my trip to Tinian
Last weekend I went to Tinian with my dear friend Leila. The second annual Tinian Hot Pepper Festival was going on. Lei, her boyfriend Mark, and I took Mark’s boat over to Tinian - I think it took about an hour - we arrived around sunset on Saturday and went straight to the festival. Within ten minutes of being there it started to pour down rain and didn’t let up the entire night. I still had a great time… ate good food, met a lot of Leila’s family (they are amazing people) and just absorbed all the new things around me. Sunday, we got up, ate breakfast at her family’s restaurant - they own a small hotel, restaurant and grocery store - then Lei gave me a tour of the island and took me to all the old WWII sites. I saw the loading pit where the first atomic bomb was ever loaded onto a jet for use in combat. Yes, I am talking about Hiroshima. It is crazy to think that I stood next to the bomb pit that loaded the bomb that landed on Hiroshima, and saw the runway it took off from, and walked on the beaches that the US attacked the Japanese on, and stood in the Japanese miliatary post looking up at where there was once a ceiling but now it is a gaping hole where a bomb landed. All very interesting stuff and I feel very fortunate to get to see it all, yet sad that it is there to see. War is sad.
This was such a fun boat ride back. Waves splashing on my legs, flying fish whizzing over the surface of the water, spectacular views all around.
These people were crazy for eating this. People here swear that Tinian Hot Peppers are the hottest and I believe it. They are hotter than any scotch bonnet or habanero I’ve ever tried.
It was so fascinating to go to Tinian and see all the remnants from the war. This was the old Japanese military post.
This is the runway that the jets used to go bomb Hiroshima
This is the largest standing latte (pronounced lattie) stone in the Northern Mariana Islands. The Chamorros built homes and other structures using these massive stones. I know I am pretty short, but this stone is massive compared to me.
October 8th, 2005 at 3:17 pm
Hi Lindsey,
Life in beautiful Bainbridge Island is going well. Our new teacher is making her mark. She is not soft spoken at all. some children are even afraid of her.
We are all getting use to her. She comes from teaching In Yonkers, NY. Lots of great ideas on record keeping. She rally likes the Mandala product. We might move our progress repors to the Mandala format, of course with some minor changes.
Its getting cold and overcast in our area. I hope you miss terribly the changes of weather;) the leaves changing colors and of course the snow later on.
Have fun!
Ana