2023 Field Season

We are running a short but sweet field season in July.

Click here to fill out a preliminary application

Below please see email blasts from previous seasons -- our emails will be similar when we get going.

Mega Email Blast #3 (sent out 6/24/23)

Future Ecuadorians,

We are getting closer to the end of the school year here at Foothill College, I am heading to Quito on Tuesday, so I wanted to lay out the next set of info points for everyone. Have this email and check off each box (maybe even print it and carry it around with you).

1. Passport - make sure it is up to date. Physically touch it and take a photo of it, put it in the cloud, and make a photocopy for carrying around in Ecuador.

2. Health Stuff - Covid - Some airlines are still asking for vax info, so bring it or have an image of it on your phone.

Insurance - Ecuador has a new law that has travelers PROVE INSURANCE COVERAGE IN THE AIRPORT. This is brand new, and last year none of us have had to do this, but we are reading about it so we have to be ready. Make a copy of your insurance card, and send me your insurance information (required for the college and a good back up). If you do not have insurance we suggest TRAVEL INSURANCE. Also, if you are taking medications be sure to bring an adequate supply.

An article about the new rule on insurance -- https://gringosabroad.com/health-insurance-in-ecuador/

3. Send me your FLIGHT INFORMATION so we can know when to pick you up on Aug 4. I will tell you who to look out for when I get all the information.

On the 16th you can be taken to the airport for your flight or take a bus to Quito. It is up to you, but we will have closed down the casa comunal by that point. If you miss your flight, use the Facebook Group or email, or call one of the project phone numbers (provided later) if there is an issue.

4. When you arrive. Go through passport control - say you are student here for a few weeks on a program. Or simply a tourist. If you are going through customs, all the stuff you have is leaving the country again - they worry about you selling stuff and not paying duty.

Then look for people with signs that say Pambamarca on them - that is the name of the archaeology project. It is a small airport and there is only one gate area. [see below for more details that I added]

5. FINAL PAYMENTS are due now, and you will have to pay via Credit Card if you have not sent a check already. You cannot attend the program if you have not paid.

6. SIGN UP FOR CLASSES - almost everyone has done so, if you are doing independent study then you have to wait for an add code.

7. VACCINES - go the CDC website and check out the list provided for Ecuador. These are standard for South America.

8. PACKING -- Bring a Sleeping Bag. And remember that it is all about layers, you will also be able to buy clothes in Ecuador, so if you forget something it will be available. On the first Tuesday you will be heading into the bigger town of Cayambe and you can buy stuff there. Then at some point you will likely be going to Otavalo which has the largest traditional market in Ecuador. (Gift shopping is a must). Bring a bathing suit as well, we can go swimming on multiple occasions on the program.

9. WAIVERS IN THE GOOGLE DRIVE. If you have not done so, please fill them out and send photos back. The one with Insurance info is important!

10. GOOGLE DRIVE WITH Handbook, readings, waivers -everything! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1K7kXtWzBHGbZHkB4VzL0lMdH-1B_E7oG?usp=sharing

11. Pambamarca Website with Packing lists and FAQs~ https://sites.google.com/view/pambamarca/home

We created a WhatsApp group for quick contact, and don't forget to check the Facebook group page, meet the staff who have previous experience, they can be helpful. https://www.facebook.com/groups/pambamarca/

12. ** If you are arriving BEFORE Monday, you won't have anyone waiting for you at the airport because we are NOT responsible for you. If you make it to Quito earlier you have three options.

1) Be at the airport on Monday for a pickup. We will tell you when that is happening.

2) Get yourself to Cangahua on your own. Use a taxi or camioneta for a set fee - ask at your hotel in Quito. The best way is to say you want to go to the Hacienda Guachala near Cayambe (www.guachala.com) and that you want to go to the pueblo of Cangahua. The ladies will be cleaning and preparing the house (casa comunal). You are not required to be in Cangahua until Monday, but if you arrive on your own by Saturday/Sunday afternoon that will be OK. Just know that we are not responsible for you until the next day.

3) If some of you are going to have family or friends drop you off in Cangahua on Monday-- great! The casa comunal is alongside the church at the top of the plaza.

