A few years ago, this was field season. We spent every June, July and August excavating at sites near Barranca, leaving home around 8 am and returning around 3:30, followed by clean-up, lab work, dinner and more administrative tasks. I remember it being cold in general, but I’m surprised by how different I feel this year. We are in Barranca in June by choice, without specific activities to do, and I don’t like the austral winter on the coast any better than I did when I was so busy I barely had time to notice. Most days are overcast. The ground is damp in the morning, with a few puddles of condensation from the trees. Since no one has central heating, it may be in the high 60s, even 70 outdoors, but it is the same temperature indoors. When you sit at a desk, you get cold.
Some days it warms up toward midday. I start out with pants, long-sleeved t-shirt, sweater and padded vest, wool socks and shoes. I shed layers, change to shorter pants for a walk on the beach, put on a lighter vest, add hat and sunscreen, and take a walk. Return home, rinse feet, dry feet, put socks, shoes and long pants back on and gradually add my layers again through the afternoon. If we sit on the front porch to watch the sunset, which is not visible through the clouds, and play cards, I may end up wearing fingerless gloves and a knit hat. It’s quite a look.
In town, though, life goes on through the seasons. Jonathan stopped to buy lamb. Then we strolled the fish aisle to find a fish for dinner. These ladies are selling fish and chatting up a storm.
A woman sells roast pork sandwiches from the real thing. Her stand is squeezed between the street and sidewalk on a corner. Lots of foot traffic!
We passed a display of decorative marshmallows on a stand in the street. Every day there’s something new to see.
Llywindatravels 2022 