MY PERSONAL JOURNEY

Culture in the South Pacific

WE FIRST BOARDED the ship in the middle of the night as it waited anchored ten miles outside the harbor of Manila. As would be the case in many other ports of call to come during the cruise, the ship had not been allowed to dock because of the flag it flew. Crossing the harbor, we approached the ship in the dark on small outboard engine boats and climbed up the rope ladder that was thrown down the side of the imposing dark edifice in front of us. After reviewing and confiscating our passports, the captain of the ship officially welcomed us to Soviet soil. It was the mid-1970s and the world was mired in the Cold War, which would make for an unforgettable experience for everybody on board.

The 1970s ...

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