** Whenever you do arrive in Quito (early, late, whenever), we will have representatives in country. Our main contact is Ana Gonzalez or Sam Connell. We will send along our cell phone number when we get it. For now, we are the 'on the ground' contacts, but remember that we are not responsible for helping you until July 3. There are landlines connected to the Hacienda Guachala (www.guachala.com) but they are erratically answered. Your best bet is cell phone contact.

** When you arrive to Quito's glistening new airport you will have your passport checked/stamped. Tell them you are student/tourist, they should give you a 3 month stay, but make sure it is more than a month, especially if you are hanging out in country to travel. Then you'll pick up your bags, and head to the customs place. You are just bringing normal stuff into the country, so they won't be too concerned about you. After customs, then you will likely head out to the main receiving area where tons of family members are waiting. It is here where someone will be holding a sign that says Pambamarca!!! That is the person you want to find. If you cannot find anyone like that, then wait around the receiving area looking like a student! Usually a posse of other students are waiting too, and we will have several staff members assigned to look around. The best place is off to your right as you exit customs. Remember that tourism and its success is very important to them, so they are very helpful. This is not a huge airport, and there is only one place to come out, so you'll be fine. The person you should meet up with should know about me and the town of Cangahua and certainly know about Pambamarca - don't go with a random person who says that they want to help.

If by chance something goes wrong and there are no people waiting for you from Sunday night onward-- (you come in on the wrong flight, you sent me the wrong info, etc) -- then you should 1) wait an hour just to be sure - this is Ecuador and perhaps there was something making us late! 2) try to call Ana or me (use your own phone, borrow someone's phone, or find a pay phone or something! 3)if that doesn't work and it is in the middle of the day -- take an official cab out front to the Hacienda Guachala (http://www.guachala.com) near Cayambe and ask for me. OR if it is the middle of the night (after 10) book an airport adjacent hotel or take a cab to the Mariscal District in Quito and the MAGIC BEAN cafe and hotel. The owners are really nice at the Magic Bean and will help you. You will also have my phone # by then so you can call me.

** A reminder not to bring valuable objects and be careful going around in Quito--no flashy jewelry, don't bring a big purse, don't go places carrying a ton of cash and credit cards or big expensive cameras, etc. Be smart, like you would in any big city. People ask how much money to bring - if you have an ATM card then bring a few hundred, nothing more - because you can take more money out if needed. Remember it is US Dollars in Ecuador.

** Phones/Internet: We encourage complete disconnection. Experience the Andes! However, reality of life in the modern world will creep in. First, realize that you are connected if need be. There are phones everywhere. There is a public phone place that you can pay 10 or 25 cents a minute to call the states. There are easy to buy and use cell phones for less than $50 that are Pay-as-you-go. Or trade out your SIM if your phone is unlocked. You will then have your own number. The international plan on your regular carrier is another option. There are internet cafes but fast disappearing is my guess.

**Many have asked about reading lists to prepare for the classes. For the Field Archaeology classes that I am teaching, I ask that you arrive with a prepared mind -- meaning that you read as much as you can get your hands on about archaeological methods in general -- there are a host of text books out there and they all cover the same basic material - if you can pick one up used for a couple of bucks please do so. In addition there are a number readings that are essential which have been posted on different groups. They are all to be found within the Pambamarca Archaeology Project website and in our student Google Drive folder

Pay particular attention to the informes (end of season reports), our 2019 journal article in Latin American Antiquity, and to the NSF proposal. The two books I am suggesting are:

1) For South American history and archaeology -- Terance D'Altroy's The Incas is the best. I gave you a chapter or two in pdf.

2) The other assigned book for my classes is the Sullivan and Connell: A Case Study in Archaeology Vol2, which I added as a PDF. (chapters 1, 2, 3).

The reason our book is good is because it paints a picture for you about the area better than anything else I could write. I think that Mary Sullivan has done a wonderful job in prepping the student for what it is like to be on an archaeological project. And it is the same one you will be going on! This is why I hope you could read it before arriving! However, because I think it may be hard to get, we’ll make photocopies in Ecuador and pass them out for the cost of the copies.

We also just added an Ecuador handbook by Marc Becker, a good friend of the project who studies the local history of resistance. Zev has also added some cool articles to download for the plane. The old syllabi are there too. Lots to explore while you sit in an airport!

