Hello friends,
Thank you for sticking with me through this adventure. Since I last posted, I have updates...
I drafted my two new additional letters for my export application and brought them to the INC in Lima for review on Monday morning. They were approved (I was shocked), and just one more letter that I'd never heard about before now needed to be added to the pile (!). So, I madly copied down the text in the sample letter I was shown, went to the internet place, typed up that one as well, and sent off the three new letters to Moquegua as e-mail attachments. One letter is to be signed by the director of the museum, the other two by the director of the INC in Moquegua.
This morning, I got a phone call at my hotel from my friend Yamilex in Moquegua. She has the letters, they've been approved by the folks who have to approve them there, and she will scan them and send them to me today so that I can hand carry them to the INC in Lima. According to my INC contact here, this isn't absolutely necessary - the letters could just be mailed. But, hand carrying them is a nice touch and will give me a good sense of closure (such as it is without my samples). At least I'll know that the papers arrived. That's the hope anyway. I'm talking about the future here, so one never knows...do one?
In the meantime, I also changed my flight home. My original plan was to board a plane on Friday night, to arrive just before noon on Saturday. But, there is a memorial service that I really should attend on Saturday morning, and since I'm done with what I can do here, coming home early seemed like a really good idea. Now I'm getting on a plane tonight (woo hoo!) and will be home tomorrow morning, just before noon. At least that's the plan if my planes are both on time and I whiz through customs in LA without any delays.
In any case, I expect to be back home tomorrow, drinking coffee made with coffee (not Nescafe), taking showers with hot water (both the temp and water pressure are notoriously unpredictable here), flushing my toilet paper (can't be done in Peru or Bolivia), eating salads (raw veggies are really risky when travelling), seeing friends (boy, I've missed you guys!), and hugging on my man (five and a half weeks is a very long time).
Here's the cliffhanger part...
WHAT will become of Karen's samples?
WILL the request to export be approved?
WILL she find someone to bring them to the USA?
WILL she be able to turn this whole mess into an master's thesis?
WILL she graduate and get a real job someday?
WILL she make it through customs with her water samples and moldy fish bones (yep, they're looking a bit scary)?
WILL she be sitting pretty drinking a latte by this time tomorrow?
Tune in next spring for the ongoing adventures of....Karen in Peru!
Thanks again for reading. I'll see you soon.
Karen
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Quick update
Two things -
First, it's my Dad's birthday. Happy 80808 Birthday Dad!
Secondly, I went back to INC office number one this afternoon. They reveiwed everything and decided that I don't actually need the documents that nobody can find. Instead, I need new and different documents which have to be signed by the INC in Moquegua. So, tomorrow I'll draft something and send it to folks at the museum in Moquegua and see if they can do my legwork for me. If that doesn't work out, it's another 18 hour bus ride to Moquegua for me. At least tomorrow there's something I can DO for a few hours to help this project along (action beats waiting any day).
That's it. I'll keep you posted on the developments.
: )
Karen
First, it's my Dad's birthday. Happy 80808 Birthday Dad!
Secondly, I went back to INC office number one this afternoon. They reveiwed everything and decided that I don't actually need the documents that nobody can find. Instead, I need new and different documents which have to be signed by the INC in Moquegua. So, tomorrow I'll draft something and send it to folks at the museum in Moquegua and see if they can do my legwork for me. If that doesn't work out, it's another 18 hour bus ride to Moquegua for me. At least tomorrow there's something I can DO for a few hours to help this project along (action beats waiting any day).
That's it. I'll keep you posted on the developments.
: )
Karen
To be a rock and not to roll
Okay, you know things are problematic when I'm quoting Led Zeppelin. Lima has never been one of my favorite places. It's something about the combination of incessant car horns, smog, traffic, and grey skies.... The food is tasty though. I suppose there's always that. Oh, and coffee. It does exist here. There's even a Starbucks, although I haven't sunk to the point of taking a cab there yet. Maybe tomorrow.
So, I am a stubborn person. This has been pointed out to me in the past. It usually works for me - in the "sticking with things until they turn out the way I want them to" sense - but this time I think I may have 'stubborned' myself into a corner. Getting permits for export of samples in Lima is problematic - everyone says so. Somehow, I thought I'd beat the odds - or at least be able to finesse something within a couple of months (I have back-up plans, friends who've offered to courier for me, all the way through the end of October). This morning, I was told by the woman who's been helping me at the INC that the process is backed up for at least 3 to 6 months. This is a problem. I don't have a friend that I know of who can pick up the samples in Lima in January-February (or whenever they're approved). I also can't start my research until the samples make it to the states, which will put my thesis behind schedule for at least half of a school year. BOTHER. This is not what I wanted.
Of course, I could have taken an easier route. Many encouraged me to do so. But noooo, I love Peru. Yep, that's right. I really like my project idea. I really like the culture group that it's based on and the theoretical basis and the lab techniques I plan to use and the other people who have been involved with this collection in the past. I really wanted to put it all together. Sigh.
