John said this was the first time he had seen it fenced in like that. The construction company was doing road paving and would of had nothing to do with the tower as there was no construction any where near it. John and John have run many large and small tours over here and he was surprised.
heh, well just a guess from a certified idiot who has done what i described at virtually every memorial/military site i've visited yet. Climbing up an old tower.....getting into the formast of the USS Texas....no stunt too dumb for this intrepid explorer. Better keep me away from USS Saratoga at Bikini.....i'd probably blow myself up given all that ordinance lying around. [:D]
ORIGINAL: Nikademus
heh, well just a guess from a certified idiot who has done what i described at virtually every memorial/military site i've visited yet. Climbing up an old tower.....getting into the formast of the USS Texas....no stunt too dumb for this intrepid explorer. Better keep me away from USS Saratoga at Bikini.....i'd probably blow myself up given all that ordinance lying around. [:D]
You remind me on my cousin. He just have to climb (or even try) on everything taller than 2 meters. Trees, trucks, balconies, basketball players... [;)]
Oh, and he's 8. [:D]
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage.
You guys should of seen me in Normandy three years ago. Went to all sorts of old German bunkers and the like and I was all over them, inside and on top. The French attitude is if you fall or something, the government is going to sue YOU for damaging their national property(if you left a smudge of something when you went splat)
ORIGINAL: Lord_Calidor
ORIGINAL: Nikademus
heh, well just a guess from a certified idiot who has done what i described at virtually every memorial/military site i've visited yet. Climbing up an old tower.....getting into the formast of the USS Texas....no stunt too dumb for this intrepid explorer. Better keep me away from USS Saratoga at Bikini.....i'd probably blow myself up given all that ordinance lying around. [:D]
You remind me on my cousin. He just have to climb (or even try) on everything taller than 2 meters. Trees, trucks, balconies, basketball players... [;)]
After Henderson we headed to Bloody Ridge. Went around the West side of Henderson to get on the dirt road that goes onto the Ridge. As we approached noticed some construction type activitiy about 200 yards away on the road that disappeared into some bush. As we drove up a local came out of a tiny shack much closer. At this point noticed that near the "construction" there were a couple of logs across the road preventing passage. As the local comes up John inquires about getting through to the public areas of the Bloddy Ridge and was informed that it will take $20 Solomon D's for him to move the logs. Not really alot, maybe $4 USD but the problem would be when we tried to exit. John had seen this scam before but not at the Ridge. Once you try to leave, now its $500-$1000 to be let out. So we drove off with John thinking there was a back way in to out flank the d*ckhead.
We go around to the East side of Henderson and take a "trail" that is running next to the airport perimiter fence. At one point there is a hole in the fence and the trail is now running with in the airport property. We are not to happy but we follow the trail with some hesitation. After 100 yards we end up back outside the fence but we are shortly back at where we started with the highway robber never seeing a solid way to head to the Ridge area. We back track to the east side paying closer attention and do not see a back way in. DAMN!!!
Major disapointment!
Looking at the map, I ask "is that is the Ilu River and it seems nearby.....Yes it is and its right around that bend in the road....can we get to the sandbar for the Battle of the Tenaru?.....not sure, been there a few years ago, lets give it a try." So we drive over the Ilu River bridge(its on a bend and cannot see very far, didn't take a pic but should of) and for the next several hundred yards nothing but fencing(low) marked with no treaspassing. Its some kind of pineapple farm or something and the gate on the one trail heading in is locked. We don't care to walk the 3-500 yards to the river mouth while disappearing into the bush after crossing a fence marked NO TRESSPASSING. Double DAMN!!!
My only dissapointment of the trip. Can't get to the two most famous land battles sites on Guadalcanal. Oh well, sh*t happens! Life's a bitch and then you die! I'm sure there are more sayings but we are both starving, its 1300 so time to head back to town for some other important things like lunch.
How frustrating that must of been, to be so close to something like that to be thwrated by a scam like that. When I was the Pauel E Garber facility which is all the way across the country from me, I could not get into two building do to construction,these buildings housed several of my favorate planes,nomater how I tryed to finagle a way in they said no, it was very frustrating,and all they were doing was switching the type of lights!
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Almost forgot, just across the Lunga River from west the end of Henderson Field is a rather large compound run buy the 7th Day Adventists. They teach a large number of local children and teens arts and trades. They had a very nice "store" where they sold their crafts. Around the store was a collection of WWII stuff.
Being at the end of the runway, this property would often have unexpected visitors who could not make the last 1/2 mile to Henserson as they attempted to land with damaged a/c. Only a few things here, but interesting including a small hut on the back property with smaller debris.