July 1st - Arequipa - The Conference

Hello faithful blog fans,

So sorry for the long absence. Things have been busy, and since I've been in only one place, it seemed like there wasn't so much to update you on. However, all that has changed. But, before I go there, here's a quick review since last Saturday.

On Sunday, Elli and I took a 'countryside' tour, and were driven up above the city to see some lovely overlooks, view some traditional farming - including terracing, llamas, a variety of Peruvian fruits, and a pen of guinea pigs, and then went to a mansion that was once the home of the founder of Arequipa, and from there we went to a mill which doubles as a lovely picnic area. It was interesting and beautiful and a nice break from the city.

There has been a taxi strike over the past week. While there were rumours that this might incite dangerous situations, the streets are actually much safer for pedestrians without all those crazed Tiko taxis zipping around. I haven't heard of any actual confrontations, but the roads outside the city were closed for a few days, and people had some trouble coming and going. As for us, we're in easy walking distance from everything we need, so it was actually a nice respite from traffic.

The Techniques of Ancient Peruvian Textiles class is officially over. Our last day was Wednesday. We completed our overview of pre-columbian Peruvian cultures, worked on our conservation techniques, and finished up the workbook on weaving techniques. The samplers were completed to various degrees. Kate's loom broke and she declared it a sign from God. We all empathized. My sampler has a long way to go, but I expect I'll still poke at it from time to time next week.

The Archaeology Conference (official title to follow in blog update) started yesterday, and it was really amazing. The group isn't huge, but includes most everyone doing work in Southern Peru, northern Bolivia and northern Chile. I sat through many papers yesterday, and introduced myself to just about everyone there, even scoring myself an invitation to lunch with the whole English speaking contingent. I'm getting some good tips on grad schools, making some great connections, and learning a lot. It's fabulous.

Today, I need to run over to the travel agency before breakfast to book a trip to Colca Canyon. Francesca and I are hoping to go on Saturday and Sunday. It's not quite the deepest canyon in the world - the neighboring canyon is actually 136 meters deeper, but it is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, and features extensive Inca agricultural terracing and the famed Andean Condors. After booking the trip, it's breakfast and then a totally full day at the conference. Most of the papers I'm specifically interested in are being presented today, and then tonight there's likely to be a gathering of the same North American contingent at a local club, so I think I'll go there too. I'm not sure when I'll sleep tonight, but I'm sure I'll catch a few hours before leaving for Colca. With all of that, it may be a few days before I check in again.

Hope everyone is well. I'll write again soon.

Karen