So now, I'm just trying to complete my application for export so that I can get out of here. This is not easy either. The only thing I lack at the moment is copies of the official permits to excavate at the site from the 1987, 1995, 2002, and 2005 projects. These should be easy to get, don't you think? The museum should have them on file (they're still looking). The INC should have them on file (they can't find them). What to do? Come back on tuesday, says the INC.
My flight home is a scheduled for a week from tonight. I don't know if I can change it, but for some family reasons, I'd really like to get home sooner. It would seem possible, since I'm so close to completing my application and there's apparently no reason to wait around for approval. But, then again, things here are not always what they seem.
Thanks for listening. I'll see if I can scare up some adventure in the time that remains. (But honestly, I might spend a lot of time watching the Olympics too).
Hope y'all are well. Enjoy the games.
Karen
So, I am a stubborn person. This has been pointed out to me in the past. It usually works for me - in the "sticking with things until they turn out the way I want them to" sense - but this time I think I may have 'stubborned' myself into a corner. Getting permits for export of samples in Lima is problematic - everyone says so. Somehow, I thought I'd beat the odds - or at least be able to finesse something within a couple of months (I have back-up plans, friends who've offered to courier for me, all the way through the end of October). This morning, I was told by the woman who's been helping me at the INC that the process is backed up for at least 3 to 6 months. This is a problem. I don't have a friend that I know of who can pick up the samples in Lima in January-February (or whenever they're approved). I also can't start my research until the samples make it to the states, which will put my thesis behind schedule for at least half of a school year. BOTHER. This is not what I wanted.
Of course, I could have taken an easier route. Many encouraged me to do so. But noooo, I love Peru. Yep, that's right. I really like my project idea. I really like the culture group that it's based on and the theoretical basis and the lab techniques I plan to use and the other people who have been involved with this collection in the past. I really wanted to put it all together. Sigh.
So now, I'm just trying to complete my application for export so that I can get out of here. This is not easy either. The only thing I lack at the moment is copies of the official permits to excavate at the site from the 1987, 1995, 2002, and 2005 projects. These should be easy to get, don't you think? The museum should have them on file (they're still looking). The INC should have them on file (they can't find them). What to do? Come back on tuesday, says the INC.
My flight home is a scheduled for a week from tonight. I don't know if I can change it, but for some family reasons, I'd really like to get home sooner. It would seem possible, since I'm so close to completing my application and there's apparently no reason to wait around for approval. But, then again, things here are not always what they seem.
Thanks for listening. I'll see if I can scare up some adventure in the time that remains. (But honestly, I might spend a lot of time watching the Olympics too).
Hope y'all are well. Enjoy the games.
Karen
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The birthplace of the sun, and back to winter
Hello again,
I promised you all a while ago that I'd tell you about the Isla del Sol, which was a side trip I took during my first week down here. My base point was Copacabana, Bolivia, which was a very cute little resort town with swan boats along the lake and actual coffee in multiple restaurants (you'll find that the presence of coffee will always be noticed in my blog. My head is aching for some of that good dark fix right now).
From Copacabana, it takes about an hour and a half by boat to reach the south end of Isla del Sol, and another half hour to get to the northern port of Challapampa. Inka legends said that the sun was born in this place, and the Tiwanaku before them built temples and made pilgrimages to this sacred island. I figured I had to see it for myself (and take a water sample from the sacred font at the south end of the island!).
I was dropped off at the north port, and then hiked to the ruins on the north end of the island (about 2km - no big whoop, except that the lake itself is at 3820m, or 12,500 ft, and the island springs up from there). The only way get to the south end, where most of the hostels are, is to hike down the spine of the island, another 7km - which includes at least two or three "hills" which top 13,500ft. There are no cars on the island - no horses for rent either (although this would be a fabulous business idea for someone). So, having been at altitude for 5 days, I set off towards the southern town of Yumani. About half way there, a brilliant local set up a little store that sold coca leaf tea - exactly what I was wishing for up there! I took a break and chatted with a woman from Ireland who was travelling with two guys from Brazil. We all communicated in Spanish, which was an adventure with the various accents involved.
The island itself is really eye-scorchingly beautiful (to coin a phrase used by my hubby). The spine of the island juts up steeply from the lake, with terraced fields marking the altitude and occasional sheep or alpaca or donkeys grazing nearby. The lake below is a deep, sapphire blue. Local children have set up their enterprises along the trail, selling rocks they've collected or sometimes little llamas woven out of tortora reed, or dressed up to pose for photos. I took a lot of pictures - a few of the kids, a lot of the ruins and the landscape, but curiously, fewer and fewer as the miles wore on...
