I am FINALLY in Belize again! After waiting over 2 years, I have finally re-entered the borders of this fair country and have continued doing my research in Classic - Modern Maya Botany. I will try to write more tomorrow, but, only because I know that my Mother is waiting, I will write a short update tonight :)
Dec. 20: I thought that I was going to fly to Belize. "Thought" being the key word here. Actually, I got a call from an automated voice at 2am (which I didn't get until I woke up around 5am) saying that my flight from STL - DFW had been canceled. So, I spent 1 1/2 hrs on the phone with the international end of American Airlines trying to get my flight rescheduled. The best I could do at first was an overnight layover in New York (NOT), and then the second best was a flight on Dec. 22 with a promise of a two-day extension on the other end of my trip (try, I can only be in Belize over Winter Break and not a day over!), so finally she found us seats on a couple of planes for the 21st (the end of the world!), so I got those reserved. Mom called American Airlines and spoke to someone about getting my Dad and I free space in a hotel since our new flight was scheduled to fly out at 6am, and we would have to leave our house at 2am to get there on time! When they weren't of any use, she asked to speak to a supervisor and finally got our room (of course).
We drove to St. Louis and I spent over 3 hours in the airport trying to get the vouchers for our room and get checked in for our flight. Unfortunately, American Airlines had canceled almost all of their flights (or so it seemed) and I was standing in line with a bunch of Indian travelers trying to (and failing) to catch their rescheduled flight to get to their connecting flight home, and a bunch of overly friendly Army boys in basic training ready to talk smack about their drill sergeants and sweet things about their mothers. Then, after waiting for those long hours in the economy line, Mom came in and went to the "first class only" line and got instant service. Who knew that cutting in line could be so easy and quick?
Dec. 21: Dad and I took the 4am shuttle to the airport and got checked in. We flew from St. Louis to Dallas (where we had a short 1 1/2 hr lay-over) during which I took a nap in the sun like a fat orange cat, and then woke up in time to stand in line at Starbucks and end up being one of the last to board because I NEEDED that coffee. We flew to Houston, where we met up with another Maya archaeologist who studies in the Peten. I read his son's t-shirt, which said something about a Guatemalan Maya trip in 2005, and asked about it, which led into a discussion of who exactly I was and who I was studying under (yes, I still look young!) and where I was working. From there, we flew to Belize. Ernesto picked us up from the airport in an intensive but short-lived downpour and we went on to Banana Bank. We checked into a 4-bed room with a nice partially-dividing wall (which helps shield the snoring from my awesomely loud (and loudly awesome) Dad. It is kind of funny to me because, in 2010, the room we are staying in was "the boys room".
Dec. 22: First field day. Ernesto picked us up bright and early and we ate breakfast with the lovely Mrs. Choc. Cleofo was able to get off work (because it is the holidays) and he could help me in the field! We got our passes to go into Yalbac and the guys hacked away at the jungle so that the poor gringos could walk. We resurveyed behind the mound excavated in 2010 by the UIUC field school. My has it changed! So many downed trees and intensive undergrowth. It is tough to survey but exciting. Sure glad to have my biologist-Dad in tow to help with sampling, identification, and of course a reality check to my fast-pace mentality. I really think that Dad was born in the wrong country - he really would have worked well here in this slower-paced environment. And, bonus, he is the right height ;)
Photos to come when I am not at Banana Bank :)
-Colleen
No comments:
Post a Comment