Kenneth Taylor's blog

Panama

Instead of going home to my wife and kids, I decided to go to Panama and visit my other family. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and I miss them very much. However, prior to coming out to Afghanistan, I didn’t know that the ticket would be paid for so I hadn’t planned on taking the 15 days offered. I already had it in mind that I would not see my family for the length of my deployment. Additionally, my wife works very long hours so I wouldn’t have been able to see much of her. She used all of her leave before I deployed so at best, she might have been able to take a few days off. The kids are in school so I wouldn’t see much of them either. I figured I would spend a great deal of time watching Discovery Channel. Besides, It was my grandma's 94th birthday. She may not have too many more birthdays and I wanted to be able to spend some time with her. So, I went to Panama for 15 days and it was exactly what I needed.

Anyway, I have returned and there were a substantial number of packages awaiting me when I arrived. I told the Marines before I left that they were to open any Any Marine packages but, apparently, they didn’t. So when I arrived, I became a springtime Santa passing goodies out to my Marines.

When I returned I was also introduced to our new team member, Shakes. He’s young and hairy but I think we’ll get along just fine, provided he doesn’t pee on my stuff or chew up my boots.

Shakes

Moving Down South

We moved from our original location to our new AO. This area is vastly different from where we were. The temperatures are noticeably higher and the green has given way to the brown and tan of the arid desert. It looks like we will be doing more mounted operations from this location. I think I would prefer walking to driving. I feel I can control the outcome of any engagements I may come into with another guy on foot. In a vehicle, we lose some of the advantage since the enemy gets to pick where and when they want to place their IEDs. We have good equipment and the training we receive as Marines is second to none so I am not too concerned. I have a good team of Marines here and they are consummate professionals that are obsessively meticulous with mission planning. So much so that we are not making any new friends with the US Army we share the FOB with. They think we ask too many questions.

The previous unit left this place a mess so I spent a great deal of time cleaning up. The ANA's tent were littered with trash and rotting food. There is absolutely no shortage of flies here, they are here in such great abundance. Hundreds of flies constantly swarm around us and they seem fearless. No doubt the condition of the camp contributed to their massive numbers. The ANA are living in dilapidated GP tents with no AC or heat. when it rains, the tents leak so the soldiers huddle together in the dry areas under the tent. My team and I are working hard to get them some wooden barracks built before the summer, when temperatures are expected to exceed 120f. Everyday brings new improvements. We had a bug guy spray around our area and drastically reduced the number of flies.

I am may be leaving soon to start my trip to my leave destination. We all get 15 days of leave while we are here. We have to fly through Kuwait to the states before our leave begins. It can take up to 4-7 days to get to where ever our leave destinations are. I chose to fly to Panama. I was born there and I still have nine uncles and aunts living there, as well as my 90+ year old gramma. I have not seen her for years and want to get down there before it is too late. Anyway, I may be gone for as long as 20 days.

Thank you for the support and emails. They do help the time pass. I'll post pictures of Panama once I return.

Semper Fidelis

The Bitch

The Bitch

My day with the Sharks

This past Sunday I was able to do something I have wanted to do since I discovered the possibility existed.  Here, in the seas surrounding Okinawa, is an ocean current known to the locals as "Kuroshio", or Black Current.  It is loaded with nutrients and teaming with life.  This abundance of life attracts some large wildlife.  Among these large life forms is the Whale Shark. 

IMG_0081

 

The Yomitan Fishermens Association of Okinawa maintains a huge underwater pen in which they place whale sharks ‘accidentally’ caught in their fishing nets.  They then keep the animals for 'rehabilitation and scientific study'.  I wonder if the $115.00 dollars a head for a single, 30-minute dive helps cause more whale sharks to accidentally turn up in fishing nets.  Anyway, we left the house fairly early, excited about diving with the sharks. 

 

We got to Torii Beach Dive Locker at 0900 only to be told that the dive brief wasn’t until 1230.  Okay, we would have to wait.  What to do in the meantime?  We rented our gear and decided to pass the time by going on a dive.  We went out to a favorite dive spot of mine and dropped in, the water

Clownfish

was clear and warm and teaming with life.  We saw several groups of clownfish, huge shoals of fish, even a large sea turtle.  I had my new dive camera with me and was impressed by the quality of the pictures I could get with it.  We enjoyed our first dive so much that we lost track of the time.  We had to rush back to Torii to get or whale shark brief.