When I finally made it to the town of Yumani, there was no energy left to go looking for the fountain - that would wait until the next day. Instead, I found a hostel with a lovely view of the neighboring island of the moon, and I crashed. Note to self - hiking at altitude requires acclimatization! Also a hat. A hat would have been helpful. Although I wore my sunglasses all day, my eyes were scorched by the brightness up there. It's no suprise that this place is thought to be the source of the sun. When I got to Puno, later the next day, I had to go find some eyedrops. After a week or so, my eyes were mostly back to normal. But still I find that they're a bit sensitive to bright light.
This will not be a problem where I am now. I'm in Lima, where winter has asserted itself. The sky is overcast, the weather is misty, and I don't expect to see the sun again for the next week and a half that I'm here. I'm back in my multiple layers and fuzzy hat and wool socks. Just yesterday, my cheeks were being kissed by the sun in the plaza of Moquegua. Peru is a land of contrasts.
I'm settling in here though. This time I'm staying in the Pueblo Libre district, near to the museum and the INC office. I dropped off my samples this afternoon, and got my to-do list for the additional information they'll require. Getting all of that typed up and assembled should keep me busy for tomorrow (at least).
For now, I'm one step closer to my plane ride home. As much as I love Peru, I'm feeling very ready to get back to my life in California. Just another 10 days to go here. I hope I can get my samples through in time!
Take care, my friends. Wear your hats in the sun!
I'll see you soon,
Karen
I promised you all a while ago that I'd tell you about the Isla del Sol, which was a side trip I took during my first week down here. My base point was Copacabana, Bolivia, which was a very cute little resort town with swan boats along the lake and actual coffee in multiple restaurants (you'll find that the presence of coffee will always be noticed in my blog. My head is aching for some of that good dark fix right now).
From Copacabana, it takes about an hour and a half by boat to reach the south end of Isla del Sol, and another half hour to get to the northern port of Challapampa. Inka legends said that the sun was born in this place, and the Tiwanaku before them built temples and made pilgrimages to this sacred island. I figured I had to see it for myself (and take a water sample from the sacred font at the south end of the island!).
I was dropped off at the north port, and then hiked to the ruins on the north end of the island (about 2km - no big whoop, except that the lake itself is at 3820m, or 12,500 ft, and the island springs up from there). The only way get to the south end, where most of the hostels are, is to hike down the spine of the island, another 7km - which includes at least two or three "hills" which top 13,500ft. There are no cars on the island - no horses for rent either (although this would be a fabulous business idea for someone). So, having been at altitude for 5 days, I set off towards the southern town of Yumani. About half way there, a brilliant local set up a little store that sold coca leaf tea - exactly what I was wishing for up there! I took a break and chatted with a woman from Ireland who was travelling with two guys from Brazil. We all communicated in Spanish, which was an adventure with the various accents involved.
The island itself is really eye-scorchingly beautiful (to coin a phrase used by my hubby). The spine of the island juts up steeply from the lake, with terraced fields marking the altitude and occasional sheep or alpaca or donkeys grazing nearby. The lake below is a deep, sapphire blue. Local children have set up their enterprises along the trail, selling rocks they've collected or sometimes little llamas woven out of tortora reed, or dressed up to pose for photos. I took a lot of pictures - a few of the kids, a lot of the ruins and the landscape, but curiously, fewer and fewer as the miles wore on...
When I finally made it to the town of Yumani, there was no energy left to go looking for the fountain - that would wait until the next day. Instead, I found a hostel with a lovely view of the neighboring island of the moon, and I crashed. Note to self - hiking at altitude requires acclimatization! Also a hat. A hat would have been helpful. Although I wore my sunglasses all day, my eyes were scorched by the brightness up there. It's no suprise that this place is thought to be the source of the sun. When I got to Puno, later the next day, I had to go find some eyedrops. After a week or so, my eyes were mostly back to normal. But still I find that they're a bit sensitive to bright light.
This will not be a problem where I am now. I'm in Lima, where winter has asserted itself. The sky is overcast, the weather is misty, and I don't expect to see the sun again for the next week and a half that I'm here. I'm back in my multiple layers and fuzzy hat and wool socks. Just yesterday, my cheeks were being kissed by the sun in the plaza of Moquegua. Peru is a land of contrasts.
I'm settling in here though. This time I'm staying in the Pueblo Libre district, near to the museum and the INC office. I dropped off my samples this afternoon, and got my to-do list for the additional information they'll require. Getting all of that typed up and assembled should keep me busy for tomorrow (at least).
For now, I'm one step closer to my plane ride home. As much as I love Peru, I'm feeling very ready to get back to my life in California. Just another 10 days to go here. I hope I can get my samples through in time!
Take care, my friends. Wear your hats in the sun!
