Honshu and Okinawa

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I am back. I spent 10 days in Japan, 5 days for work on the main island of Honshu and 5 days of solo adventure in Okinawa. Travel is so invigorating dispite the uncomfortableness. Jetlag, anxiety, crowds, and other discomforts aside, it is mind-expanding and rewarding. Work went well. I flew a new airline (Skymark) from Tokyo to Naha. I am always wary of strange discount airlines and all the traps they set. However, I had a great expereince with "Sky". I was actually shocked. Super easy checkin at the airport, no extra fees even with extra luggage. The primary mission in Okinawa was to visit the Peace Park and the Suicide cliffs of Okinawa. At the end of WW2 the inhabitants were encouraged to commit suicide rather than surrender to the Americans and get tortured and eaten. They jumped off the cliffs at the souther end of the main island. If you have seen theoriginal color footage taken at the time. I am sure you were moved with mothers holding their babies jumping to th...
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Here is a borrowed picture of a C-17 landing on the sea ice a couple of days ago. We get about two C-17 flights a week. During the summer season we have about four or so LC-130 flights to the pole a day. There will be approximately 54 C-17 flights (from New Zealand) and about 300 LC-130 flights (to the pole). There will be approximately 400 containers on the cargo ship when it arrives. Approximately 1/10 of the total cargo movement to/from the ice is done on the C-17s.

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