Well it’s been quite a while since I’ve posted and I’ve skipped an entire adventure (last summer in Belize) in the process, but now I’m back and blogging with a vengeance! This time I’m writing from Puerto Rico, where I will be working for the next month and a half. For the next six weeks I’ll be staying in the town of Vega Baja along the northern coast of PR. The project is on an historic sugar plantation within the conservation of Hacienda La Esperanza, Manati, Puerto Rico, where we will be investigating Plantation owner/slave relations through archaeological excavations. The apartment is in a complex located right on the beach with beach access although the coast in this area is rocky and not the most inviting (ie. spiky spiky sea urchins.) Not to worry though as the apartment complex has two pools from which to choose! I have to say, the conditions here rival those of the dig I worked on in Cuba, Colombia, only this time not all of my expenses are covered by grants. Still, I’m not complaining! The news is saying that this summer is already hotter than usual and that temperatures are expected to break records this summer so those pools are definitely going to be a sweet relief after long workdays in the sun. Part of the problem is that there is a cloud of sand/dust being brought over from the Sahara which results in dry, hot spells and impacts the air quality exasperating allergies and making it hard to breathe. The humid heat is already so oppressive it’s difficult to be motivated and productive, which might be the biggest challenge this summer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saharan_Air_Layer). Several times I have sat down with the intention of writing posts and just haven’t had the energy! The Saharan dust clouds pass over PR periodically, typically in the summer, but I have read that the weather in Puerto Rico is changing a lot in general from an Equatorial climate to that of a tropical monsoon category so we’ll see what this summer brings! I had thought we might have internet at the apartment but it comes and goes so I will do my best to be consistent with posts and updates.
-KmF.