I'll see you soon,
Karen
Monday, August 4, 2008
Arequipa after all
Hello friends,
So, it's been a weekend. Saturday afternoon I went out pisco tasting with friends. We hired a taxi for the afternoon and visited three local bodegas. Each of these is a bit out of town, up on the hill above the city. The first was rustic, but had some very tasty products. The second wasn't officially open for tasting, but let us have a bit anyway. The star there was 'damasco' which is made my infusing pisco with apricots. The result is sweet, syrupy, apricoty deliciousness. Mmmmm. Our third stop was the best. It was actually not where we thought we were going to go, but it turned out to be wonderful. There was an outdoor patio with a view of the sunset over Moquegua, and we were treated to pitcher after pitcher of local wine and pisco along with the entire family of the owner. We chatted and joked together for hours and posed for several group pictures with the family. It was a really wonderful time.
When we got back to town, we met up with some other arch-y folks for dinner at a chicken place, where we were regaled by the local university's folklorica group. For some reason, these guys were all dressed in Rennaissance attire - complete with tights and slops and capes. Go figure. They surrounded our table for quite a while, and I somehow got pinned to waltz with one of them for a song while all of my companions tried to ignore them completely in hopes they'd go away. They played guitar-like instruments of various sizes, including lutes, tiny little ukelale sized guitars, and one which was essentally a wearable cello (my favorite).
After dinner, I check my e-mail. I had a message back from Romulo Pari, the Peruvian archaeologist who offered to sponser my exportation of samples out of Lima. Good news - he was still very willing to help out. Bad news - he had just left Lima and gone to Arequipa, where he'll stay for the duration of my trip. Sigh. So, I knew what I had to do on Sunday. It was a round trip visit to Arequipa for me.
I was out of my hotel before 7, and walked over to the archaeologist house where Bill Whitehead made me actual Pete's coffee (blessed be). He then walked with me to the museum and opened up the office so I could print my new letters for Romulo to sign. By 8:40, I was on a bus to Arequipa. Good news - I got the last seat! Bad news - the last seat is in the very back row of the bus, right next to the bathroom! Oh well, I was still rolling.
The ride to Arequipa usually takes 4 hours. We made good time though, clocking in at about 3 and 1/2. Along the way, we were treated to the second half of Rambo and all of Rambo II. I don't know what it is about Peruvians and violent American movies, but they're almost always featured on bus rides. Oh, and there aren't headphones. You get to hear the movie whether you really want to or not (dubbed in Spanish of course).
Anyway, I was in Arequipa by noon, and set out to find my old favorite restaurant and my favorite shop there. I succeeded in neither quest. Either they've moved or they've closed. Sad. But I did happen on a big parade featuring costumed and masked dancers and bands with their music taped to the backs of the players in front of them (conspicously there were no trombones - perhaps a safety issue!). I'm not sure why there was a parade. Several local villages were represented there. Also in attendence was Barney the dinosaur - my second Barney sighting this trip (again, what's up with that?).
After a lovely italian lunch (with another cup of coffee!), I tried to call Romulo with no luck. Yikes. So, I wandered a bit more, and bought a few supplies that I needed. I checked my e-mail in case he'd left a message. Nope. At 3:30, I tried his phone again, and this time got an answer. Hooray! He'd meet me in front of the cathedral on the plaza at 5. So, I returned to wandering and poking around in the shops and such.
I was surprised to hear my name called, and looked across the street to see the archaeologist Paul Goldstein and his family. They invited me up to a restaurant overlooking the plaza for a pisco sour (the foamy, lime juice and pisco, specialty drink of Peru). Fabulous. We sat in the sun, watched people wander in the plaza, saw another small parade/procession, and were regaled with monster riddles by Paul's daughter. It was lovely.
At 5, I met up with Romulo. We went to a coffee shop and chatted over cappucinos (coffee number three for the day! Wowza.) He signed my letters, and put me in a cab, and I was off to the bus station. Again, I got the last seat available on the next bus to Moquegua. Fabulous luck! This time there was no Rambo. Instead there was a movie called "Facing the Giants" which has the message that "with God, all things are possible", particularly if you're trying to win a high school football championship. It was amusing.
Today, I went to the museum, then over to the INC. The directora was there, and I am now sitting here in the internet cafe with signed authorization letters to transport my samples to Lima. Woo hoo! I also have my samples with me - a box of 55 assorted mummy bits in a tupperware container which I bought in the market here. The container is made by the Rey (King) company, who's motto is "God is Love". I wonder what the other folks in this internet place would think if they knew what's in my "God is Love" box...
So tonight, I'll be on the night bus to Lima. It leaves at 5:30pm and arrives sometime in the late morning tomorrow. I have a cushy "bus-cama" seat, which is a lot like a first-class plane seat. This should make the trip very comfy. I wonder what movie they'll show.
I'll write you all from Lima!
Karen
p.s. It's my first wedding anniversary today and here I am in Peru. My husband thinks this is very funny. Happy anniversary Steve! Thank you for being so supportive of your crazy wife and all her mummy-business.