***HAVE FUN PACKING or HANGING IN ECUADOR and see you soon! Any questions please let us know!

Mega Email Blast #2

Hey everybody,

I hope all is well as your semesters and quarters end.

So.... we are now getting into the nitty gritty of organizing your trip.

Our Grants in Aid have been awarded to very deserving students, so thank you all for submitting applications. The next steps are:

1. Pay the rest of your program fees to Foothill College.

2. Register for summer session classes

3. Send Sam your flight information so you can be picked up.

4. Attend our virtual Zoom meeting with all people coming.

5. Enjoy your first half of the summer because I know August will be amazing.

Enroll

You can now register for the summer course to take in Ecuador, there is only one of them -- either Anth 16L if you are new to Foothill and Anth70R if you have already taken the other. Anth 70R is an independent study and you need to fill out the below form.

Ana Gonzalez is teaching both of these classes

[Directions for enrolling in classes].

1. Complete the Foothill College Application (only students new to Foothill): If you are not currently enrolled (Spring 2023) for classes, you must first apply (for free) to the College. Please visit the Foothill College website for detailed information on how to apply and then enroll in classes: https://foothill.edu/reg/admission/apply.html

2. Register for classes in My Portal: Follow the instructions at https://foothill.edu/reg/registration/ using the CRN’s available on the department website. https://foothill.edu/anthropology/schedule.html

3. Pay your registration fees. Once you have successfully enrolled in the classes in My Portal, be sure to pay your registration fees right away so you aren’t dropped from the classes.

Zoom Meeting

I also want to have a group session where you can ask questions about the summer program. That will be in 2 weeks: Ecuador-- Monday, June 19th at 6pm Pacific Time at the Zoom Link below.

Pay Program Fees by June 15 - Hard Deadline

In order to pay there are two options as I mentioned in a previous email.

Payment of personal check made out to "Foothill College" with the program name (Hawaii or Ecuador) placed in the subject heading with your name.

a) Address it to Prof Samuel Connell, Dept of Anthropology, Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills CA 94022

b) If you want to pay by cashier’s check or money order - that is also possible.

2) Payment via credit card through an online payment portal arranged by the Foothill Community Education programs. They are simply a payment portal - you really are not going on one of their programs - but are paying the college through their system.

i) Go to the Foothill Community Education website

ii) Choose ‘Click Here’ to register

iii) Login/Create an Account

iv) Important - As you do this, look for a section or space called ‘Class Unlock Keys’ and put ‘FHhawaii’ in that space

v) Then you can put the class in your cart and pay for it with a card.

vi) Note that you will be charged 3% of the total cost of your payment.

Flight Arrival

Please send flight arrival times to Sam. If you arrive on July 3, you will be picked up in Quito at the international airport or you can come directly to Cangahua, but you have to let us know. Some students are going into Quito and then coming to the airport on the 3rd, that is fine too.

This is all for now, as always please stay in touch. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask them!

Sam

Mega Email Blast #1

ello Students Attending the Summer program in Ecuador,

Congratulations again on entering a field program. These are incredible experiences that everyone loves and cherishes for the rest of their lives. We cannot wait to share the incredible place and people with you. This is the first of several big email blasts that we will be sending during the coming months.

Registration and Payment

The Summer schedule is posted but students cannot yet sign up for classes. Registration is not until May 15. But you can finalize your position on the program by paying the program fees. Your payment is due by June 1st.

There are two options as I mentioned in a previous email.

Payment of personal check made out to Foothill College with Ecuador placed in the subject heading with your name.

a) Address it to Prof Samuel Connell, Dept of Anthropology, Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills CA 94022

b) If you want to pay by cashier’s check or money order - that is also possible.

i) Go to the Foothill Community Education website

ii) Choose ‘Click Here’ to register

iii) Login/Create an Account

iv) Important - As you do this, look for a section or space called ‘Class Unlock Keys’ and put ‘FHecuador’ in that space

v) Then you can put the class in your cart and pay for it with a card.

vi) Note that you will be charged 3% of the total cost of your payment.

Then you are done - all paid up and ready to go! The next step will be to enroll in the classes.

In addition, you should purchase your plane tickets as soon as possible! Passports too! Make sure that is up to date!!

