Our last weekend on Corregidor

Here are some photos from the past week, including our last weekend on Corregidor.  We start with a hike with Julia, long-time hiker and friend.  This is an interesting time of year to hike, since it's been dry and the jungle is thinnest before rainy season, improving visibility off the trails.

 We've walked right by this water tank many times before on our way from Middleside to Breakwater Point, but this time Steve spotted it

 Marcia and Julia seen through holes on both sides of the water tank

 

Julia and Marcia near the end of a long, hot hike

Just before sunset one night we strolled along the "Baywalk."  Morrison Hill is in the middle with Bataan off in the distance to the right.

One of Willy's large bancas, with the words "WELCOME TO CORREGIDOR ISLAND" painted on the wall in the background

 Sun rays over Morrison Hill

Frangipani (plumeria, calachuchi) along Baywalk - very pleasantly fragrant

Looking westward while walking the Baywalk toward the Engineering Dock on the north shore of Bottomside

Marcia, Rowena (holding her son Jairey), Michelle, and Flor at the Baywalk Store

 Bougainvillea along the Corregidor Inn driveway

 We hosted the Sieh family for their Corregidor visit on Friday.  Here they are in front of a Japanese anti-aircraft gun at the Japanese Memorial.  Ronna and Stephen with daughters Stella, Mia, and Isabel.

Twelve-year-old fraternal twins Mia and Isabel pose as mimes inside Battery Cheney bunker

Marcia and Steve on Battery Cheney

Sunshine (you remember her, Jessie Lichauco's granddaughter) brought some friends on Saturday.

Marcia got this interesting shot of Sunshine through the barrel of a mortar at Battery Way

What is a trip to Corregidor without seeing a monkey?

Brahminy Kites circling over Battery Crockett

Sunshine's group at Malinta Tunnel: Robin, Sunshine, Leeds, Nat, Steve, Marcia, Grace, and Alonso

Robin, who is British, told us that his grandfather was on MacArthur's staff, and that he left by submarine before Corregidor surrendered.  We assume that he left from this, the south (Navy) dock.

The south dock.  Look close and you should see a Pacific Reef Heron, which Marcia saw land just moments before.

A close-up, in case you missed it

Michael Kahler came as a guest of Doris Ho, arriving Saturday for an overnight stay. After we sent Sunshine and company on their way, we took Mike along with friends Jhen and another Mike into Malinta Tunnel, where we saw a gecko, a hermit crab, and this interesting creature, all spotted first by Jhen.

We've seen tailless whip scorpions in other tunnels and caves before, but this is a first for us in Malinta Tunnel.   It's also known as an African cave spider.  Although scary looking as anything, it is not dangerous to humans, since it can't bite us and is lacking that stinger tail we associate with scorpions.

Sunday morning we took Mike on our favorite trail hike.  Although he had been on Corregidor many times in the past, he had never seen the best preserved building on the island, the old Fort Mills Hospital.  It's something we feel all visitors should see while they're here, but is always skipped on the standard tours.

Fort Mills Hospital, main entrance

Hospital construction began in 1912, as you can see on this close-up of the arch.  We had perfect lighting to see the numbers, especially the "2", which is usually lost in the shadows.

Just as we began our jungle hike, Mike got a phone call from his mother, who lives in the United States.  With these high-falutin' phones you can never quite "get away from it all."

Mike under the banyan tree beyond Battery Hanna

 The roots of one of the giant fig trees

The damaged barrel of Battery Smith far off in the distance across Cheney Ravine

Marcia under a different banyan tree, this one just off the trail near the nest where she got such great pictures of the eaglet twins last year.

One of the eaglet photos from last May

A termite nest near the trail below Battery Cheney

 Gun number one at Battery Cheney.  Our friends Earl and Len put in a lot of hard work to clear this battery when they were here a month ago, and it still looks real good.   Much appreciated!!!

Despite obvious shrapnel damage, you can still read some information about the barrel being relined in 1933 in Watervliet Arsenal in New York State.

Lanete (laniti) blossoms above Battery Cheney

Local fishermen (not from Corregidor) below "Banzai Cliff."  What's that sound?

On the following close-up, you can see that these guys are dynamite fishing.  This helps explain why Manila Bay is essentially fished out.  (The change we've observed in the past six and a half years is disturbing.)  Dynamite fishing stuns the fish, which then float to the surface for easy collection.  But it also destroys the delicate fish beds.  Thanks a lot, guys.  You're helping to assure that there will be no fish or other seafood in the bay for your children's children.  Dynamite fishing, chain dragging, and cyanide poisoning are all strictly illegal, but all too common here.

Underwater explosion obvious to the left of the boat

A Brahminy Kite soars near Wheeler Point

Another set of cool tree roots

Mike coming out of Wheeler Tunnel

We don't know if we've shown this before, but it's so neat that we don't mind repeating.  This tree branch hit the wall at one of the senior officers' duplexes, and just found a way around it.

Fuchsia and white bougainvillea in front of the Spanish Lighthouse on Topside

Mike, Marcia, and Steve at the new Texas A&M monument, Topside.  Mike is an A&M grad.  The thumbs up says, "Gig'em, Aggies!"

Following are some photos we took of the moon rising over Malinta Hill.

A couple of sunset pictures taken from the "Lorcha Dock" on Bottomside.

And finally, a couple that Marcia just took as Steve was preparing this blog at MacArthur's Cafe on Sunday night.  We dedicate these to Bill and Midge, who love Corregidor sunsets.  Wish you were here.

Only three days remaining.

Steve and Marcia on the Rock