So, it's been a weekend. Saturday afternoon I went out pisco tasting with friends. We hired a taxi for the afternoon and visited three local bodegas. Each of these is a bit out of town, up on the hill above the city. The first was rustic, but had some very tasty products. The second wasn't officially open for tasting, but let us have a bit anyway. The star there was 'damasco' which is made my infusing pisco with apricots. The result is sweet, syrupy, apricoty deliciousness. Mmmmm. Our third stop was the best. It was actually not where we thought we were going to go, but it turned out to be wonderful. There was an outdoor patio with a view of the sunset over Moquegua, and we were treated to pitcher after pitcher of local wine and pisco along with the entire family of the owner. We chatted and joked together for hours and posed for several group pictures with the family. It was a really wonderful time.
When we got back to town, we met up with some other arch-y folks for dinner at a chicken place, where we were regaled by the local university's folklorica group. For some reason, these guys were all dressed in Rennaissance attire - complete with tights and slops and capes. Go figure. They surrounded our table for quite a while, and I somehow got pinned to waltz with one of them for a song while all of my companions tried to ignore them completely in hopes they'd go away. They played guitar-like instruments of various sizes, including lutes, tiny little ukelale sized guitars, and one which was essentally a wearable cello (my favorite).
After dinner, I check my e-mail. I had a message back from Romulo Pari, the Peruvian archaeologist who offered to sponser my exportation of samples out of Lima. Good news - he was still very willing to help out. Bad news - he had just left Lima and gone to Arequipa, where he'll stay for the duration of my trip. Sigh. So, I knew what I had to do on Sunday. It was a round trip visit to Arequipa for me.
I was out of my hotel before 7, and walked over to the archaeologist house where Bill Whitehead made me actual Pete's coffee (blessed be). He then walked with me to the museum and opened up the office so I could print my new letters for Romulo to sign. By 8:40, I was on a bus to Arequipa. Good news - I got the last seat! Bad news - the last seat is in the very back row of the bus, right next to the bathroom! Oh well, I was still rolling.
The ride to Arequipa usually takes 4 hours. We made good time though, clocking in at about 3 and 1/2. Along the way, we were treated to the second half of Rambo and all of Rambo II. I don't know what it is about Peruvians and violent American movies, but they're almost always featured on bus rides. Oh, and there aren't headphones. You get to hear the movie whether you really want to or not (dubbed in Spanish of course).
Anyway, I was in Arequipa by noon, and set out to find my old favorite restaurant and my favorite shop there. I succeeded in neither quest. Either they've moved or they've closed. Sad. But I did happen on a big parade featuring costumed and masked dancers and bands with their music taped to the backs of the players in front of them (conspicously there were no trombones - perhaps a safety issue!). I'm not sure why there was a parade. Several local villages were represented there. Also in attendence was Barney the dinosaur - my second Barney sighting this trip (again, what's up with that?).
After a lovely italian lunch (with another cup of coffee!), I tried to call Romulo with no luck. Yikes. So, I wandered a bit more, and bought a few supplies that I needed. I checked my e-mail in case he'd left a message. Nope. At 3:30, I tried his phone again, and this time got an answer. Hooray! He'd meet me in front of the cathedral on the plaza at 5. So, I returned to wandering and poking around in the shops and such.
I was surprised to hear my name called, and looked across the street to see the archaeologist Paul Goldstein and his family. They invited me up to a restaurant overlooking the plaza for a pisco sour (the foamy, lime juice and pisco, specialty drink of Peru). Fabulous. We sat in the sun, watched people wander in the plaza, saw another small parade/procession, and were regaled with monster riddles by Paul's daughter. It was lovely.
At 5, I met up with Romulo. We went to a coffee shop and chatted over cappucinos (coffee number three for the day! Wowza.) He signed my letters, and put me in a cab, and I was off to the bus station. Again, I got the last seat available on the next bus to Moquegua. Fabulous luck! This time there was no Rambo. Instead there was a movie called "Facing the Giants" which has the message that "with God, all things are possible", particularly if you're trying to win a high school football championship. It was amusing.
Today, I went to the museum, then over to the INC. The directora was there, and I am now sitting here in the internet cafe with signed authorization letters to transport my samples to Lima. Woo hoo! I also have my samples with me - a box of 55 assorted mummy bits in a tupperware container which I bought in the market here. The container is made by the Rey (King) company, who's motto is "God is Love". I wonder what the other folks in this internet place would think if they knew what's in my "God is Love" box...
So tonight, I'll be on the night bus to Lima. It leaves at 5:30pm and arrives sometime in the late morning tomorrow. I have a cushy "bus-cama" seat, which is a lot like a first-class plane seat. This should make the trip very comfy. I wonder what movie they'll show.
I'll write you all from Lima!
Karen
p.s. It's my first wedding anniversary today and here I am in Peru. My husband thinks this is very funny. Happy anniversary Steve! Thank you for being so supportive of your crazy wife and all her mummy-business.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Roll with it baby
I've done a lot of travelling, not only here in Peru, but also in Europe and Asia. One lesson presents itself again and again. A traveller has to be flexible - things change and there's not much to be done but roll with it.
