Cavalier (APA 37) - Naval Cruise Book

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Ii . X . victoria island and the city of victoria were the liberty bounds of the colony for most, and with the tours provided, the tourists and shutter bugs were provided with ample opportunity to photograph the scenic spots. tiger balm garden was the largest attraction for photographers who went to see the grotesque statues and gardens with the grotto formed out of mortar and then painted in garish colors. repiulse bay was the attraction of those who wished to swimggtand the club lido on the bay was the resting point where those who waht onmaltour enioyed a seven-course lunch. aberdeen, the fishing village on victoria island, was unique with its floating restaurants where the diner was invited outside to select his choice of seaifood from tubs full of lobsters, shrimp and other varieties. close to aberdeen was the chinese perpetual cemetery with its stone walls giving it the appearanceof an ancient fortress. e 64

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CTBC mfs. Eine ' ut, '- direction on a five-day iourney that would take-fag, to a buyer's paradise of hong kong. this time our wrjjission was to be of a more minor role, and our stayvjgigdmised opportunities for good liberty, a little relaxglion, and , a chance to buy some special items. as we steamed along the charted course we passed V the island of okinawa in the ryukyu island chain. farther ,tml and farther south we steamed through the warm blue waters of the philippine sea, and then into the south china sea in the direction of hong kong. 6 october 1953 08 toffl2 0935 moored to buoy 18, hong kong, b. c. c. we arrived at our anchorage after steaming through the long channilgapproaching hong kong and maneuvering through the fleets of small boats, but before we could moor, iunks andpzbiumboats by the dozen swarmed around the ship, and small children, clapping their hands, hoping we w0Uld a coin for which they could dive over the side, clamoured noisily below. 'iefmerchants in walla wallas nosed through the flocks of boats to the gangway to .o wget permission to come aboard and establish their business. the shrill voices of the willowy, dark-skinned chinese women pierced the air as they fought for their places and an opportunity to get their wares aboard, if the merchants got their passes. Though many merchants were denied passes, they still wheedled to get aboard and tried cunning and kumshaw persuasion. of course, mary soo with her side cleaning concession was on hand to greet us, being an old timer from previous voyages. competition was keen and so enthusiastic that when the gangway became crowded with merchants pushing their way up, fire 310595 Were Used to dUmPen their enthusiasm and extinguish their overheated efforts. h0'19 k0'19 WGS U beUU9lfUl Place with its high-peaked victoria island dotted with f9S0l'f l'l0felS Sei in the mountain side from top to bottom. on the other side lay 'he CNY of kvwloon Siwdfed Oh G more flat'site ,with a ridge of mountains forming cgfbackbone for the crown colony. '

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l 0 I l r 5 F 3 If w N ' :nn li., Q ' -m 2: r. ,f ' xx ,, fx .Su t- ATA 'Lil ,. 'S 155- Eff ' Stl. M 'il Qi J S V t 5. ii -l .f , x 3 .ta f it fi? it up the steep incline to the -.Q 'te peak, visitors and commuters rf Q, sometimes riding at a forty-degree angle. from the top of the peak you could see the beauti' he-bor below, and from there t' s below looked like toys. I ' victoria was a ve'rjiWcrowa.. city, and ze: on all sides libf xfffggoers were 'plagued by hawkers, and tailors who followed at your heels incessantly urging you to buy suit. many of the streets were narrow and and their dark, cramped fly-by-night shops were pestholes for all kinds of vice and treachery. along the main streets shops were laden with displays of silks, brocades, carvings of ivory and iade, camphorwood chests, jewelry and perfume' only to mention a few items. hong kong, with its teeming two and a half million population, is a haven for refugees fleeing oppression behind the bamboo curtain. ' , 7 20 october 1953 O8 to 0900 underwayxtjr yokosuka, honshu, iapan. our two-week stay in hong kong passed quickly, and after many pi- small' fortune had beengfspent on fine clothes, iewelry and other valuables, we looked forward to the next pay day, pinching and doing withaulmitems until that day arrived. hong kong with its beauty by day and treachery by night would so1on,,be left behincl, and we would soon resume our duties back in iapan. f' Mb 25 october l953 508 to 12 moored to buoy b-4, yokosuka, ko, yokosuka,. honshu,- iapan. once again in yokosuka we settled back intohthe graowe of daily routine and liberty. already many of the crew had made the short fifteen-minute trip to kamakura .-.J....,i.3i'h-e electric yokosuka-tokyo line train and had experienced the confusion of getting on and off at the right stations. f .. 41 ig . J' ., 5 .i fr .A '-al td ww .,