Coming to Turkey with a cold wrecking havoc in your body is not the most ideal way to start off your trip, but my time here has been amazing so far with my cold only being a slight annoyance. Although, I am sure my roommates would prefer the coughing from the top bunk would stop. My roommates consist of two Turkish girls and an American woman, all are very friendly and helpful. Thankfully, everyone in my room agrees that air conditioning is not a want but a need after a day of digging.
My first day at the Acropolis was difficult but rewarding. The view from the top of the Acropolis is amazing and although clearing out the brush and overgrowth on the site was hard work, it feels amazing to look at everything we have accomplished over the past few days. It was also exciting to finally start working in the areas that we will be excavating. Not much surprised me the first few days. It is very hot here and although it can be difficult to work in the conditions, it has not been the worst or unmanageable. Although, one shocking and horrific thing happened early Wednesday morning and it came in the shape of a giant flying Cockroach waiting for us by the buses.
At the moment, I can not say that many things here remind me of home, besides for the screaking Cicadas that echo throughout the day, but mostly the bugs are a bit more daunting than the ones I am used to in Minnesota. The terrain is very different and a bit more aggressive than Minnesota’s. The plants want you nowhere near them and though I feel the same way towards them, it felt amazing to take down a sticker bush that had a major vendetta against me! Through clearing the painful and nonpainful plants is completely worth it once you get to start working on removing topsoil. It was exciting to finally start working outside of the baptistery and remove the topsoil so that we could open our first locust.
