More stuff

Here are some more pictures and videos from the last few days. The main thing we have done is visit some historical WWII sites. I had no idea that Saipan played a role in any of that but it did. Want to know how? Why, I'll tell ya! Get ready for a breif history lesson: Siapan was originally inhabited by Spain and this lasted for several hundred years. However, during WWI, Germany somehow gained control and siezed Siapan for just over two years. After that, the Japanese invaded and took control which lasted for quite a few more years. (See, it's that beautiful everyone wanted a peice of it!) Well, when the Japanese ruled Saipan, they turned the island into an exporting commerce, it's primary crop being sugar cane. They used the natives (Chamarro) to do most of the work (unfortunately like slave labor) but there were also many Japanese civilians who migrated over and worked as well. When WWII struck and the Japanese got invovoled, they used Siapan as a station of defense and built all kinds of tanks, guns, etc on the island. Then, after American got involved, we eventually were able to come to Saipan and take it over. (I understand I am leaving out a TON of details here, it's just a crude summary.) America has retained ownership ever since, which is why Saipan is considered a U.S. commonwealth. They don't pay the same taxes as we do in the states, but other than that, government is esentially the same. Anyway, I digress, the following pictures and videos are mainly from sites we visited pertaining to the war and U.S. take over. Two places we went in particular were very sobering: Bonzai cliff and Suicide cliff. Bonzai cliff is a sheer drop off into the ocean and it's where many of the Japanese civilian jumped off when it was clear American would be taking over. There was a lot of propaganda involved and they basically were made to believe that, among other things, once the Americans came they would kill them, rape their women, eat their children, etc. Additionally, it was dishonorable in the Japanese culture to be taken captive, therefore it was more honorable to commit suicide. So...as I was saying, bonzai cliff was where a lot of the local families, (non-military personel) jumped. The other cliff, Suicide cliff, is where many of the soldiers took their lives. There are several shrines and peace memorials now left in it's place, but it was very humbling and reverent to remember these atrcocities. This is Bonzai Cliff: Some Peace Memorials View of Suicide Cliff More Weapons This is the view overlooking suicide cliff