Marshall (DD 676) - Naval Cruise Book

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mi pS». k Des Voeux Road Kowloon One of the most memorable stops of our tour of the Far East was the internationally famous port of Hong Kong, B.C.C. Since early in the cruise, the old-timers had been telling the boots about the wonderful bargains available, so when liberty began two sections swarmed ashore, to be descended upon by the local tailors, cabinet markers, cobblers, and other assorted tradesmen. Everyone left the ship with a roll of green- backs and returned with a suitcase of clothes, or carrying a hand carved table on his back. In touring the island we saw her wealth in the merchandise in her stores, her countless jewelry markets, fine clothiers, lavish hotels and homes that surrounded the countryside, and her beautiful beach resorts. The prices in the stores seemed astronomically high at first, but then came the realization that these were Hong Kong dollars and cents. With a rate of ex- change of $5.85 H.K. to $1.00 U.S., we were all millionaires (almost). A ride to the top of Victoria Peak on the Peak Tramway Cable Car presented a wonderful panoramic view of the har- bor. Another interesting landmark is the Tiger Balm Gardens, overlooking the city of Victoria. This Chinese wonderland, con- structed at a cost of over two and a half million dollars by Mr. Aw Boon Haw, a wealthy Chinese merchant, is filled with catacombs, figures depicting episodes in Chinese history and fairy tales, and a menagerie of life size birds and animals made of stone. With a population of over 2,500,000 persons, Hong Kong presents a colorful panorama of thriving commerce, and an interesting mosaic of the new and the old. After a five day visit, we departed this San Francisco of the Orient and watched her hills and harbor slowly become a memory. Wanchai District Traffic Policeman

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PHILIPPINES Subic Bay, the largest U.S. Naval Installation in the Philippine Islands, is located in the southern part of Luzon less than one hundred miles from the capital city of Manila. Second only to the typhoon nuisance was the extreme heat typical of Subic Bay. Although the Naval Base is situated fairly distant from any large city, most of us went to the nearby village of Olangapo where there were souvenirs and trinkets to be purchased. The recreational fa- cilities were used continuously — Softball, swim- ming, basketball and to and from the Sea Horse. Manila, the capital of the Philippines, was quite a change from Subic Bay. The hotels, bars, etc. offered more of a night life reminis- cent of New York or San Francisco. The Fourth of July festivities were interesting to watch, especially since our Vice President, Mr. Nixon, was there on tour. £%firet

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