March 28, 1964 - flanked by my Good Hope and St. Francis Xavier's classmates, President Liner Wilson in the background.
The journey started with a morning walk through the open gate by the Star House, along the trolley track to the first pier where my ship was anchored. I showed my ticket to a dock worker, and he took over my luggage. To enter the ship, I walked up some stairs and next a gangplank (thankfully it has handrails and side barriers). Up there, after showing my ticket to a ship crew, I looked for my cabin.
The cabin was one large open place near the back of the ship. Some 35 or so passengers, all male, would sleep here on 2-level bunk beds for the 19-day journey. I was one of the very few teens, most were young to middle age migrants or immigrants travelling to USA the first time. Some men placed their familes in 4-person cabins which cost more. For the rest of the day, families and friends came on board to tour the ship. And this made our economy area crowded like on a busy Hong Kong street.
By about 6 p.m., most of the visitors have left, and there were public announcements that it's time for visitors to leave before the ship sails. Such was travel security in those good old days. What followed next was the streamers memory -
https://gwulo.com/atom/12289
While sailing out of the harbour, I saw city lights at Central and Causeway Bay, and fewer lights as the ship travelled east. I was still in Hong Kong, but this time it was different. No sound was heard except the sound from the ship's engine.
Our ship made half-day stops at Kobe, Yokohama and Honolulu during which time us passengers toured the shore, some repeated travellers ventured quite far inland. At these three stops, I was greeted with smiles at a bank, bought a small Japanese doll enclosed in plexglas casing, and had a $1.50 hair cut, respectively.
After arriving at San Francisco, some of us passengers switched to train on the same day to continue our journey to Canada.
Comments
re: Kowloon Wharf Pier - Farewell Moment (1964)
Hi Peter, that must have been an exciting trip. Was anyone travelling with you, or were you on your own?
I found this short film which looks to have been taken around the same time:
Travel - Kowloon Wharf to San Francisco (1964)
Top photo: President Wilson travel ticket Hong Kong to San Francisco, March 28, 1964.
mid-right: my dining table location and meal schedule.
mid-left: touring either Kobe or Yokohama.
bottom left: arriving at San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge.
bottom right: train to Vancouver, Canada.
The ticket was bought at the American President Liner office on Connaught Road Central. We had no need to travel to San Francisco, but my grandfather, who worked in the import-export company, noted this option was more economical than flying.
I slept on the upper level bunk bed which had weak spring support, so it felt partly like a hammock bed. No complaint, my bones were still young and flexible. This was a dorm area with beds for 30-plus male passengers. The noise from the engine was constant but tolerable, and one could feel the place rocking mildly up and down.
The staff with their wheel-carts served 3 meals a day six passengers per table. The portions were sufficient and of good quality, but the western style needed several days to get used to.
There was a bar, but it didn't do me any good. They showed several movies during the trip, and I watched Seventy-Six Trombones. The coin-free automatic washing machine fascinated me. One time, I ventured to the mid-section of the ship where expensive cabins were located, and I felt like walking on land.
After the ship sailed past Causeway Bay, the city lights began to thin out, the ridge lines barely visible in the dark sky, the sight of crowded streets and noises no more. It was a moment of self-reflection. Many things crossed my mind. I am leaving the place where I grew up, my friends, classmates and neighbours, and more sadly my grandparents who have cared for me. I know where I am going, but have no idea how the rest of my life would turn out. My education is at medium level, and no marketable skills. Of the entire journey, these thoughts and the eastern hills would later be my most cherished.
David, thank you for your interest. I travelled with my two sisters who shared a 4-person cabin with a Hong Kong couple. We were travelling to unite with our parents who have immigrated to Canada nine years earlier onboard President Cleveland, sister ship of President Wilson. Hence, I had a tour of that ship. And years before that, my grandfather travelled alone to the Canadian prairie province Saskatchwan. They must be also thinking like I did, as their ships sailed out of Kowloon Wharf.
Prior to affordable air travel, this pier at Kowloon Wharf must have been a very busy place. I would be pleased to read stories and memories from other passengers.
For economic and other reasons, some HK parents and parents from the Taishan region where we came from, arranged to have their parents care for the grand-children until reunion some day.
