In late May & early June I had the privilege of traveling to Belize and joining the faculty, staff and students at the archaeological field schools conducted at the La Milpa Research Station (aka Texas Arch. Center). I was invited to come and have a look-see by Dr. Marisol Cortes-Rincon (Cal Poly Humboldt). Lots of karma earned her way (photo).
Due to my health challenges dealing with pancreatic cancer and treatment issues the previous 32-months (see health update below*), and traveling alone internationally for the first time in many years, I decided to lay-over in Belize City (BC) for a couple of nights. I’d arranged for a snorkel tour on Saturday (27 May), but it got canceled one-hour before launch time: not enough of us registered to make a go of it. Fortunately, the annual Cancer Walk was happening right past the front of my hotel, and I was also able to hook-up with a tour for the day going to kayak some caves (also used by the Maya). My tour-mates were two young ladies visiting Belize during the very same timeframe: one was a U.S. Marine Lt. (whose Marine Recon husband was on deployment; she took this photo of me on-the-water), and the other a U.S. Embassy employee in El Salvador (majored in Criminal Justice, so I tried to softly recruit as National Park Ranger). We had a wonderful time paddling and late lunching. That evening was Senior Prom night in BC, so the area was jumping pre-midnight.
On Sunday I hitched a ride with Dr. Rissa Trachman (pictured) out to La Milpa. The University of Texas (UT) has been conducting field research in the area since the early 80’s, led by Dr. Fred Valdez since the early 90’s. This year students were again working with professors that have a specialty in pre-Hispanic Maya. In addition to UT, they hailed from Cal Poly Humboldt (Dr. Marisol Cortes-Rincon), Elon University (Dr. Rissa), Howard University (Dr. Eleanor King), and Western Colorado University or WCU (Dr. David Hyde). The primary focus was Maya common-folk (as noted on my attached Facebook post- pictured). I booked a cabana at the Eco Lodge next door to the Arch. Center: a 5-minute walk from my room to the Arch. Center.
A full hats-off sweeping of the sombrero to ALL of the faculty, staff and students that are part of the “Belize Archaeological Project” at La Milpa. I’m in awe of their efforts & works in some complex and trying environmental conditions. The heat and humidity are pretty much constant. Temporary relief comes from a daily shower, or the purchase of a cold drink (beer: $1.5 or soda/water: $1. Room/air temperature water is free. Beers available are: Landshark, Bilikin Original Recipe, or Bilikin Stout – I tried/liked all three). The temp my final day was 100F, with humidity that made the Feels Like 111F.
Mornings begin with the call to 1st Breakfast at 0600 (6AM) – there are so many in camp (ca. 90), that there is a 2nd b-fast at ca. 0645.
The universities noted above have their own research projects in different areas, identified by their professors/directors. All under the umbrella of the UT/Dr. Fred permit has with Belize.
Teams start for their field project areas ca. 0715. For the day, everyone carries 3-liters of water and electrolytes. There are only two taps of potable water in camp, operating under gravity feed (so you
use one at a time). Best to fill your water containers the night before (just like fire camp) as the line can be long in the morning.
Each field day (Sunday thru Friday) a cross-section of students can be found at Arch. Center working under the guidance of the lab staff: identifying, sorting, bagging, cleaning, etc. These important tasks and labor-intensive works continue all day.
Due to my limited strength and stamina I worked with the Mountaineers of WCU in the jungle of Belize, along the Medicine Trail. The walk each way was about 20-minutes, but after rains it was slippery and challenging for this 4th Quarter of my century guy. But, I did it (and my blood work numbers post-trip were the best I’ve had in years = credit is due to the Medicine Trail).
