Into the field...

Hello friends,

Well, it seemed that this day might never come, and now that it's here everything is a blur. We are packing up to leave in half an hour, so time is tight. A minibus will take us the 2 1-2 hours up to the tiny town of San Carlos, where we will arrange for mules and horses. We'll stay there in a little hostal and then get up early, pack the mules, and head up to camp. We'll camp near the Atumpampa cave for two weeks, during which time I'll have no access to internet, so the blog will be silent for a while. But, I promise many interesting stories when I'm back. We're expecting to be back in Chachapoyas on the 27th or 28th.

The permits for excavation did not come through, and at this point they are not expected. This changes the focus of the expedition quite a bit. We won't be able to collect or conserve anything, but we can map the area, do the initial survey, document the artifacts on the surface, and take a lot of photos. Hopefully all of this work will enable the group to obtain permits for future excavations.

It's going to be so strange to be out of touch. In this day and age, going even a few hours without a cell phone is unusual. I'll miss you all so much.

I'm in really good hands. The team is experienced and capable. I have full confidence in them. And, if we should actually need to contact the outside world at all, we're only a few hours away by mule (grin).

Until the return,

Karen