Decatur (DDG 73) - Naval Cruise Book

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Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand {Prathet Thai, or Land of the Free ), is a country in Southeast Asia. Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been occupied by any European or other foreign power, except in war. The country was an absolute monarchy from 1 782 until 1 932, when rebels seized power in a coup and established a constitutional monarchy. Since then, Thailand has come under the rule of many governments, both civil and military. The country was known as Siam until 1 939 (when it wa s renamed Thailand), and again for a few years in the late 1 940s. In 1 949 the name Thailand was adopted a second time. 0 (D 37

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(5 (0 CQ Bahrain, officially Kingdom of Bahrain, is an independent country in western Asia. The country comprises 33 islands on the western side of the Arabian Gulf. The capital and largest city of Bahrain is Manama. Bahrain entered recorded history about 5,000 years ago as a commercial trading center. Long under the influence of more powerful neigh- bors, it came under the domination of Iran in the 17th century. The al-Khalifa family, originating from the central Arabian Peninsula, established them- selves as Bahrain ' s rulers in 1783 and has ruled ever since. A series of treaties in the 1 9th century gave Britain control over Bahrain ' s defense and foreign affairs. Dominant British influence lasted until Bahrain became independent in 1971 . While spending a few days in the middle of nowhere, DECATUR sailors got a much needed break. Although most DECATUR sailors chose to hang out at the Desert Dome, a few took in the local sights and sounds. Camel Riding, sight seeing, and sampling the local cuisine were some of the highlights, but who can forget about bartering for cab rides and special prices on gold! I GOT BACK SEAT! 36

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The island of Bali in southern ?J[ Indonesia, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, is located in the Indian Ocean. It is m situated between the island of Java to the west, from which it is separated by Bali Strait, and the island of Lombok to the east from which it is separated by Lombok Strait. Bali is 145 km (90 mi) long and 80 km (50 mi) wide. The principal cities are the northern port of Singaraja and Denpasar, the capital, near the southern coast. Mountain ranges cross the island from east to west. The highest point on the island is Mount Agung (3,142 m 1 0,308 ft), a volcano that erupted in March 1963. In the south the land descends to form an alluvial plain, watered by shallow rivers, dry in the dry season and overflowing whenever there are periods of heavy rains. ft.- ' V 1 38