Hafa Adai
The island of Saipan is a US commonwealth seated along the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean. Locals often joke that Mount Tapochau is technically taller than Everest if you consider the base starts at the bottom of the Marianas Trench. Saipan has a rich history of Chamorro and Carolinian culture and a more recent history as a WWII battleground. Reminders of each are scattered throughout the island creating a small slice of America framed by Asian and Pacific Island traditions.
An homage to a Chamorro Latte Stone greets visitors as they exit the airport.
PACBAR III, a decommissioned US Air Force radar station sits on top of Mt. Petosukura.
Japanese Television plays in the corner of an apartment.
An unfinished apartment complex can be seen from the shower window.
A goat seeks shade in the ruins of an abandoned Japanese jail.
A shrine to Amelia Earhart is etched outside a cell door. It is rumored that after her plane went down in the Pacific Ocean, the Japanese brought her to this jail where she spent the last few months of her life.
Garapan is the largest village on the island and serves as the center for tourism and nightlife.
Decommissioned military housing sits behind a barbed wire fence.
Active US Naval ships sit off the coast of Garapan.
A small marker symbolizes the grave of Carolinian Chief Aghurubw on the island of Managaha though the actual burial location is a mystery.
An abandoned shopping mall is slowly devoured by the jungle outside of Garapan.
Planes standby ready to fly between nearby islands.