Grants-in-Aid: Please see the attached form for grant from the student government of Foothill College. This is due by May 15th! If you get an award, then you will be asked to subtract the amount from your final payments. For example, a $500 grant, means $1000-$500 = $500 is what you will pay for program fees. [Fees for college courses are separate and will be handled by you when you register for the summer schedule] Notifications of awardees of the grants-in-aid will be coming out a few days after May 15th. If you apply for one of those, then please wait to pay your program fees until after you get notification of whether or not you will be receiving a grant.

Financial Aid: Please be aware that if you qualify for Financial Aid (determined by Foothill College Financial Aid Office, not the Anthropology Department), those monies will be paid out separately to you via a transfer or check later in June. We will still be expecting a final payment from you by June 1st, unless you let us know you have other needs (we may require you to verify expected financial aid award to reserve your spot without final payment). If you do not currently receive financial aid, but are a California resident, and think you might quality, we absolutely encourage you to get in touch with the Foothill Financial Aid Office.

Travel == Time also should be taken to consider getting travel arrangements in order. Flights are only going up in price. We will meet you at the Quito airport on 7/3 and we will drop you off on 7/16. You can also meet us in the town of Cangahua on that day. More info to come on this. Many people go early and hang out in Quito or leave the country later so they can travel around. In other years people have hopped over to the Galapagos or Peru as well. We are not responsible for you until July 3.

Pre-Departure Meeting == Important, but not required, pre-departure meeting for all participants and their family/friends. Come prepared with questions. It will be in person on the Foothill College campus in the Anthro Lab (room 3103) at a day and time TBD. We will provide a Zoom option for those who cannot meet in person. See you there!

Sleeping Bags == Because sleeping arrangements are bound to be fluid on this program, please bring a sleeping bag. In the Andes it always gets cold at night.

Summer Course Listings == Again you cannot register for classes at Foothill College until mid May or early June. I will keep you updated about this procedure when it becomes possible to enroll in the classes.

Well that is all for now, we are truly excited to get to Ecuador and to begin our project together.

Sam and Ana

Below are email blasts from 2019

Last Email Blast #6

Hey everyone,

I am getting excited for next Sunday! We have everyone's plane arrivals, I think. Most of you are coming in early and many are already in country. My family arrives tomorrow night late. I will go up to Cangahua to help set stuff up on Friday, and then return on Sunday morning with some students from the airport.

You can see if someone will be on your final flight to Quito. We are doing three airport pick up runs starting on Sunday. If you miss a connection or are somehow missing a day, etc. Please let us know via email to me, Ana or Zev. I will also give you phone numbers to call later in the week that are Ecuadorian. We are not responsible for students until Sunday. If you are arriving earlier than Sunday you are on your own until Sunday see below for more info.

I summarize the data for Sunday below.

1) Matt Hitchcock. You arrive at 535AM, I will be at the airport by 7am to pick you up curbside.

2) Eric you arrive on Copa at 531PM - someone will be there to pick you up -- look for a sign FOOTHILL 2019. If you see no one after 10 minutes of looking around, then take a taxi to Cangahua. You have been there before, so I know you can make it - but this is only if no one is there.

3) Several of you arrive late Sunday night. Donnesh, Noelle and Ali. Look for someone holding a FOOTHILL 2019 sign as you come out of customs. There is only one exit and there will be a ton of people waiting around -- so look for that sign!

** If you are arriving BEFORE Sunday, you won't have anyone waiting for you at the airport because we are NOT responsible for you. If you make it to Quito earlier you have three options.

1) Be at the airport on Sunday morning at 7AM to meet up with the Matt Hitchcock (Let us know if you want to do this)

2) Get yourself to Cangahua on your own. Use a taxi or camioneta for a set fee - ask at your hotel in Quito. The best way is to say you want to go to the Hacienda Guachala near Cayambe (www.guachala.com) and that you want to go to the pueblo of Cangahua. The ladies will be cleaning and preparing the house (casa comunal). You are not required to be in Cangahua until Sunday, but if you arrive on your own by Saturday afternoon that will be OK. Just know that we are not responsible for you until the next day. Ask around on the Facebook page for advice from other students who are traveling to Quito prior than the start date.

3) If some of you are going to have family or friends drop you off in Cangahua on Sunday -- great! The casa comunal is alongside the church at the top of the plaza.