So I am learning again. Today I got all of my samples approved at the National Institute of Culture (INC). The list was checked and checked again. Everything looks good. All I need is the signature of the director of the INC in Moquegua. As it turns out though, she's sick today. She called in and couldn't make it to the office. They hope she'll be in on Monday. What to do? Roll with it.
I had planned on spending the weekend in Arequipa (a really lovely city with actual coffee and a Morrocan restaurant and a supermarket). This is not to be. I was also planning to be in Lima by Monday. Likewise changed. This is okay. I'm going to stay a bit longer in my sweet little hotel with the garden. I'm going to get to play with some Chiribaya textiles tomorrow...I mentioned that I have a little training in textiles and now the women in the museum want me to teach them something - I hope I can remember a few things! It's been a while since I tapped that knowledge, and I've never tried to explain it in Spanish.
Also, I'm planning to go out on the 'Ruta del Pisco' tomorrow afternoon with friends. Pisco is essentially a brandy made from grapes, and is the national drink of Peru (I'm not sure if that's official, but there's no doubt about it). I'm in the heart of Pisco country. A little tasting seems like a brilliant idea for a Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday, I've been invited to accompany my friend Niki to her archaeological site, which should be great fun too.
So, I have a down weekend, where I'll do a whole lot less eating in fancy restaurants and shopping in sweet little stores, but I have a good line-up ahead. Hopefully the diretor of the INC will be feeling better by Monday, or more rolling will be required!
So I am learning again. Today I got all of my samples approved at the National Institute of Culture (INC). The list was checked and checked again. Everything looks good. All I need is the signature of the director of the INC in Moquegua. As it turns out though, she's sick today. She called in and couldn't make it to the office. They hope she'll be in on Monday. What to do? Roll with it.
I had planned on spending the weekend in Arequipa (a really lovely city with actual coffee and a Morrocan restaurant and a supermarket). This is not to be. I was also planning to be in Lima by Monday. Likewise changed. This is okay. I'm going to stay a bit longer in my sweet little hotel with the garden. I'm going to get to play with some Chiribaya textiles tomorrow...I mentioned that I have a little training in textiles and now the women in the museum want me to teach them something - I hope I can remember a few things! It's been a while since I tapped that knowledge, and I've never tried to explain it in Spanish.
Also, I'm planning to go out on the 'Ruta del Pisco' tomorrow afternoon with friends. Pisco is essentially a brandy made from grapes, and is the national drink of Peru (I'm not sure if that's official, but there's no doubt about it). I'm in the heart of Pisco country. A little tasting seems like a brilliant idea for a Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday, I've been invited to accompany my friend Niki to her archaeological site, which should be great fun too.
So, I have a down weekend, where I'll do a whole lot less eating in fancy restaurants and shopping in sweet little stores, but I have a good line-up ahead. Hopefully the diretor of the INC will be feeling better by Monday, or more rolling will be required!
There was a bit of rolling required last Wednesday too, when I took my little trip down to the coastal town of Ilo. I went to pick up some more water samples from the river (the same one that flows through Moquegua) and also to visit the Centro Mallqui Museum in Algarrobal - just outside of Ilo.
I was out of my hotel by 8 and in a collectivo by 8:10, heading for Ilo. They dropped me at the plaza (every town in Peru has a central plaza, and they are always a good place to start when you're not sure where you're going). I wanted to get to the mouth of the river, but not knowing where that was, I wandered for a few blocks, found a travel agent, and asked for help. She was terrific and let me know that what I really wanted was a cab. So, I went back to the plaza to find one, but first found a breakfast place with a COFFEE MACHINE. You in the States probably have no idea how thrilling this is, but somehow Nestle has convinced the entire country of Peru that NesCafe is the best of all possible ways to drink coffee, and in Moquegua that's all there is.
After breakfast, I found a cab, drove along the Pacific Coast (yipee!) and then to the river, where the driver waited while I sampled. Then he took me on up to the museum.
Centro Mallqui is the bioarchaeological institute in Peru, run by Dra. Sonia Guillen. They have two museums. The other one is in Leymebamba, where I was last summer. I was excited to see the facilities in Ilo. I wrote to Sonia before my visit, and she graciously arranged for a private tour for me with Rosa Choque, a wonderful woman who works and lives at the museum. Rosa gave me a behind-the-scenes look at the collections, including many fabulous mummies, amazing textiles, tons of ceramics, faunal collections, lithics, and a whole shelving area for corprolitos (old poop for the non-archaeologists in the crowd). The facilities are truly impressive. The museum is lovely too, and is well worth the visit. The Chiribaya culture lived on the south coast from about 1000ad until about 1400ad (those are approximate dates pulled from memory, but they're close). Preservation in the coastal desert is absolutely amazing - everything mummifies - people, llamas, dogs, guinea pigs, it's bioarch heaven.
