Catch-up: October 21st-October 31st

So I got behind in my posts on this blog during the last week of my first two classes and because of limited internet access it has become very difficult to get caught up. So! here is my solution: here is one long post which will incorporate ten days worth of information, October 21st through today October 31st.

Oct. 21st:
I created a large maps so that I could practice for our map quiz on Monday. I also hung out with Leslie, another Casa Herrera student, and I invited myself on her trip with some friends to Monterrico for the weekend. at night I color coded and mapped out my poster map for studying.

Oct. 22nd:
Three people from Casa Herrera, two Icelanders, a Dutch gentleman, and I all took a shuttle and boat to Monterrico, the black sand beaches on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. We stayed in a hostel called Delphin and spent a good amount of the day lounging in hammocks and swimming in the very aggressive ocean. We also visited a turtle sanctuary where they take care of turtle eggs and help the babies get to the ocean. I had a fantastic time enjoying relaxing for the day (other than the trying not to drown part).

Boat ride to Monterrico

Oct. 23rd:
Sunday was our second and last day in Monterrico, and we spent the majority of the day in the water, though I didn't stay in as long as everyone else. We chilled and enjoyed ourselves and I got a bit of a tan! We got back to Antigua around 5, and I headed home to study up for the map quiz in the morning.

Oct. 24th:
Had both classes. Archaeology: map quiz, Olmec-sacred landscape, San Lorenzo, "mother culture" or "sister culture"?, cave paintings in Oxtotitlan, and La Mojarro Stela. Hieroglyphics: the several variations of the name K'inich Janab Pakal. Due to the cruelty of a malicious pie, I got food poisoning before Spanish class and had to spend the evening at my home stay.

Oct. 25th:
Archaeology: Kaminaljuyu- right in the middle of Guatemala City, we discussed the site to prepare for our field trip to the site on Wednesday. We started with Monte Alban, San Jose Magote, and El Baul to get us ready for our discussions of Kaminaljuyu. Hieroglyphics: We discussed the 260-day and 365-day calendar systems in class, but we did not have time to get into discussion of the Long Count Calendar as of yet. 


Oct. 26th:
We went on a field trip to Kaminaljuyu and got a special tour of the site from the archaeologist who is currently working there. We got to go down into some of the tunnels in the temples and we got to go into the lab and look at some of the artifacts that they have from the site. In the afternoon we had Spanish class and took a quiz, which actually was ok... surprisingly.

Kaminaljuyu

Oct. 27th:
Thursday Prof. Stuart left to go back to Austin, so we had our TA Edwin and a grad student working with Edwin named Nick, teach our two classes. Edwin told us about the site that he and Nick are working at, El Zotz, and Nick gave us an intro to the Long Count Calender and did an overview of the glyphs from the sites around and at El Zotz. We also got a tour of the place where they do some of their work and I talked to Nick about working with them. After lunch I spent four hours working with Nick, which was monotonous and wonderful! I had an amazing time and I am so glad I have this opportunity!

Oct. 28th:
On Friday I spent the day getting some chores done around Antigua and also prepared for my birthday present to myself for Saturday. I also worked on research for our first paper in Archaeology on Teotihuacan.

Oct.29th:
My first piece in my Maya Portfolio, Self-Portrait #1, is very important for me and for a long time I have wanted my original figure, whom I call my spirit guide, tattooed on to my leg, and so, here, in the place where it all began, I am getting the tattoo for my birthday, which is also the date 1 Imix in the 260-day calendar, which is a variation on my Mayan name, Naab', both meaning "Waterlily," (my name "Susan" derives from the Hebrew for "Lily"). I got the tattoo on my right leg, corresponding to my right, dominate hand. The tattoo is a terracotta color and looks amazing. I am very satisfied with it at this point in time, though I believe when it is healed I am going to have some details added to bring it closer to the original drawing.

Right back leg

Oct. 30th:
I spent this day finishing up some chores, working on my paper, and attending the completion of my friends tattoo for her birthday which was this day. I didn't stay with her for very long, and I spent the evening working on my paper due on Monday.

Oct. 31st:
Happy Halloween!! Monday classes, and paper due! and this evening is horror movie night at the Casa! We are also celebrating both mine and Annie's birthdays during the break between classes. Spanish this afternoon!