Hi, folks! [:)]
I’m back! Anybody miss me? Hello? [:D]
Tim, feel free to start picking on me again!
Dwight, yup, did quite a bit of shopping at Joeten, ABC, and 123!
We had a wonderful and relaxing 5 days, mostly lazing on the beaches (you gotta go to Managaha Island!), snorkling, and eating, eating, eating. [^]
The Historical Tour was very interesting and informative. You wouldn’t believe (OK, maybe you would!) how much from the war still remains on and around the island. The memorial to those Americans killed in taking the island is quite powerful.
I got some good pix (a Type 97 Chi-ha, various bunkers, beach installations, etc), but the photo shop has the CF card right now, so I’ll post some pix when I get that back.
The only disappointing thing about the trip was we had a snorkeling tour planned over a sunken Zero, but it was called off due to rough weather. Quite a few squalls everyday. We just got to ride over the Zero in the boat, and you could just barely make out the shape of it. Too bad! [V]
Anyway, it’s great to be back here in Japan and back at the FSM forums.
By the way, I don’t think there’s a single scale plastic model for sale on Saipan. Certainly no hobby shops.
Perhaps there’s enough actual stuff lying around that nobody wants to build anything.
Also, the native islanders suffered greatly during the war, so perhaps they are just not inclined to build models of the instruments of warfare.
Still, you’d reckon someone would want to build a car or an airliner or something!
Oh well, with beaches that beautiful, I suppose the indigenous population has better things to do than glue plastic together…
Mike, Chi-ha duly rubbed! I even kicked the tires. Off.
Just kidding. They were falling off anyway![;)]
Got a few pix for ya. The first features my hulking visage lurking next to a Japanese bunker with my lovely significant other.
We got to go inside the bunker, and lemme tell ya, that was not easy! Cramped does not begin to describe it.
Here’s the pic:
Next is aType 97 Chi-ha, one of many scattered around the island, but the only one I got digital pix of this time around:
I’ll post these pix with more detailed descriptions over at the armor forum (so as not to bore you non-armor folks!), so keep your eye out for more goodies over there.
I’m sure you don’t want to see us in our bathing suits hitting the beaches (well, me in mine, anyway), so I’ll spare ya’ll the slide show![;)]
j-hulk interesting tour indeed.
one question though. Why they have these relics out in the open and not properly stored in a museum? Is any of this for sale…lol
look at a guy trying to sell a panzer at a topic business buddies wanted…BE BOLD AND BE RICH…
Good questions!
I know several vehicles have been returned to Japan and completely restored, and are on display at various museums throughout the country. All the vehicles on display outdoors in Saipan were all pretty well destroyed vehicles, so I suppose nobody felt it was worth it to restore and display them properly indoors.
I shoulda grabbed that return roller, though…they never would have found it in my carry-on luggage!