** Whenever you do arrive in Quito (early, late, whenever), we will have representatives in country. Our main contact is Ana Gonzalez. She will send along her cell phone number when she gets it. For now, Ana is the 'on the ground' contact, but remember that she is not responsible for helping you until August 4. There are landlines connected to the Hacienda Guachala (www.guachala.com) but they are erratically answered. Your best bet is cell phone contact.

** When you arrive to Quito's glistening new airport you will have your passport checked/stamped. Tell them you are student/tourist, they should give you a 3 month stay, but make sure it is more than a month, especially if you are hanging out in country to travel. Then you'll pick up your bags, and head to the customs place. You are just bringing normal stuff into the country, so they won't be too concerned about you. After customs, then you will likely head out to the main receiving area where tons of family members are waiting. It is here where someone will be holding a sign that says FOOTHILL 2019!!! That is the person you want to find. If you cannot find anyone like that, then wait around the receiving area looking like a student! Usually a posse of other students are waiting too, and we will have several staff members assigned to look around. The best place is off to your right as you exit customs. Remember that tourism and its success is very important to them, so they are very helpful. This is not a huge airport, and there is only one place to come out, so you'll be fine. The person you should meet up with should know about me and the town of Cangahua and certainly know about Pambamarca - don't go with a random person who says that they want to help.

If by chance something goes wrong and there are no people waiting for you from Saturday night onward-- (you come in on the wrong flight, you sent me the wrong info, etc) -- then you should 1) wait an hour just to be sure - this is Ecuador and perhaps there was something making us late! 2) try to call Ana or me (use your own phone, borrow someone's phone, or find a pay phone or something! 3)if that doesn't work and it is in the middle of the day -- take an official cab out front to the Hacienda Guachala (http://www.guachala.com) near Cayambe and ask for me. OR if it is the middle of the night (after 10) then take a cab to the Mariscal District in Quito and the MAGIC BEAN cafe and hotel. The owners are really nice at the Magic Bean and will help you. You will also have my phone # by then so you can call me.

** Phones/Internet: We encourage complete disconnection. Experience the Andes! However, reality of life in the modern world will creep in. First, realize that you are connected if need be. There are phones everywhere. There is a public phone place that you can pay 10 or 25 cents a minute to call the states. There are easy to buy and use cell phones for less than $50 that are Pay-as-you-go. In fact all phones are like this. You will then have your own number. The international plan on your regular carrier is usually horridly expensive and crazy to use. There are internet cafes everywhere too, so not to worry - YOU CAN BE CONNECTED! (but you'll see that you'll want to be doing it less and less - the withdrawal symptoms don't last long).

Pay particular attention to the informes (end of season reports) and to the NSF proposal. The two books I am suggesting are:

1) For South American history and archaeology -- Terance D'Altroy's The Incas is the best. I gave you a chapter or two in pdf.

2) The other assigned book for my classes is the Sullivan and Connell: A Case Study in Archaeology Vol2, which I added as a PDF.

***HAVE FUN PACKING or HANGING IN ECUADOR and see you soon! Any questions please let us know!

EMAIL BLAST #5

Future Ecuadorians,

We are getting closer to the end of the school year here at Foothill College, Wednesday we will have our orientation, so I wanted to lay out the next set of info points for everyone. Have this email and check off each box (maybe even print it and carry it around with you).

1. Passport - make sure it is up to date. Physically touch it and take a photo of it, put it in the cloud, and make a photocopy for carrying around in Ecuador.

2. Health Insurance - Ecuador has a new law that has travelers PROVE INSURANCE COVERAGE IN THE AIRPORT. This is brand new, and last year none of us have had to do this, but we are reading about it so we have to be ready. Make a copy of your insurance card, and send me your insurance information (required for the college and a good back up). If you do not have insurance we suggest TRAVEL INSURANCE. Also, if you are taking medications be sure to bring an adequate supply.

An article about the new rule on insurance -- https://gringosabroad.com/health-insurance-in-ecuador/

3. Send me your FLIGHT INFORMATION so we can know when to pick you up on Aug 4. I will tell you who to look out for when I get all the information.

On the 18th you can be taken to the airport for your flight or take a bus to Quito. It is up to you, but we will have closed down the casa comunal by that point. If you miss your flight, use the Facebook Group or email, or call one of the project phone numbers (provided later) if there is an issue.

