Mercedes Delgado, Peruvian archaeologist, approached me with an envelope. She had me take out the contents. An official invitation to present at a anthropometry/bioarchaeology workshop at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, here in Lima. !!! She said I could present in English, so no pressure. I was just… Read more“Personal Interlude 2: Rite of Passage… Passed!”
Month: June 2007
Personal Interlude 1: Pachakuteq
According to one version of Inca history, when Cusi Yupanqui defeated the invading Chancay people and drove them from Cusco, he started a period of conquest that would soon reach over two thousand miles along the Pacific Coast of South America. He gave himself a new name as leader of… Read more“Personal Interlude 1: Pachakuteq”
A Weekend Excursion to Pachacamac
Last weekend we took a field trip down to Pachacamac, a site/tourist attraction to the south of Lima. I’m very familiar with the site: we had a tour there in 2004 and on my second trip I worked there with some of the radiologists. This time I took the students… Read more“A Weekend Excursion to Pachacamac”
A Night at the Faire
In my previous trips to Peru, I’ve gone to a faire that has been held in the nearby Parque de la Exposición. It’s a pretty big park built expressly to add culture to the city. It has several art museums, and a nice fountain. There are also amphitheaters and even… Read more“A Night at the Faire”
You Almost Hit Me! Take Me to the Pizza Hut!
A little bit of non-linear storytelling here: before the homeless guy incident below, we had decided to get some American-style cuisine. Namely, KFC. I looked up the nearest KFC/Pizza Hut in Lima (they have double stores, like Hardee’s and Red Burrito). It’s on the way to the museum we work… Read more“You Almost Hit Me! Take Me to the Pizza Hut!”
Work is Not Much to Write About
The field school kicked off for real towards the beginning of the second week. Things are going quite well. Bob and I are impressed by how quickly the students are learning. They’ve already handled a large spectrum of peoples, from stillborn babies to older men. On Monday they will start… Read more“Work is Not Much to Write About”
The World’s Greatest Drug Czar
Coca, though it is a forbidden to even bring a tea bag’s worth to the United States*, is actually a folk cure-all that has no narcotic effects without extensive processing. In rural communities, coca is one of the elements that sponsor social cohesion as well as spirituality. An ethnography, The… Read more“The World’s Greatest Drug Czar”
How to Eat for Free (and Safely) in Peru
On weekends I like to visit the Metro and stock up on things like snacks and tea. I grab a cheap lunch there as well since they have many little booths of food. Today I went to the good ol’ Chinese food booth. For 4 soles (around $1.25), I had… Read more“How to Eat for Free (and Safely) in Peru”
Even My Backup Plans Have Backup Plans
On Thursday Bob was sick and had to run errands rather than have field school class as usual so I went with him. As for the students there was supposed to be a tour of downtown Lima. While riding a cab with Bob, zipping around Pueblo Libre, we got a… Read more“Even My Backup Plans Have Backup Plans”
First Visit to the Museum
On Monday, the museum we were to work at, the National Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology, and History, had a special occasion: they were celebrating the deathdate of Julio C. Tello, the first Peruvian archaeologist who conducted scientific investigations. We piled into a taxi and went to the museum to meet… Read more“First Visit to the Museum”