Time for sight seeing and shopping (which I usually abhor!)
This is the day for shopping, and our first major stop is a shoe store, Li Key Shoes. Although I don't play golf, I buy a pair of corform golf shoes for the grand sum of $6.00! I also bought a pair of wing tip dress shoes - hell, after all, in a few months I'll be back in the world!
While there, Joel asks about a good tailor shop, and this young man visiting the store, says he knows of a good tailor shop, and he will take us there! We demur, thinking that he is some kind of Chinese shill, and will get a kickback for bringing us over. The owner of the shoe store, insists that his visitor does know of a good tailor shop, and we go along with him, down a couple dark alleys and over a few streets. We are completely lost, but know we are somewhere in Hong Kong.
As we approach the tailor shop, I noticed that it does look pretty nice on the outside. We go in the door, and the guy we are with claps his hands, twice, and three employees come rushing out, all smiles. The guy introduces himself as the owner of the tailor shop, and asks what we like to drink. As usually, Joel goes for Jim Beam, and I answer scotch.
The scotch is good, as are the hors ordeveres, and the more we drink, the more we buy. I ended up with a suit, two cashmere sports coats, and ten custom tailored shirts. Total cost, under $100.The guy tells us to come back in two days for a fitting, and that our things will be ready in three days, just before we have to head back to Saigon.
I told you earlier about our friend, Kay, the MILPHAP civilian nurse, in Soc Trang. She gave us the name and phone number of her cousin, and we call her. She invites us to dinner that night.
The afternoon is spent in wandering around Hong Kong and Kowloon. I want to buy a Seiko Bellmatic watch, and the further we get from the Hilton, the lower the price. I finally buy my watch for $25, with a black face. Joel is pissed, for he bought the same watch, with a white face, in the PX in Saigon for $60! I bought two of them, one for my Dad. {I still have the two watches - well, my middle son has the watch that was my Dad's, and I have mine, and it still works!)
We take a cab to Kay's cousin's home, on top Victoria Peak, and are escorted in by the maid. She had been expecting our call. Her husband is an executive with CALTEX in Hong Kong. (No, 30 years later, I can't remember their names.).
We had a good time, great fun, and had chicken Kiev for dinner. After dinner, we go to a night club, and good night clubs are the same all over the world. Kay's cousin invites us to spend the day with her at the club tomorrow, but we want to tour Hong Kong.
Our first day in Hong Kong has passed much too fast!