Clarence K Bronson (DD 668) - Naval Cruise Book

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Tiger Balm Gardens, built as a memoriam to his brother by Aw Boon Haw, undoubtedly the greatest and richest philanthropist in the Orient, is one of the more interesting stops. The Singapore Turf Club, with the best of the Orient ' s breeded horses, is available for the racing enthusiast or the man with an excess of Straits dollars. Back in town again we find our best bet for a tall cool one in the lounge of the Raffles Hotel where an ultra-British atmos- phere is on display. Adventure lurks as darkness falls on Singa- pore. After dinner at Princes or the Catliay Restaurant (escargots, red wine and a char- coaled fillet) we ' re off. Cabarets with enchant- ing Chinese hostesses are found in secluded alley ways by those bold enough to enter. Clubs on roof tops or behind hea A ' doors furnish excitement to the thrill seeker who will find a Malayan Princess or an Indian rajah nearby. Music that grinds into your soul per- vades the room while suspicious-looking cus- tomers talk in hushed tones at the end of the bar. Charming maidens supply the best for wining and dining while an exotic Singalese beauty peers through you from the distance and gages the weight of your purse. With the excitement of such places wear- ing off about midnight, a trip to Bug! street is needed for the spirit. Here under the stars the riff-raff and the high society mingle, savor- ing the delicious indigenous foods prepared in an open-air eatery. The time is drawing nigh for the last libi ' rt) ' boat ' s departure so back to the pier we go, to leave on the morrow for more exotic ports, and the Mediterranean. 66

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3m(ictfiofie And we paused at Singapore, city of mys- tery, delight and fantasy, featiuing gorgeous Chinese girls in hobble skirts sht so danger- ously that little is left for the most vivid of imaginations. A refuge for buccaneers during the Middle Ages when piracy was prevalent in the Malacca Straits, the City of the Lion has been invaded and dominated by many European and Asiatic nations, thus accomiting for her diverse peoples and races. Although now a British Crown Colony, a distinct Chino- Indian influence pervades the city, her inhabi- tants, her customs. In touring the city one ' s first impression is that every day is Monday with family washings flapping far overhead as you wend your way through the narrow shop-lined streets. Tri- shaws, rather than rickshaws as in other cities of the Orient, come racing down on you with natives agilely sidestepping and tourists stum- bling for cover. Occasionally Hindu Mosques with elaborately carved figures of their gods rise from the turmoil below. In the few places where vegetation may be found, sacred Brahma cows graze, free to stray at will. Dimly lit Buddhist temples are seen close by with their guardian priests ever eager to explain the wonder in the life of their prince of princes, all cash donations accepted for the service. Snagging a cab, we leave tlie grossly over- populated urban area in quest of a cooler region. An all-inclusive botanical garden ( which is O.K. if you like to look at trees with signs on tliem, as our own Wild Bill puts it) is on hand for the nature lover. Bubber trees abound along the roads and at Jahore the prince ' s palace with minarets towering sky- ward and lion cubs frolicking in the brilliant sunlight, is a sight to behold. Singapore ' s own 65

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On entering the liarbor at Colombo, we were impressed by the large, varied amount of ship- ping present. Although the harbor is relatively small, it accommodates quite a number of ships by the expedient of mooring them in lines, with one buoy serving to hold the bow of one ship and the stern of the next. Thus, our entrance resembled that of a car cautiously threading its way through a parking lot. On om- trips around the town to the color- ful market areas, the cinnamon gardens, the cocoanut groves and the Hindu Temples we saw many a skeptical group of sailors watching a turbanned Hindu with his pipe trying to stir a sluggish king cobra into life. The zoo at Colombo is one of the loveliest we had seen. It is located in a beautiful park filled with many specimens of native flora. When we had become accustomed to the many priests in their brilliant yellow saris and the women who wore jewels in their noses we spent some time watching the many animals and brightly-hued birds of the jungle, and saw the elephant dance in a natural open amphitheater. There was also a full day trip to Khondi, and on it we saw impressive jungle scenery and many wild beasts in their natural habitat. The wild game hunters returned to the ship somewhat sooner than expected, their tour having come to an untimely end when the state game warden gave an unceremonious negative to their appeal for permission to hunt rogue elephants. Two unforgettable memories remain with us: the permeating and inescapable odor of Indian incense and the vision of the exotic Egyptian Ecdictjst (uh— belly dancer). We left Colombo after a three-day visit tak- ing with us a substantial part of Colombo ' s pith helmets, star sapphires, and carved ebony elephants. 67