St Louis (LKA 116) - Naval Cruise Book

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CEB t was a typical ST.LOUlS working-ship routine in October and November 1985. Sasebo to Okinawa. Onload in Okinawa. Offload in Pusan. Onload in Okinawa. Offload in Pusan. Offload in Okinawa. Onload in Yokohama. Offload in Sendai, Okinawa, Subic. And then finally Cebu. A liberty port we truly deserved. ST.LOUlS was greeted by a 300 - plus crowd of their four-day hosts the onlookers and shell-selling fortune hunters we' ve come to expect of the islands. We remember one of our longer sea and anchor details. Four days seemed short there, but the memories are distinct. Sailors treated themselves to lethargic days on the beaches of Nlactan Island, and found diving and snorkling everything Off-Duty magazine said it was. Others took well-planned tours, discovering that Magellan was a lucky man indeed to find such a lavish holiday island, unlucky of course that Chieftain Lapu-Lapu was committed to protecting his interests from the Spaniard. Sports-minded sailors played soccer and softball and basketball with their host nationals the lean Filipino males seemed never to run out of breath. There was also a ship's picnic, a first class party, an officers bachelor party bash. Cebu's seafood was the best we've eaten. Specifically, sailors recall St.Gotthard's, the Lighthouse, Tam- bouli Beach, the Casino, IVlagellan's cross, San Moritz restaurant, Eddy's Log Cabin, Beverly Hills.

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HGGG oung men dream about places like l-long Kong. Picture the reluctant young man as he sits at his hometown recruiter's desk, the clammy hands, nervous twitching in his seat are indications of his hesita- tion. The deceptive, evasive smile and the soothing words of the uniformed man remove the young man's reluctance: you'll travel to Bangkok, Tokyo, l-long Kong, Naples, Casablanca, Athens . . . Hong Kong. lt was what we thought it would be. Crowded and bustling. Exotic and modern. The traditional commer- cial center more items to purchase than could be. The sailors activities were varied there. Some con- centrated on the island's highlights Victoria Peak, Aberdeen's Jumbo restaurant and boat excursions. Others ventured to the Portuguese gambling fortress of Macao via 60-foot hydrofoil. Almost all shoppers travelled the harbor on the Star Ferry to Kowloon on daytime trips and nightlife excursions. One group of tourists became symbols of Red China's slow opening to the West visiting several small cities and southern rural areas discovering the Communist coun- try's leaning toward capitalism. They returned to the ship with purchased souvenirs and green Mao hats proudly displayed. A small but big-hearted group gave up liberty time in painting and preserving the interior of the Wesleyan Mission House on Cheung Chau Island. Photos Ccounterclockwise from bottom J: 1. City monuments grace Hong Kong. 2. The traditionaly Chinese junk. 3. One of the few photos taken from Victor- ia Peak due to foggy days. 4. Manning the rails. 5. Street signs were numerous. 6. Sailors had Peking Duck at the Jumbo in Aberdeen. 7. The mooring party perfor- med flawlessly. 8. Congested housing near the harbor entrance.