4. When you are arrive. Go through passport control - say you are student here for a few weeks on a program. Or simply a tourist. If you are going through customs, all the stuff you have is leaving the country again - they worry about you selling stuff and not paying duty.

Then look for people with signs that say Pambamarca on them - that is the name of the archaeology project. It is a small airport and there is only one gate area.

5. FINAL PAYMENTS are due by JUNE 15. Give or send to me a check or fee remittance form made out to Foothill College. If you will have to delay the payment please let me know, thanks.

6. SIGN UP FOR CLASSES by JUNE 15. Read the attached class enrollment document in Blast #4. Basically, I have to get EVERYONE'S contract first, and then I submit the batch to the admin people who ADD you to the class. Then you can pay for it. Sorry- it is because it is an Independent Study course.

7. VACCINES - go the CDC website and check out the list provided for Ecuador. These are standard for South America.

8. PACKING -- Bring a Sleeping Bag. And remember that it is all about layers, you will also be able to buy clothes in Ecuador, so if you forget something it will be available. On the first Monday you will be heading into the bigger town of Cayambe and you can buy stuff there. Then on the first Wednesday you will likely be going to Otavalo which has the largest traditional market in Ecuador. (Gift shopping is a must). Bring a bathing suit as well, we can go swimming on multiple occasions on the program.

9. WAIVERS BELOW. If you have not done so, please fill them out and send photos back. The one with Insurance info is important!

10. GOOGLE DRIVE WITH READINGS!!! -- https://drive.google.com/open?id=1eco1t_rqk1OP9c3teovFjZDQgyQ6wUG7

11. Pambamarca Website with Packing lists and FAQs~ https://sites.google.com/view/pambamarca/home

And don't forget to check the Facebook group page, meet the staff who have previous experience, they can be helpful. https://www.facebook.com/groups/pambamarca/

That is all for now. More to come! Again, see you on Wednesday if you can make it.

Sam

Blast #3 & #4

Fellow Future Ecuadorians,

For some weird reason the wrong instructions were sent out for class enrollment! So here is the better version. Follow my directions closely and everything should work out.

Each one of you will need to enroll in one independent study course (2 to 4 units).

Do not forget the Ecuador Orientation is next week!!! --

Again, the details and directions:

Orientation/Meet & Greet at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5th, in Room 3103 of the Foothill Campus.

How to get there:

The address is 12345 El Monte Rd. Los Altos Hills, CA 94022. Park in Parking Lot 2 (just after the bridge).

There are little kiosks aka vending machines where you need to pay in order to park.

You will see the first set of stairs https://www.google.com/maps/@37.3632085,-122.1283286,3a,75y,180h,85.92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOqxrPvRFhGrtX-WbVt6Oig!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

When you reach the top of the stairs you will arrive at the Anthropology/Archaeology Lab Room 3103.

Email Blast #2

Hola,

Summer is around the corner and we are gearing up for a good two weeks in Ecuador. You are receiving this email because you are a part of the 2019 Pambamarca Archaeology Project.

Several things, make sure you have a passport! This takes time, if you haven’t done it you may have to ‘expedite’ the application, which costs more money.

My family bought our plane tickets and so should you guys. Remember that if you arrive on a Sunday flight we will pick you up (8/4). But it will be really easy to get into Quito by shuttle if you arrive earlier. Even if you arrive super late at night, we will pick you up. When you have the tickets - SEND ME YOUR FLIGHT INFORMATION.

I was looking at flights yesterday, and there are many options. Besides the big USA carriers, there are others that seem reasonable, such as Aeromexico, Lacsa, and Copa. I haven't had issues with any of these in the past. I am not as big a fan of Taca, but they are cheaper usually! It all depends on how long you want to stop for layovers.

Final Payments? Due by June 1st and submitted to Sam Connell at Foothill College. Checks payable to Foothill College, or you can use that little voucher I attached to the welcome letter. If you have not paid your $100 app fee then consider simply sending in the $1000 fee by June 1st. This is a hard date because I leave the country on June 24, and you will not be able to attend the program if you do not pay the college. If you need to make special arrangments, please let me know.

How to enroll in classes? This is now possible. See attached sheet.

