy," Aunty said.

Some hamster owners buy mineral blocks or wooden sticks for the hamster to chew upon. In this way, the hamster does not chew on the wired cages, making them rusty.  

VIDEO OF CHEWING BLOCKS AND WOODEN BLOCKS FOR HAMSTERS

A hamster's tooth grows continuously and if it is not worn down by eating hard food, it grows and grows and curves inwards or sideways as this was what had happened to Brownie and the other hamster.

CONCLUSION OF THE CASES
The inward and upward growing of the two front teeth in these two hamsters is an uncommon condition. During the past years and treatment of a few hundred hamster cases at Toa Payoh Vets, these are the first two cases of malocclusion of teeth in dwarf hamsters. Good anaesthesia is essential as the tip of the tongue of the moving hamster may be accidentally cut off if the vet does not use anaesthesia thinking that he or she can just grip the hamster and snip off the ingrown teeth.

These two hamster cases illustrate the diversity of illness and diseases even in the dwarf hamster. They make a day of veterinary medicine filled with surprises and challenges. The vet has to "deliver the goods" to sustain and grow his practice.

REFERRALS
For this Aunty, she told me that her niece had referred her to Toa Payoh Vets as the niece's hamster was treated with a good outcome. So, it was not the internet that brought her here.