 

We all met back at Torii, got our brief and headed out.  At the Marina we met the Japanese guides that would take us out.  None of them spoke English and none of us spoke Japanese.  They turned out to be very caring and competent guides and the language barrier fell away once we went below the surface.

 

We motored out to the pen that was about a half mile off shore and tied the boat off above the pen.  We geared up and back rolled off the side of the boat into the water.  15 feet below the boat was the entrance to the pen. 

The Shark's Pen

The entrance is a small wedge shaped opening large enough for one diver to pass through at a time.  Tammy, my wife, was waiting at the entrance when I got down to her.  She was nervous about being in a confined space and was hesitant to go in.  One of the Japanese guides calmed her and reassured her to the point that she eventually went in. 

 

There are two sharks in the pen as well as hundreds of other fish that found if they hang out long enough, they’d eventually get a free meal when the sharks are fed. 

A Giant Pair

As soon as I entered the pen I looked to my right.  One of the sharks was headed straight at me.  I had enough time to take a single picture then tried to get out of its way. 

Whale Shark

I had to swim backwards and drop away from it as it passed within arms reach above me.  It was like the scene in ‘The Matrix’ when Neo is dodging bullets.  I was playing the part of Neo dodging a massive bullet played by the larger of the two sharks.  I discovered the shark was a male.  It’s surprising the things you notice when you’re that close.  As the shark passed over me, it hit me with it tail.  Wow!

Swimming with Sharks

 

We spent about 30-35 minutes in the pen with the sharks.  It was fantastic!

Shark Bait

 

Coral Abstract

Coral Abstract, originally uploaded by Kawetijoru.

I liked the abstract feel of this.

Business end of the Whale Shark

Okinawan Whale Shark 3, originally uploaded by Kawetijoru.

Whale Tail

Okinawan Whale Shark 2, originally uploaded by Kawetijoru.

Whale Shark Silhouette

Okinawan Whale Shark 4, originally uploaded by Kawetijoru.

On the Moon

On the Moon, originally uploaded by Kawetijoru.

I just got Photoshop and this is my first product. I think the lighting matched up perfectly. Photoshop is great. I was able to take an unremarkable picture and do something fun with it.

Naha Tug-O-War

The Combatants

The family and I went into Naha to attend the 37th Annual Naha Giant Tug of War, or O-tsunahiki in Japanese.  The news says there were roughly 280,000 people at the event. 

 

The record-breaking rope, made of rice straw is constructed and made larger every year on Okinawa.  It is supposedly the Guinness World Record largest rope of natural materials and it has been for something like ten years.

 

The Eastern rope

Since we live east of Naha, I decided we should probably pull for the East side. 

 

Briana and I went out and found a spot near the point where the two ropes are joined together.  We first had to pull our half of the rope to the center of the intersection where it was connected to the western rope.

The Western Rope

 

 

The ropes two sections symbolize the union of male and female, or the east and west sides of Naha.  Each half of the rope is 300 feet long and weighs 21-tons.  The ropes are pinned in the middle by a 6-foot wooden dowel called the Kanuchi pole. 

The Kanuchi Pole

Smaller hand ropes are attached to the giant rope, and the crowd uses them to pull the giant rope.

 

The rules are simple; the first side to pull the rope three meters (about ten feet) wins.  If, after thirty minutes no one pulls the rope the required 3 meters, a tie is declared.  I was told the two years previous, the competition ended in a tie. 

 

An article I read in the Stars and Stripes said there were about 15,000 people pulling on the east side.  You would think with that much muscle, the rope would move fairly easily.  You would be wrong.  I imagine there were 15,000 people on the other side as well.

 

Getting ready to rumble

I pulled on that rope for almost thirty minutes.  Amazingly, Briana stayed out there for at least 20 minutes before she could no longer stand the crush of bodies.  When the final whistle blew, I thought we had tied, but this year, the east side won.  Our side of the rope went nuts, cheering and yelling.  Then, even before the celebratory screams and yelling died down, the rope was being dissected by knife wielding tuggers.  Everyone was scrambling to get a piece of the rope. 

Clean up

 

 

They say it’s good luck to have a piece of the rope.  We have three large pieces just to ensure we remain lucky.