After my tour, I asked about taking some samples for a little side project I'm working on. I had written the week before about this, and had a letter of permission from the archaeologist in charge of that particular collection, but it was not to be. There is a protocol to arranging for access to collections, which involves advance notice, arrangements between the head archaeologist and the curator of the museum, and compensation for the time and trouble of the staff. This is not something that can be done at the last minute. Or by students, for that matter. So, there was nothing to do but roll with it. I collected another water sample from the river, had some lunch, oogled the replica textiles that Rosa had created, and set out for 'home'.
Well, setting out is one of those relative things. I left the museum, crossed the street, and waited there for a car, bus, collectivo, mule, anything heading back down to Ilo. Forty-five minutes later, I was still standing there. When a busload of health workers finished touring the museum, I asked a fellow if perhaps they had space for one more. He said no. They were full. Okay fine. Then another doctor said 'Come on, we can fit one more' and I jumped at the opportunity. So, I rode back to Ilo in a bus crammed full of health care workers. The driver was great, and let me stay on the bus after they were dropped off so that he could take me right to the corner where collectivos left for Moquegua. I hopped out, thanked him profusely, grabbed a collectivo back to town, and headed back to the museum lab, where I worked until midnight to get everything ready to present on Thursday so I'd have clearance to take my samples out of town by Friday. Back to story #1...
But no worries. I'm rolling.
:)
Karen
p.s. And very importantly, yesterday was my niece Nicole's 8th birthday! Happy Birthday Nicole!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
The good, the good, the bad, the good, and the ugly
Hello again friends,
I've had myself a day. Technically, I suppose, my day started in the wee hours while I was still at the 28th of July party hosted by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) archaeology team. (July 28th is a big national holiday here - sort of a Peruvian 4th of July). They booked a local restaurant pub, hired a DJ, and we partied like archaeologists until the wee hours. I left at 2:30am feeling like an old biddy, as the party was still going strong. Lots of other arch-y folks who work in Southern Peru came too - it was the 25th annual 'Verticality Fiesta' after all. It was a really good time. (Good number 1).
So, the night was short and then I went to the lab to finish up my work there. I am essentially done (this is Good number 2). My sample is not as large as I hoped though, and I had some worries about whether it was big enough for a thesis. This is a question I had posed a few days back to my advisor.
When I checked my e-mail, I got my answer. Essentially, he said that with a sample that small, I'd have to find a new research question. I interpreted this as a red light - essentially telling me that, while this idea might have been good, it was also quixotic and at best might be a paper to write for a journal - not a thesis. So, I spent the next three hours in a state of disillusionment and depression (this would be 'The Bad').
I waited until after lunchtime in the States, and gave my advisor a call to talk it all over. As it turns out, my interpretation of his e-mail was a bit melodramatic and not at all accurate. Yes, the research question may need to be slighty tweeked from the last version that I presented to him, but the general plan is fine. I am cleared to go forward with my thesis using my samples from here, whatever size the final group turns out to be. WOO HOO! (This would be good number 3).
I buzzed around town, taking care of errands. Then after a brief stop at my hotel, I decided that tonight I would eat at the nice place down the road, where entrees cost up to $10! (This is very expensive by Peruvian standards.) I ordered one of my favorite things here, 'corvina a lo macho', which is sea bass covered in a fabulous tomato based sauce full of shellfish and octopus. The waiter checked to be sure they had shellfish - they did! But then he came back and told me that they were out of the fish. Bummer. He suggested 'camarones' (shrimp). Okay fine, I ordered the camerones sudado. I'd never had this dish before, but a sudado with fish is poached in a yummy broth with onion and herbs and served with rice - tasty stuff.
Okay, now we get to The Ugly. What arrives at my table is a bowl of broth, piled high with whole, steamed crawdads (minus the heads but otherwise entirely intact), and an extra bowl at the side for the dismembered bits that don't get eaten. This is not what I expected. For the second time in my life, I am sitting in a restaurant completely mystified as to how to go about eating the food in front of me. These critters are fairly large - 5 to 6 inches long, all curled up with legs and thorax and all. I tug at the legs. They don't come off. I sit staring at my plate. Finally, the waitress notices my distress and I try to explain that I didn't expect them to be whole. She thinks that I think she gave me something I didn't order. I assure her that I know I ordered this, I just don't know how to eat it. So, a little kid from a nearby table comes over and starts attacking one of my camarones with his fingers to show me how to peel it. His mother then comes over, removes the camaron to the scrap plate and tears it apart with her fingers. Okay, I get it. Then the waitress comes over to assist in the camaron-training session and dismembers the entire thing with a knife and fork. This is not quick or easy. It takes a good five minutes. At the end of the demo, she admits that it's easiest with fingers. So there I am, in my swanky restaurant, reduced to tearing apart critters with legs and squishy stuff that comes out of their thorax (I belive I know what this is, but I choose to not think about it).