On the video - very nice opening song Apache by The Shadows my favourite. That WAS my ship President Wilson. The scene on the pier was very familiar, so the feeling when looking at it is one of deep nostalgia. Regards, Peter
re: Travel - Kowloon Wharf to San Francisco (1964)
Thanks for telling us more about the journey. Though air travel is much faster, I would have enjoyed travelling by sea, and having a chance to visit places along the way. When I first arrived in Hong Kong in 1989, the guide book I had still talked about travelling to and from Hong Kong by sea, but when I dug a bit further the affordable options had all been replaced by air travel, and I certainly couldn't afford a cruise liner's fares.
However there were still several ships running regular services to and from ports along the China coast. When I went back to the UK in 1991, I left via boat to Shanghai. We met dense fog along the way, and just sat still for a day until it lifted. The ship had a small bar, and one evening they arranged to play music for people to dance to. The few westerners got up and danced - I think one of us had a cassette tape of current pop music that was played, and we just danced to that. I remember the young Chinese ladies staring intently at our feet. I'm pretty sure they were trying to work out what the steps were to this dance, not realising we were just shuffling around at random!
Sailing up the river to Shanghai I was struck how it felt like sailing into a city in Europe. From there I took the train to Beijing, then the trans-Mongolian train to Moscow, then several more trains and a much shorter ferry trip to the UK and then home to Wales. Happy memories!
Regards, David
Hi Peter,
Hi Peter,
Thanks for sharing your memories of the President Wilson. I had a great-grandfather who travelled to the US from Hong Kong aboard the President Wilson in the 1920s. And my grandfather immigrated from Hong Kong to the US as a teenager aboard a different American President Line ship. He later joined the US Merchant Marine and worked for APL. He worked aboard the President Wilson for many trips, though it looks like he was working aboard a different ship during your voyage. I often wonder what he must have experienced on his many trips so thank you for sharing your memories!
Photo
Hi Peter,
thank you for sharing your experience of travelling on a ship (which I don't have). And its good to see a face behind an OldTimer.
Regards, Klaus
Kowloon Wharf
Thank you kimmy and Klaus for your support. A photo accompanying a story makes it more interesting to read. I decided to try it after noting other readers have posted their photos.
Though an adventurous boy growing up in Hong Kong, I was a shy person. But not anymore as the aging process takes hold. So, you will recognize me when we meet. Regards, Peter
Re: Greetings
Hi Peter,
here's my photo. The colour of our hair is similar, but mine is scarce - only the beard is still there.
Regards, Klaus
Greetings
Hi Klaus, thank you for the photo. Very hot in October... I am jealous. At this moment, I see snow, rain and high winds from my window. After my morning coffee, I will exchange car tires from summer to winter. Next, the family will get me a birthday cake. Regards, Peter
1951 S. S President Wilson
Same itinerary. Boarding and baggage arrangements at Kowloon Wharf.
Hi Peter,
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your very interesting account of leaving Hong Kong. In 1958, while relaxing on the balconies at Little Sai Wan, we often watched the President Line ships making their stately way out to sea. I guess that the dormitory accommodation would have been rather hot and I suspect that it was similar to that on the troopships by which so many of my R.A.F. Colleagues travelled. Was the price shown on your ticket in HK or USA dollars?
Keeping your ticket and photographs over all these years shows what an adventure you were literally embarking upon - just like my own memorabilia that I too have kept. Such things always bring back memories.
Best wishes, Andrew
Kowloon Wharf Pier
Thank you Moddsey and Andrew for the comments. The ticket is $341 US for the trip, and it included train travel to White Rock, British Columbia the Canadian border. Once landed in San Francisco , an American Lines agent there looked after us until we boarded (same day) the train to Canada. When I bought the ticket in their HK office, it also came with an instruction tag on luggage check-in and boarding.
Regarding the 1951 instructions, there appears to be a mis-print. Given the departure day was Monday February 5, 1951, the luggage check-in date should be February 3 not February 8. Regards, Peter
Well Spotted
Perhaps the enlargement in print or font size makes the '3' look like an '8'. Cheers!
Kowloon Wharf Pier
Well spotted and thought credit goes to you moddsey. February 5, No. 50 and 5 P.M. could appear to look like a 6 if enlarged further. Such an important note could not have escaped verification before going to print. Regards, Peter