Work, Museums, and Markets–Oh My!
Hello all! Here I am, typing to you with clean hair! Yay! Showers are kind of a luxury around the hospijade here. With 16 or so people living in one house and the water shutting off around 6pm, the reservation water runs out quickly! It doesn't get turned on until 7am. It's something to get used to, but it definitely could be worse!! No worries--I am clean for now!
This was a really awesome weekend, finishing off a good week! We finished the work week with a case of the crazies. Thursday was a slow day for everyone; I think our brains were a little fried. I don't know what it is, but I have been so tired lately. Probably the 
change of environment and the constant “go go go!”, but it's making me super sloth-like. Friday we worked at the Huacas, which is my favourite day. We get to work in a prettier lab, if labs could be pretty. The view is definitely mind-blowing. Not to mention, we get off a little earlier on Fridays, so we can get back and relax sooner! This past Friday though, the Bioarch team was not alone. Our lab has a "garage" door, so that our work is open to those visiting the Huacas Museum grounds. And for the first time (surprisingly!) we had nearly 20 Peruvians students on their field trip day come into our lab and watch us work. They even asked to take pictures with us like we were celebrities! They asked Prof. Gagnon about her earrings and continuously asked where we were from. It was so funny!
Saturday we took a site tour to El Brujo. At this site, there were a number of huacas, which are sacred spaces where rituals were once 
performed. We walked along two of the four huacas and got to see the incredible sites. From the top, we could see the Pacific Ocean! The view was truly breathtaking. We could also see the original stonework art in the huaca's walls. We got to go to the museum there too, where there is a female mummy from the El Brujo site. It's one of the best preserved mummies around! Her hair was present and we could even see the tattoos on her skin. It was crazy!! After the awesome museum, we made our way to a restaurant and then headed back to the hospijade. From then, we walked through some of the artisan shops (which are definitely comparable to the millions of beach shops at places like Myrtle Beach, but with handmade and way cooler stuff) and stopped at the bakery. We go to this bakery every day, more or less, and it's beyond delicious. We get different kinds of pan, which is Spanish for bread! SO TASTY. They also have ice cream and the ice cream here (cookies and cream, specifically) is way more creamy and delicious than at home. Just saying, no hate to you Beyers.
ANNNND today! Our day off! We (Celeste, Kendra, Nick, and myself) woke up a little later and met Prof. Gagnon for breakfast. Eating eggs only happens for me once in awhile, so I savor it. Peruvians aren't really big breakfast people; every day we have some bread and coffee for breakfast, occasionally cereal. It's really been making me hungry!! Thank goodness dinner is always a two-plate meal. It was super crowded, like Times Square. But it was full of fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, and then random fabrics and clothes on the streets. There was a larger building where inside, it was like a busier flea market but even less clean. We saw heads of chickens being chopped, and butchers full of blood. Definitely a little shocking. But I was all about it!! I didn't bring my camera, as I was advised not to so it wouldn't be stolen--you'll have to take my word for how humbling it was.
For now, we're getting prepped for bed! Work starts tomorrow!! Till next time! 🙂
Corrine’s Spanish Lingo of the Day:
Brujo - Witchdoctor (Yes, like the site I visited!)
Taza - Cup