Cacapon (AO 52) - Naval Cruise Book

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One of the first things a sailor notices when he is in Olongapo are the monkey meat vendors. They are us- ually small stands that are run by little old ladies or by young girls. Although they really sell pork or hot dogs barbequed on a stick, some- how through the years the story got started that they were selling monkey meat. Maybe it's because one can't tell by looking at it what it is. Somewhere there is an edict that states that you are not a true 'WESPAC sailor until you develop a taste for this delicacy. Even though quite a number of Cac sailors eat it, no one has gotten sick from it. , ..i-.MQ 1, - I mir?-'f if-2,42-aww? , X2 M :i,!iQZ5gqff,y?Zf 2 0: 1.1-QAM 'f ...itavyxgyfa , yy yy 4 if . . ' The CACAPON'S home away from home in WESPAC is the Naval Supply Depot at Subic Bay in the Philippines. Right outside the base's main gate and across a small river is Olongapo. Although the base has plenty of recreation facilities of its own, most sailors go into the village, Olongapo is the Far East's version of Tiajuana and most of the town's inhabitants have geared their lives toward making a Peso, honestly or otherwise, off the unsuspecting swab- jockey. The town's on-limits area is the main street, all side streets being strictly barred and vigilantly guarded by the Shore Patrol. In Olongapo the main mode of transportation for sailor and resident alike are the jeepnies,' which are Jeeps that have been brightly painted with exotic de- signs. There are no traffic-cops or stop lights so everyone drives recklessly. The fare is fifteen centovos, no matter what the destination, but for a sailor, especially one in uniform, one Peso is the price.

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The Village has its share of friendly females and every sail- or has a girlfriend fand every girlfriend has six sailorsl. Lit- erally every bar and club, no matter what its size, has a crew of young hostesses that for the cost of an overpriced '7up will turn on with such questions as You got girlfriend in the States ? , Because of the lan- guage barrier some of the girls are lousy conversationalists, still, they have a natural rhythm and talent for dancing, so the Village is where you usually find yourself. These girls have a slight build and a curiosity that reminds you of a schoolgirl, but underneath they are clever, and nobody's fool. Olongapo has plenty of entertainment too. The main street is lined with a multi- tude of bars and nightclubs that range from small holes in-the-wall to big, elaborate extr av aganz as that include some good bands and really different floor shows. The drinks are priced to satisfy everyone's budget and in the better clubs they taste pretty good. American beer is a rarity but the local brew is a passable substitute as long as you remember that drink- ing too much of it can pro- duce embarrassing side ef- fects. During World War ll the islands were the scene of many battles be- tween the Americans and the Japa- nese. Now, twenty three years later there are still many vivid reminders of the war. Along the beaches and the strategic waterways one can see the old gun enplacements like the Concrete Battleship qElfraile Fortressj at the entrance of Manila Bay.