I’d like to give a shout-out to each and everyone that worked on the site. However, I don’t have all their names. I know their leader, Dr. David, kept things loose with professional observations peppered with dialogues about movies and the eclectic tunes that were serenading us. He peppered us with rock trivia and even remembered the Strawberry Alarm Clock as psychedelic rock (I forgot to ask him & the players this question: “Name the band that owned the SAC’s equipment? Their name was stenciled on the back.” Answer at end of this post). Dr. D., who also DJ’s on the university radio station, asked us to pick a “walk off” song – something to be played when walking off your climatic scene. I picked this one: "Life's been good to me..." (because it has): you'll probably need to copy & paste link to listen (that worked when I tried it): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXWvKDSwvls
I was worker #13 at the site- fortuitous for me, as the other “Dirty Dozen” took care of me and allowed me to participate. Jessica & David were two senior field leaders that had recently received their Master’s in anthropology from New Mexico State (they both attended WCU as undergrads and are going to SUNY-Binghamton for PhD work). Troy B. was a returning student helping lead field works also, along with another WCU grad that was a Biological Anthropologist that recently completed her Masters at Montana (Missoula). Linnea and Jo were rookies, but MVP’s all the way. From outside the WCU program, but key components at the site were Jim (a US Foreign Service retiree from the Olympic Peninsula – before that he was a National Park Ranger in the Bay Area), Leonardo (St. Mary’s College of California), and Orion Magpie (Humboldt). GS (?) is a counselor from Community College of Aurora and Balto was our local site Mr. Fix-it: “Have machete will travel” was his theme. I know I’m forgetting some, but they were contributors to the research record one-and-all. Upon arrival at the site we needed to carefully remove the tarps that covered the excavated units from the elements. Due to rain some nights, our day started with bucket brigades bailing water from pockets on the tarps. My first day in the field we were visited by five spider-monkeys: they stayed in the tree tops over us, but shook branches and limbs trying to break them down on us. One plastic clipboard was fractured thusly. As work progressed in the east units a rock pedestal re-appeared and in one of the west units a ceramic facemask covering/offering was recovered.
Early (3AM) one morning the Arch. Center camp & the Eco Lodge were awakened to the deep-throated call of a Howler monkey. It sounded just outside my room: I even checked in my loft to make sure it wasn’t up there. There calls can be heard over 3-miles. Listen to a Howler monkey roar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYar0dkZ6v8
One morning when I got up and getting ready for the day I noticed I’d apparently stepped on and killed a scorpion. My peripheral neuropathy is so acute I didn’t feel it, and I’m thinking the chemicals in me are what got it. I’m a regular walking Orkin.
My biggest regrets regarding the trip (they’re big):
1) I should’ve tried harder to get in-the-field with the Humboldt Krewe. They were why I went, but they had a much longer commute (drive & hike)- My heart remains with them & Salud Compadres! Wherever you go and whatever you do you’ll have these well earned memories. 2) I didn’t get to the La Milpa site (and it is in the guidebooks and a big part for why the Eco Lodge was developed). Another time!
Additional photos are included in a PowerPoint, possibly viewable at (again you'll probaly need to copy & paste - lo siento):
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wzpaujvg9a1xhhp6kmzup/2023-Belize.pptx?dl=0&rlkey=m5ysd4t843n054mt7z4wdjvkz
* HEALTH UPDATE: As many of you know I battled stage 3 pancreatic cancer starting on 01 Oct. 2020. Though the chemo, radiation and surgery worked on the cancer I was left with other issues. My shortened biliary duct was subject to closures and infections and brought about three hospital stays in 2022 (May-Aug.). These occurred after an umbilical hernia operation where the surgeon apparently hadn’t confronted the internal workings of a post-Whipple surgery before. They punted, in that they’d planned to place mesh over the repair, but instead made a quick repair, “pushed things around” (their quote), and closed without placing mesh because: “You’ll need additional surgery in the future.” Well yeah. The repair failed in less than a year and is protruding, cumbersome & painful (I look and feel like the alien, from the movie of the same name, is coming out my umbilical area). I’ll proceed with another surgeon soon. The, in late February I experienced extreme back pain. X-Ray & MRI showed a compression fracture at L3. We don’t know when it happened, but pre-Whipple therapies had weakened me and twisting while moving wood in the snow probably aggravated it. PT & acupuncture have helped some. This trip to Belize was a stepping-stone towards a longer trip Meme & I plan to make in September (Bali).
Trivia Question Answer: The Rolling Stones (they owned and cached equipment in various locations. SAC had the L.A. inventory. I always felt hot jamming on their stuff: not a hot & humid Maya jungleland hot mind-you, but good just the same).
