Travel Photo: Things Were Looking Grim

General's Last Night

 

 

This cave was the final command post for the Japanese Army, during the Battle of Okinawa.

Generals Ushijima and Cho had their headquarters here and, knew the war was ending.

On the night of June 21, 1945, they made their final preparations.

The American forces, would soon overtake them and, surrender was out of the question.

The Generals, said their farewells and, ordered the troops to fight until death. 

Shortly after four, the next morning, they left the cave.

Spreading a sheet a little way from the cavern the entrance they did a samurai thing.

They had failed the Emperor so, poked their swords in their bellies.

If you enjoy morbid travel stories: Read It All in an Army History Book.

2011 Dragonboat Festival Naha Okinawa, Japan (Photos)

Dragonboats from Thursday's Festival in Naha Okinawa, Japan are keeping me busy this week.
  Here are a dozen photos that will have to speak for themselves.  Holler if you recognize anyone.

Judging by their hairstyles, I'd say these may be US Marines.

These folks, wearing traditional headgear probably, are permanent residents.

Not sure, here.  Maybe the blue shirts are US Air Force.

             Here are the three Dragonbaots, yellow, black and green racing across the harbor.


              For a cameraman it doesn't matter who wins or looses.  All that matters is the light.


                                      Now these guys, I'm fairly certain are US Navy dudes.

 It sure would be nice if all boats were people powered and folks would stop polluting the ocean.

     Those safety boats should stay out of my picture frames.  What'd they think?  A sailor can't swim!


    Next time I do the Naha Dragonboat Festival, I'm thinking I'll bring along an innertube and hop-in.


                                          Down low is where you can catch the best scenes.


           The very last race is a big event.  These guys holler-out chants to the gods of the seas.


There's really no such thing as a winner or looser.  It's making the sea gods happy that really counts.

If you are US Navy, Army, Airforce or Marine and were in the Naha Dragonboat Races, I salute you.


If they put "Dragonboat" in the subject, I'll take it out of my junk mail.

Do you know how much money those guys make?

Well,  I do.

They made enough, while you were paddling,  to order a photo for everyone of you and give it to you FREE for being a great Ambassador representing the USA in Japan.

At this point, I'm halfway through developing the photos from the May 5, 2011 Dragonboat Festival. 

I decided to create a new photo gallery, just for DRAGONBOATS ON MY WEBSITE and, as time permits, will continue adding photos of all the Dragonboat Races on the island of Okinawa.

Wildlife Photo (Bird) Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) in Flight

The Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) aka Curlew breeds in subarctic climates of Asia, Europe and North America and Mr Wikipedia tells me, even as far down south as Scotland.

Sometimes, I like to double check my bird sources so, we'll have to verify that with one of the EXPERTS over there who seems to have his feet on the ground (most days) and knows what's going on everywhere in Scotland. After he sees this photo, if he says he saw Whimbrels in Scotland, you can believe it's the truth because he has sharp eyes and when he writes something he calls it exactly the way he sees it.

He even knows what the Queen is thinking when she sits next to this Army guy wearing a skirt.  The dude was like a Colonel, or something and get this, he FORGETS TO PUT ON HIS UNDERPANTS!  Is he, Wee Willie Wikileaker?

Now, back to the birds who really fly. These Whimbrels only visit Okinawa in the winter. They hang around in shallow water along the shore and poke their crooked noses in mud, sand and cracks in rocks and eat little shells, crabs and whatever else they can find. It's fairly easy to shoot them when they're on the ground. But, when they decide to fly they are faster than a bat outa Scotland.

So, there's two questions I'd like to ask my contact in Scotland. First, do you have any Whimbrels there?
And, I was wondering if you guys let women be Colonels in that Army outfit; just outta curiosity !