Right from the beginning we were chaperoned everywhere we went, even when we didn�t want chaperoning some kind Chinese person followed us. I suppose just in case we fell over or needed a plaster or something, but they were always there, right behind us even if we went by ourselves. We were told that we shouldn�t wander round on our own - the place wasn�t dangerous but we could get lost.
The food � well, because we were English they did try their best with every conceivable English dish they could think of. One day, I remember, they decided to give us steak and chips. I have never seen chips like that ever in all my life (soggy, fat coated potatoe), and after poking at this lump of meat on our plates all of us decided it certainly wasn�t steak and must have been yak or something. We�d sit and struggle with our English meals whilst our Chinese hosts sat on nearby tables enjoying lavish cooked Chinese meals which smelled, looked and probably tasted delicious.
The second cook and I were invited into the kitchen to see if we could highlight any problems with the facilities. Having looked round and seeing what they had, we looked at each other and said, �We�ll eat Chinese then, eh?� and that was it for the rest of our stay. The food was beautiful. And what the hell, when in China �
Because of the lack of entertainment for us during the day there was nothing to do. They used to send us on different trips. We visited every factory, mill, zoo, football field, anything to give us something to do. Wherever we went we were treated like royalty. I remember visiting a silk worm factory and all of us being ushered like VIPs into the directors rooms with a huge polished table, and beautiful young Chinese girls dressed in traditional wear came in with trays of small cups and served us with traditional Chinese tea. You must note at this point they do not drink tea like English people, Chinese tea is fragrant and should be drank just without anything with it, no milk, no sugar, no nothing. It would have been offensive to them to leave it, but I hated it. I vowed when I left China never to drink tea again, and I haven�t.
One day, they even arranged for us to play a football match against their local football team. I can�t remember the score, but it was hugely entertaining for all the Chinese who came to watch. They didn�t play good football, but we were treated like celebrities. I suppose in the 60�s China, having been kept away from the Western world for so long by Chairman Mai, seeing Europeans was quite a different thing for them.
One evening we were invited (i.e. told) that we should attend an opera. This opera (as such) included dance and was about the revolution � wooden rifles were thrown around with gay abandonment on the stage with lots of jumping about and hopping through hoops. No translation was available for any of us, we hadn�t a clue what was going on but we got the gist of it.
Whilst walking back to the hotel one time, we noticed a line of small wagons coming toward us. The leading wagon had on its back and tied to the headboard an unfortunate Chinese person with a sign around his neck, and the revolutionary guard in the back cheering and shaking their rifles. I don�t know what this poor unfortunate had done - probably stolen a loaf of bread � and I don�t know what the outcome would be for this poor man, but it didn�t look good.
Small children pushed wheelbarrows full of coal around. Lots of bicycles, probably still their main form of transport, and absolutely nothing in the shops. The main highlight of our day was the shop adjacent to the hotel. We never saw any Chinese people in it apart from the Chinese people who worked there. All the goods were vastly overpriced for anyone in China to afford. You could buy virtually anything in the shop, all goods being made in China, there was nothing foreign. Silk robes, stationery, food, I even bought an air rifle and a load of pellets. In fact, lots of us bought air rifles and loads of pellets. (I will explain what we used these for later!)
So, our two weeks ashore progressed well and finally our ship was fumigated and we saw her come into dock. The bugs on board had been destroyed and we could go back to our ship, our own food and our own beds.
Another two weeks were to pass before we left that place. We ran out of English cigarettes, all the decent food and any fresh provisions. We did buy some Chinese ones but these were nothing like the standard we were used to.
Having finally got an empty ship, we had instructions from our shipping company that we were to sail immediately for Kure in Japan, where we were to be put into dry dock for some small repairs.
Once we got out into open sea we placed a big picture of Chairman Mai on the deck of the ship, and all of us with air rifles started firing pellets into it.
Life was to become better from now on!
JAPAN
It�s only a few days from where we were to get to Japan. Being put into the dry dock, everyone was at ease because the ship, not being at sea, meant that there was no need for a crew to be on board 24 hours a day. Lots of spare time for the next two weeks was to be had by everyone to enjoy the local bars and scenery. The bars were brilliant. The staff were friendly, attentive, and very polite. Once, we went into a bar and it had been raining. Three of us rushed in to get out of the rain (and have a drink), all soaking wet through. The first things we were given were warm towels. This is common practice. At other bars you had to be very careful because they had Japanese women in them who�s sole purpose was to get you to buy them expensive drinks, but all they were getting was coloured water. You only fell for that one once.
