Mindo and Pukarito

Spent the past week up at a site called Pukarito which is this really cool terraced, possibly pre-incan fortress site... or it's just a gigantic dirt pit. I haven't decided my interperation yet. Opened up 3 units by myself, only to get another staff member for 2 days and then lose his help as quickly as it came. All 3 units were beneath this terraced wall of clay, adobe brick (called cangahua soil, just like the name of the town I'm living in now) and had tons of melted wall fall which is a total pain in the bum to clean out. A top this puddle of melted hell was a secondary wall and possible a hearth, but they're much more recent than I'd like them to be and part of the wall and all of the non-existant internal flooring was plowed up over the years (because, oh yeah, we're digging in an agricultural field. Our bad. Whoops...) so yeah, the interpretation has been a serious hassel. Lots of mapping, lots of trowling through grit. Lots of stressed out students. At the same time though, I toally hve the dream team of kids (Marsha, Mike M., Cheese) and they've been trying their hardest to make good of an annoying situation. And so it goes... sometimes you get the good pits, sometimes yo don't. Has to happen. And they WERE promising at the beginning...

In other news, I went to Mindo this weekend on my free time. Mindo is this beautiful town up in the cloud forest (imagine lush rain forest covered in fog every now and then) with zip lining and waterfalls you can jump off of. Both of which I did. Didn't help that the waterfall I choose to fling myself from was 20meters high, thus resulting in a bad landing which chipped two of my teeth minorly, bruised the entire back of my left leg, and possibly chipped my tail bone. Really, minor details. I'm totally ok. I can walk and sit and function. Painfully, but still, everything works. Don't worry. Plus, I literally had the time of my life all weekend, so nobody gets to pity me. I even zip-lined upside-down with my feet in the air. Spent some time relaxing by the pool too and visited a butterfly sanctuary where the butterflies land all over you, thus resulting is wickedly awesome pictures. All in all a fantastic weekend, probably the best I've ever had in Ecuador out of both years. The company helped too. I'm making some really good friends here...

Sadly had to come back on sunday evening though. Came just in time to see the end of the bull fights, which always amaze me since the people who jump in the ring are barely ever sober. Then back to work on Monday at Pukarito where I closed up my units. Leaving us at today, where I was back up at Pukarito but this time mapping 3 profiles and a few plan maps for the groups that aren't as efficent as my dream team...

That's all for now. I miss you all. Only 5 or so more weeks till I get to come home and tell you all my stories in person. It's weird that I'm almost 1/2 way done... Oh well, I plan to have an even more amazing time with what time I have left!!!