For those who may not know, I'm a pseudo-vegetarian. Meaning that I eat seafood, but no other meats. I have trouble with food that looks like living critters. Tearing apart gushy crawdads in a fancy restaurant is not appetizing for me. But I also don't want critters who died to be on my plate to go to waste. So, I dutifully tore each and every crawdad in half, peeled the tail, and ate them. They were pretty tasty - just darn ugly. When I made it through the pile, the waitress came back to offer another lesson on how to further mutilate the remains to find more tasty bits inside. I declined. Sorry camerones - I just couldn't do it.
So, all in all, it's been a good day - with a few ups and downs. Tomorrow I have an adventure, heading down to the coast to see a museum, collect some water samples, and work on a side project with museum collections there if they'll let me. It should be fun. I'll tell you all about it on Thursday.
Until then, I hope you're all well and having fun this summer.
Karen
I've had myself a day. Technically, I suppose, my day started in the wee hours while I was still at the 28th of July party hosted by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) archaeology team. (July 28th is a big national holiday here - sort of a Peruvian 4th of July). They booked a local restaurant pub, hired a DJ, and we partied like archaeologists until the wee hours. I left at 2:30am feeling like an old biddy, as the party was still going strong. Lots of other arch-y folks who work in Southern Peru came too - it was the 25th annual 'Verticality Fiesta' after all. It was a really good time. (Good number 1).
So, the night was short and then I went to the lab to finish up my work there. I am essentially done (this is Good number 2). My sample is not as large as I hoped though, and I had some worries about whether it was big enough for a thesis. This is a question I had posed a few days back to my advisor.
When I checked my e-mail, I got my answer. Essentially, he said that with a sample that small, I'd have to find a new research question. I interpreted this as a red light - essentially telling me that, while this idea might have been good, it was also quixotic and at best might be a paper to write for a journal - not a thesis. So, I spent the next three hours in a state of disillusionment and depression (this would be 'The Bad').
I waited until after lunchtime in the States, and gave my advisor a call to talk it all over. As it turns out, my interpretation of his e-mail was a bit melodramatic and not at all accurate. Yes, the research question may need to be slighty tweeked from the last version that I presented to him, but the general plan is fine. I am cleared to go forward with my thesis using my samples from here, whatever size the final group turns out to be. WOO HOO! (This would be good number 3).
I buzzed around town, taking care of errands. Then after a brief stop at my hotel, I decided that tonight I would eat at the nice place down the road, where entrees cost up to $10! (This is very expensive by Peruvian standards.) I ordered one of my favorite things here, 'corvina a lo macho', which is sea bass covered in a fabulous tomato based sauce full of shellfish and octopus. The waiter checked to be sure they had shellfish - they did! But then he came back and told me that they were out of the fish. Bummer. He suggested 'camarones' (shrimp). Okay fine, I ordered the camerones sudado. I'd never had this dish before, but a sudado with fish is poached in a yummy broth with onion and herbs and served with rice - tasty stuff.
Okay, now we get to The Ugly. What arrives at my table is a bowl of broth, piled high with whole, steamed crawdads (minus the heads but otherwise entirely intact), and an extra bowl at the side for the dismembered bits that don't get eaten. This is not what I expected. For the second time in my life, I am sitting in a restaurant completely mystified as to how to go about eating the food in front of me. These critters are fairly large - 5 to 6 inches long, all curled up with legs and thorax and all. I tug at the legs. They don't come off. I sit staring at my plate. Finally, the waitress notices my distress and I try to explain that I didn't expect them to be whole. She thinks that I think she gave me something I didn't order. I assure her that I know I ordered this, I just don't know how to eat it. So, a little kid from a nearby table comes over and starts attacking one of my camarones with his fingers to show me how to peel it. His mother then comes over, removes the camaron to the scrap plate and tears it apart with her fingers. Okay, I get it. Then the waitress comes over to assist in the camaron-training session and dismembers the entire thing with a knife and fork. This is not quick or easy. It takes a good five minutes. At the end of the demo, she admits that it's easiest with fingers. So there I am, in my swanky restaurant, reduced to tearing apart critters with legs and squishy stuff that comes out of their thorax (I belive I know what this is, but I choose to not think about it).
For those who may not know, I'm a pseudo-vegetarian. Meaning that I eat seafood, but no other meats. I have trouble with food that looks like living critters. Tearing apart gushy crawdads in a fancy restaurant is not appetizing for me. But I also don't want critters who died to be on my plate to go to waste. So, I dutifully tore each and every crawdad in half, peeled the tail, and ate them. They were pretty tasty - just darn ugly. When I made it through the pile, the waitress came back to offer another lesson on how to further mutilate the remains to find more tasty bits inside. I declined. Sorry camerones - I just couldn't do it.
So, all in all, it's been a good day - with a few ups and downs. Tomorrow I have an adventure, heading down to the coast to see a museum, collect some water samples, and work on a side project with museum collections there if they'll let me. It should be fun. I'll tell you all about it on Thursday.
Until then, I hope you're all well and having fun this summer.
Karen
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