Sailing to Singapore in 1966 Part Two

 After six days battering by the winds of the Arabian Sea we were woken at 7 am to the clanking noises of the ship anchoring in Colombo harbour. At this time the country was still called Ceylon, but in 1972 the British Governor General was replaced by a Sinhalese President and the country was renamed Sri Lanka. After a quick breakfast we boarded the launch to go onshore for a coach tour of the island. We were immediately impressed by the number of colourful flowering trees and the friendly welcome we received from the local people. The shops had English names and the shopkeepers all spoke English. My mother soon identified yellow Acacia trees, frangipani and bougainvillea. There were also many mango trees and coconut palms. We also saw familiar old London red double-decker buses. The buildings showed influences of many cultures in their architecture including Dutch, Indian and British, reflecting the island’s history. Cinnamon Gardens had lovely houses with half acre gardens. We passed a mosque built of red and creamy white bricks and a girls’ school where they wore white dresses with green ties. There were many shops filled with fresh fruit and vegetables and most of the shoppers wore saris.

We stopped at a Buddhist temple where we removed our shoes. Inside the walls were colourfully decorated and the painted Buddha was 20 foot high. A dragon and two lions guarded the door. There were also large statues of disciples and these had many flower head offerings. Our next stop was at Mount Lavinia where we watched some women making pillow lace. I bought a small pink tablecloth with coffee coloured lace edging and my mother bought a moonstone brooch. Then we sat down to drink refreshing fresh lime. Driving through the countryside it was very green and lush. After a very hot morning we were relieved to be back on the air-conditioned ship although the contrast in temperatures made us cough and sneeze.  Because it was an expensive harbour for the shipping company, we set sail at 2 pm, to the usual rousing music played over the loudspeakers. Looking back at the island we could see rain clouds gathered and two rainbows. We were also excited when a spout of water marked the appearance of a whale.

We were still meeting new people on board as we travelled. That day we chatted to a South American lady who was married to a Frenchman. She, her maid and her four children were going to meet her husband in Hong Kong from where they would fly to the Philippines and then Australia. In the evening we sat in the library listening to records of Gilbert and Sullivan music. The following evening was more entertaining when they showed the film of Doctor in Clover starring Leslie Phillips and Joan Sims. If there was nothing arranged, we often sat with Mrs S or the Countess as she had the right to be called. She was a widow in her 50s who had been held in the concentration camp, Belsen, during the war. Surviving but with no family, she met and married an Italian Count with property in Tripoli, Libya. In the 1950s and early 60s there was a vibrant international social life there but now on her own she had decided to cruise to Hong Kong. She certainly made an interesting companion.

Three days after leaving Ceylon we approached the Malayan Island of Penang. First, we saw a small lumpy isle covered in birds and then the island of Penang, with the mainland beyond it, came into view in the afternoon sunshine. Even at some distance we could see the bright red colour of the soil. Much of the island was covered with tropical trees but we were mooring up in Georgetown. There was a pleasant breeze as we climbed into a local taxi driven by a man of Pakistani origin who had lived on the island for many years. He told us a great deal about the history of Penang. He drove us to Chinatown and the fish market and past industrial premises before driving out of the town.  We saw some orchids growing like sweet peas on stakes and many trees and shrubs we had also seen in Ceylon. Bullock carts trundled along and there were impressive herds of hump-backed cattle. Men on bicycles were selling milk from huge brass cans. We saw our first paddy fields and nearby were water buffaloes tied to a pole. Also on the farms were goats, small chickens, geese, dogs and even a few turkeys. Many of the houses were on stilts.

Ornate Chinese temples alternated with simple white mosques. We climbed up the steps of the famous Snake temple to find snakes curled up everywhere inside, under the table and round the candlesticks and round the flowers out in the garden. Apparently, the incense burned made them sleepy. From there we drove to Kek Lok Si monastery which was the largest in Malaysia. It contained Buddhas of varying styles from all over the world, in marble, bronze and stone. There were also beautiful statues of goddesses. We had to climb many steps and ignore all the traders touting for business along the way. There was pond containing turtles and another with black carp. We climbed to the top of the pagoda to see the view of the harbour. Our driver then took us to the Botanical Gardens to see the first rubber tree planted in Penang when it was brought from Kew Gardens. The gardens were full of monkeys which climbed all over the car when we stopped.  After returning to the ship for dinner we went for a walk near the ship but were constantly bothered by trishaws wanting to give us a ride. On the fruit stalls we came across the foul-smelling durians which apparently taste delicious. The lychees and apples appealed to us more.

That night was July 30^th1966 and one of the other couples on board had bought a “Round the World” radio so a few of us sat on deck listening to the World Cup final from London when England beat West Germany.

Next day we arrived at Port Swettenham on the mainland of Malaya. We took a day trip by coach to Kuala Lumpur, stopping off at a rubber plantation of long parallel rows of trees. We were shown the small collecting bowls tied to the trees to catch the sap from the thin cuts made in the bark. We also saw coconut oil palms which were quite small. The nuts growing round the base looked like large acorns. When they are red and ripe, they are crushed to extract the oil. At Kuala Lumpur we were impressed by the modern university in its park setting. At the newly opened National Museum, we saw traditional Chinese costumes, ancient Malay weapons and beautiful butterflies. The vast National Mosque was yet another impressive modern building.

At a nearby hotel we were served a tasty Chinese meal but it was our first clumsy attempts to use chopsticks. Afterwards we went to the War Memorial at the top of a hill which was unveiled only a few months earlier. The soldiers made from copper standing on a marble base surrounded by a moat of water represent the Malaysian struggle for freedom during the Japanese occupation and subsequent Malayan Emergency. Finally we went to the Selangor Pewter factory before returning to the ship in torrential rain.

The ship sailed south overnight, and we woke on August 1^st as the Cathay docked in Singapore. We were so pleased to be greeted by old friends who drove us to a small hotel where we would stay until we had arranged accommodation. It was the beginning of a new exciting part of our lives which we would never forget.

Here is Part one of my voyage