On Saturday we were treated to a boat ride on a glass-bottom boat to a bea-u-tiful beach that is only accessible from the water! The captain and first mate were fabulous. They let us take turns driving the boat and seemed so excited to be able to give us this incredible experience!
The ride took about 20 minutes and they drove the boat right up onto the beach so that we were able to walk off (with the help of the captain -- the plank from the stairs to the beach was a little wobbly).
We spent the next couple of hours swimming around and then climbing back up onto the boat (which was pushed out into the water -- tied to the beach for bringing it back in later) and either sliding down the waterslide at the back or jumping off the side (of the top deck -- HIGH!) into the water below. Good thing the water gets deep quickly out here :)
The captain and first mate then made us an AMAZING BBQ dinner -- tomato/cucumber salad, fresh bread and several variations of pork! We had a big cake to celebrate Julie's birthday too! Fun times!!
After swimming and BBQ-ing we played a few games (we passed an orange from person to person via the neck and, in the same fashion, we passed a cucumber from person to person via the thighs/knees. If we weren't comfortable with each other before... we should be now!
What else? Rocks!! I collected a bunch of rocks between swimming and games and eating... I still need to pick up a container to store 'em in so that I can start drinking out of my Nalgene bottle again (which is their temporary container until I get something else).
On the way back we had a bit of dance party on the top floor of the boat -- there was a Finnish tourist who had joined us for the trip (as well as a family from England, I think) and he certainly seemed to be enjoying himself with all the girls. He chased Amanda for a bit at first and then moved around to everyone else after he determined that she wasn't interested in dancing. He stood by the stairs when we arrived back at the harbour and proceeded to give everyone hugs goodbye so I grabbed Michelle when it was my turn and our hug became a group-hug instead. This, apparently, did not deter him -- he kissed both our cheeks and then moved on to whoever was behind us. Yeesh.
So that was Saturday...
Sunday was slower (whew) and Monday was our first day of actual excavation!!!
We spent most of the day measuring elevations, taking notes, and photographing the site before FINALLY using the last hour to DIG! Taking elevations is sometimes a little tricky...
these guys are watching the awkward elevation measuring taking place in the picture above...
Michelle, Leesa and I didn't do much excavation but we did shovel away some of the dirt that was being dug up by group three. While cleaning, we found some bones in the dirt (that was the day I found a knee cap) SO...
On Monday, Michelle and I ended up working on a small area (she wrote about it below, so I won't go into too many details...) for the whole time. It was only a small area but because the bones we were finding were just little fragments, it took us quite a while to finish it up. As meticulous as it was, I had so much fun!!
Today is Wednesday and we started the day off cleaning up the debris being dug up in our new trench -- Trench V -- but Michelle and I swapped in for the afternoon and spent a few hours "articulating" pebbles. Cassandra had dug through most of the top soil so our job was to clean up the area below -- taking away any clay and then sweeping so that when a picture is taken of the trench, it is easy to spot the pebbly area that Cassandra will start excavating tomorrow.
Sounds like Michelle and I will be moved, with Simon and a few others, to a more permanent place in Trench VI tomorrow! Woot! Finger are crossed -- let's hope we find a burial to excavate!
PS -- we found our FOURTH scorpion today! Gah!! I did get a picture before we killed it though...
PPS -- We are visited everyday between 8:30am-9am by a huge herd (flock?) of goats.
Flocks are birds!! Mum (Shannons')
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