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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JAPAN Japan always sounds like home after two or three cruises to the far east. Whether it ' s the bustling town of Yokosuka, located on the southern end of Tokyo Bay or Nagoya, sprawled on the flat land of southern Honshu — Japan promises good liberty to the shutterbug, big-buyer, traveler, and fun- lover. The best liberty ports in the far east (not necessarily the opinion of all Navy men) flash their souvenirs, American style music and Number One dancing girlsans. Whether you find exactly what you want after a few tours of Japan, or not, the natives present the opportunity to shop, sightsee, and relax to your heart ' s content. And whether these towns of wooden shops and screaming taxi-cabs im- pressed you favorably or not, it will take a long tour in the United States to make you forget the noise, life, and fun of Japan.