We still had to work, it was a quick breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and an evening meal, and most people weren�t there anyway so it was easy street. We weren�t allowed to use the ships toilets, being in dry dock, and had to use the ones on the quayside and all these were was a square hole in a concrete floor, crouched down over that, do what you have to do and get away. The stench was horrific.
We found out that, where we were docked, soldiers, sailors and air force � all young men from the United States � were on rest and recuperation leave from the Vietnam war. Some injured and recently out of hospital, some just on leave. We had many long talks with these 18 and 19 year olds. I was amazed at their age and the experiences they�d gone to � they were only a year or two older than me. They�d been sent there to recover from bullet wounds, shrapnel wounds. I�d never experienced war first hand like that. They took it all so nonchalantly. I couldn�t understand what it was like to be under fire for almost 24 hours a day. Most were quite willing to go back and continue what they were doing. I�m glad I never had to do it.
The biggest highlight of my stop whilst in dry dock was to get a full day off. My friend and I jumped on the high speed train, travelled into Tokyo and wandered wander round to our hearts content. It was like another world, like nothing I�d ever seen before in all my life. We both made our way for the highest steel structure of the that time, which was Tokyo Tower, and went right to the top to get the best view. The whole day was spent just sight seeing, eating and thoroughly enjoying ourselves buying small gifts, and then catching the train back totally exhausted.
We were also quite close to Hiroshima. We went there at one point to see what it was like, expecting everything to still be flatted. It was well built up, but built up in the American standard of straight streets and blocks.
Finally coming out of dry dock, we were issued with new orders � our company had leased our ship to the Osaka Line. Our funnel had to change its colours, we lost the wonderful cross, and the funnels was painted in some orange colour. We continued then into the various ports of Japan � Yokohama being the first one � and on entering the dock we discovered that we had docked at the very place where James Bond had made that movie [You Only Live Twice]. We had that film on board the ship and had recently watched it, so everything looked familiar.
We carried on going round most of Japan, loading up with cars, raw materials, machinery, and when the ship was finally full we set sail back to the east coast of Africa via the normal ports, Hong Kong for oil and provisions. Before we left we bought a load of cigarettes, but they were that foul nobody wanted them, so once we stocked up with decent cigarettes in Japan and were out at sea, we ditched the lot.
Hong Kong. Having never been to Hong Kong, it was amazing to go into the magnificent bay and pass merchant ships, large and small, see the classic Chinese sailing ships with the big sails, huge tankers and British naval ships. It�s common practice whilst at sea that if a British merchant ship passes another British ship or a naval ship, that the ensign flying at the stern of the ship should be lowered in respect. Because I was mostly working at the back of the ship in the galley (therefore the closest), this was my task. The order was quickly shouted down from above, �Get Steve to lower that bloody ensign�. It was funny to see someone on the other ship racing as fast as they could to do the same, me waving, them saluting.
We got shore leave in Hong Kong, only one night. We were told to be very, very careful so we stayed in groups. Myself and a few others went ten pin bowling, which was a nice change from sitting in bars all night. We had a few drinks, got in the water taxi and went back to our ship to settle down for the night. At about 4 o�clock in the morning, I heard a tap on my door. Lifting my head wearily, I thought �What the�?�
Opening the door up a crack, I noticed one of my crewmates in underpants only. �Steve! Steve! Have you got some money, I�ve got to pay this man.� �Why?� I asked, �What the fuck�s up?� He�d been mugged whilst ashore. They took everything off him, his watch, his shoes, his socks, his shirt, and left him with only his underpants. He�d managed to board not a taxi but a newspaper launch which went from Cowloon to Hong Kong. After several trips across the bay the chap who was steering it was persuaded to pull over to our ship and let him off. It cost him a fiver, a lot of money in those days. He promptly went to bed and didn�t get up the next day because he was too tired (and probably still drunk) Eventually at dinnertime we threw a bucket of water over him. That got him up. We found out later it was British soldiers who had mugged him! And I never got my fiver back.
Leaving Hong Kong we sailed through the Malaka Straights.
To be continued .....
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