Gridley (CG 21) - Naval Cruise Book

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PATTAYA BEACH, THAILA AFTER SPENDING OVER 90 DA YS ATSEA, WE WERE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO LIBERTY AT PATTA YA BEACH, THAILAND. BEING THE LARGEST RESORTAREA IN SOUTHEASTASIA, PA TTA YA WAS AN IDEAL PORT OF CALL FOR SAILORS RETURNING FROM AN EXTENDED PERIOD AT SEA. ITS ECONOMY WAS COMPLETELY ORIENTED TOWARDS TOURISM, WITHA HUGE NUMBER OF FIRST CLASS HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, BARS, AND NIGHTCLUBS. THE FOOD, ESPECIALLY THE SEAFOOD, WAS INEXPENSIVE AND OF OUTSTANDING QUALITY. THE PEOPLE WERE HONEST, HARD WORKING, AND FRIENDLY. IN ADDITION TO BEING A CENTER FOR CREATURE PLEASURES, PATTA YA HAD READY ACCESS TO CULTURAL PURSUITS AS WELL. BANGKOK, THE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL CENTER OF THAILAND AND AYUTTHA YA, THE ORIGI- NAL CAPITAL, WERE ONLY A BUS-RIDE AWAY AND FEATURED SPECTACULAR EXAMPLES OF TRADITIONAL THAI RELIGIOUS AR- CHITECTURE. THAILAND POSSESSES ONE OF THE OLDEST CUL- TURES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE REGION THATRETAINED ITS INDEPENDENCE THROUGHOUT THE EUROPEAN IMPERIALIST PERIOD FROM 1815 TO 1946. WHETHER IT WAS KICKING BACK AT ONE OF THE HOTELS AT PA TTA YA OR OBSERVING THE INTRICACIES OF THE HAND MOVEMENTS IN CLASSICAL THAI DANCING IN BANGKOK, OUR STAY IN THAILAND WAS NOT ONE MANY OF US WOULD SOON FORGET. Bi' QL X 1 .r I 1 QZMQFKS Y ,-1. ,ff ,QTL ., pi!-'Zig .V '0 Q r 4 QL, .,f' g '-:Y , , r

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5 HGAPORE UQUST WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO VISIT SINGAPORE. IT INA OT ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED, BUT SINCE WE HAD BEEN WASEH OUT OF SUBIC BYA TYPHOON, WE WERE UNEXPECTED- DRIVIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY. ESTABLISHED AS A BRITISH LY GQHY BY SIR STAMFORD RAFFLES IN 1819 AND STRATEGI- COLLY LOCATED ON THE STRAITS OF MALACCA, SINGAPORE CMSALWA YS BEEN A MAJOR COMMERCIAL CENTER. POPULAT- QSPREDOMINANTLY BY INDUSTRIOUS CHINESE AND MALA YS, THE CITY STATE HAS EXPANDED RAPIDLY SINCE OBTAINING INDEPENDENCE IN 1951. REFLECTING ITS COLONIAL PAST, THE CULTURE WAS HIGHLY VICTORIAN IN NATURE. THE CITY ITSELF WAS EXTREMELY CLEAN AND ITS PEOPLE ADHERED TO VERY STRICT DRESS CODES. BEER AND NIGHTLIFE WERE EX- PENSIVE, BUT THE SHOPPING AND EYEBALL LIBERTY WERE GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE THE CITYA HIT AMONGST GRIDLEY SAILORS. THE THREE DA YS WE VISITED THERE WOULD TURN OUT T0 BE THE LAST LIBERTY WE WOULD SEE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. E 1 4 ORIGINA TING IN CHINA, BUDDHISM IS PRACTICED THROUGHOUT THE ORIENT, FROM KOREA TO INDONESIA, INCLUDING SINGAPORE. ALTHOUGH T STREETS HESE BUILDINGS ARE SOMEWHAT RUN DOWN, THE CLEANLINESS OF THE - . AND WALKWA YS ARE TYPICAL OF WHAT WE EXPERIENCED. IN FRONT OF SINGAPORE'S GOVERNMENTAL BUILDINGS, PREPARATIONS ARE BEING MADE FOR AN INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRA- TION. K , fl A . ms... X .at-1-nr . , ,Y Q ..,. V , W- - .L i' ,., +- -V .--- --.1-A 1 'W' ff ,.. - 'i ,U--'Q-J- 1 1..4-- ':a:ip-,fa ' - ... - A ,,, L. ,. T ' -an--V,., - as-7 ,, 'L 4 - , . E ,4 Qds- Q ,- 1'q'. WH- - m. D,-vw, MC- My K, M It .fr A I, T 'L .,-. .. -,..-,+V 'yn - ff 5 - 1 4 4 1.-,Q ..z,-1:2-A.. 'A ' ' M' m 61 4, ,

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H0 G KONG THE SEAS WERE NOT RIND ON THE VOYAGE BETWEEN FA T- TA YA AND HONG KONG AND A GOOD PORTION OF THE CREW WAS EXPERIENCING SOME DEGREE OF SEA SICRNESS. IN- DEED, EVERYONE WAS EAGER TO GET INTO PROTECTED WA- TERS, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS GOING TO BEA LONG SEA DETAIL TOPPED WITH THE INVOL VED PROCESS OF MOORING TO A BUOY. SINCE IT HAD BEEN A MAJOR COMMERCIAL CENTER SINCE 1848, WHEN IT WAS CEDED BY CHINA TO ENGLA ND AS A RESULT OF THE OPIUM WAR, WE ALL EXPECTED HONG KONG TO BE A SHOPPER 'S MECCA. WE ALSO KNEW OF HONG KONG 'S REPUTA TION FOR AN OUTSTANDING LIGHT SHOW AT NIGHT, ESPECIALLY DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. WHAT WE DID NOT EXPECT WAS THE BLUSTERY WEATHER CHARACTERISTIC OF TEMPERA TE REGIONS IN WHAT WE CONSIDERED THE SUB- TROPICS. THE CREW, HA VING SPENT THE LAST FIVE MONTHS IH TROPICAL CLIMA TES, HAD LITTLE TIME TO ADAPT TO THE FRIGID TEMPERA TURES OF 55-B0 DEGREES. HO WEVER, JUDGIIYG FROM THEIR ATTIRE, NEITHER HAD THE HA TIVES. THE QUALITY OF SHOPPING LIVED UP TO EXPECTA TIONS AND MOST OF US WERE ON THE BRINR OF GOING BROKE FROM ALL OF THE BARGAINS. STILL, THE ROMA NCE AND CHARM OF OLD HONG KONG AS SEEN IN THE MOVIES HAD NOT COMPLETELY DIED IN THAT INCREASINGLY COMMERCIALIZED METROPOLIS. W ITB' -,, -ra 5-if 1ll .14 Ps- ' -QR . 1 X , , R e ' ' Y , at ii I' r Qv ,- g-,, PUf' - I ff'if,LT1f:1'If -, - .......,....-....-...,-. -- -.J 2 2 i I F I I I Q 5 i i . 1 1 1 3 5 I I i I 5 I L Y