Week one in Peru

My first week in Peru is over. I got to Moquegua last Saturday. My flights all went well and I didn´t have any delays or complications on my way here. The first day here we were given the day to get adjusted and to rest. The house I am living in has 12 girls staying in it. The guys have a different house not to far away. Our house also where we do some of our field work and all eat breakfast so it can get a little hectic.On Sunday we got a tour of the museum and a short lecture about Peru. The museum is not very big but has some interesting parts to it.

Moquegua is unlike any city I have been to before. There are a lot of taxis which all drive pretty fast. There are only a couple of traffic lights so cars honk when they come up to intersections so people know thery are coming. Pedestrains definately do not have the right of way. There is a big market in the city where we get our food. It has a bunch of small little booths or shops all selling different things. From food, shoes, clothing to electronics. Excpet the people in the program with me very few people speak any english so I am picking up a little bit of Spanish. Overall the city is very loud and hectic but has its own charm to it.

Monday through Friday we spend the mornings in the field on top of Cerra Mejia. The hike up the mounatain is not all that hard but the altitude makes it a bit difficult. The view from the top is spectacular. I sometimes forget I am in the middle of the Andes. This week in the field we laided out 3 by 3 meters squares and drew them. Which sounds like it would be easy but was very frustrating and tedious. After field work we we head back to the house for Lab time. So far in lab we have been sorting and labeling bags of items our TA´s found in the field. Saturday we had a lecture in the museum about ceramics. After we got to practice analyzing and drawing ceramics. On Sundays we have optional outings. This weekend I have been battle a bit of a nasty stomach bug so I decided that it would be better for me to take the day and rest. Hopefully I will feel better by tomorrow so I wont miss field time.