Hasta Luego, Miranda -- We Will Miss You!!

This morning we bid Miranda a fond farewell. We knew it was coming, but still .... the loss of Miranda on the heels of Black Truck and the ill-fated journey to Comayagua ... well, let's just say it's been a tough weekend for Team PADO.

Last night though, we feted her in style at our favorite local restaurant. The owners, somehow sensing we were Americans, played a "Best of the 80s and 90s" CD that allowed Miranda, Meredith and Sandra to share their vocal stylings with the group. The video of this will be found and destroyed (yes, this means you, Ivey).

Today, Bill went to San Pedro Sula in search of a pick-up to replace Black Truck. In his absence, students slept in, had bacon and eggs for breakfast, hiked into the mountains outside Jesus de Otoro and completed lab work on artifacts excavated on Friday. Speaking of lab work, check out the fancy lab we constructed in-between rainstorms yesterday afternoon. The first picture is the construction (don't ask what Emily is doing with the pick axe). The second is the finished product.

Later in the afternoon, after Bill returned with a rental pick-up, Team PADO caravaned to the nearby town of La Esperanza, the municipality for the department of Intibucá, Honduras. Everyone climbed up to La Gruta, a Catholic shrine that overlooks the town and then to the park that is above it.


So, tomorrow, it's back into the field. Thomas, Ivey and Inga will continue their work at Structure 1, Tomoe, Denton and Meridith will keep their noses to the grindstone at Structure 9, and Ben, Eric and Emily will return to the relative shade of Structure 5. Safe travels, Miranda. We will think of you often (and with envy) as we battle the sun, heat, dirt, bugs and unpredictable availability of showers.