Bay Area orientation meeting - on Wednesday night June 5th at 6pm we will have a students/staff/parents - everyone who wants to come - orientiation meeting about the project. At that meeting you will meet everyone involved who is in the Bay Area. Most of the meeting is spent answering questions about the program and giving helpful tips. So save the date.

There are no books to buy for the classes. There are sections of several archaeology books that I assign for the trip and I will make PDFs. I know also that you may have several other articles that will be passed on later.

Thanks everyone and keep the questions coming. We will all be in the Andes very soon!

Sam

PS See the website for all the email blasts -- under Participant Information. Also check out packing lists and readings if you are interested! https://sites.google.com/view/pambamarca/home

EMAIL BLAST #1

Buenas días to you all,

In a little over three months we will be in Ecuador! I am starting to get excited about the trip. Many of you I have met and so I know this will be a great group to travel south for the summer. My family and I are excited to come back to Ecuador, and I know some students are planning a trips to Peru before and after the trip, so that will be great.

READ ALL THIS CAREFULLY -- LOTS OF IMPORTANT INFORMATION (maybe even print it)

1) We are at 20 students applicant mark. Which is great and exactly the number I would like to bring for our short 2 week trip! But also it means that I will soon be creating a 'wait list' for new applicants. At some point I will have to know for sure that you are coming to Ecuador this summer. Some of you have not sent in the $100 application fee ensuring your spot. If you do not confirm you are coming with the $100, then what will happen by May 1st is that I will drop you from the roster and add wait listed students on a first come first serve basis. This is your first warning. I can send out a reminder to the specific students later this week.

Class enrollment and final payments will be expected by June 1st. Full payment is a total of $1000 make a check out to Foothill College and send it to me. Sam Connell, Foothill College, Department of Anthropology, 12345 El Monte Rd, Los Altos Hills 90024..

You also are being asked to enroll in one Independent Study course for the 2-weeks session. The class can either be 2, 3 or 4 units, that is up to you (Anth 71, 72 or 73). If you are not enrolled in Foothill then the first step is to get yourself enrolled. This is a California community college so everyone who applies is accepted. Then you will sign up for the course of your choice -- you may have to request permission from me to enroll. This involves a ‘contract of study’ that I will prepare. All this will be in the email blast #2.

2) Scholarships!!!! The review process is underway for all of the scholarships. If you haven’t applied then you are out of luck for this year. The results of the independent reviews will soon be announced.

3) Passports = Make sure you are dealing with this. It can be a hassle to expedite this just before you leave. I distinctly remember waiting for hours outside of the Federal Building next to UCLA when we forgot about a passport for our new born child. DON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE (I mean about the passports, not the having kids part)

4) Plane Flights = Arrange these soon and send the flight info to me. I will organize it in a spreadsheet. You guys will then know who is flying where and so you could perhaps meet up in an airport, etc. Landing in Quito is very easy. You will be processed through like any tourist would, remember that they want to make you happy and will always answer questions. If you arrive on Sunday August 4th, somebody will be there to meet you. Then you will be put into a van or bus to be taken to the town of Cangahua where we live!

If you are arriving earlier than Sunday, this is not 'official' project time yet so we are not responsible for you. If you are staying in Quito you will need to meet us at a pre-assigned time on Sunday back at the airport, so we can take you to the project location. Some of you may want to make your way via bus or taxi to the project town on your own or arrive at the Hacienda Guachala for a nice stay - this is fine, but we are not responsible for feeding or housing you at that time.

5) Background reading and books to buy. We are preparing the syllabus for the classes. I expect that we will have a few books for you to familiarize yourself with the project and with the history and culture of Ecuador. Also you can wade through early article and websites about the research, see the project website for links. My favorite travel books are the Insight Guides but all the other ones are great too. These are especially important if you are coming early or staying on in Ecuador after the 2-weeks. Traveling around in South America is a breeze, and you will regret not doing it if you have the time. As I said above, several students are heading to Peru right after the project. But others will hang out in Ecuador and do the jungle or beach or the Galapagos. There is so much to do.

6) Packing and donations for villagers in Ecuador. There will be a host of info on the project website momentarily under the Participant Information tab. That is the best place get all that you need. We usually donate Spanish and English books to the local schools, so start collecting childrens books if you can. This is the #1 thing that we bring down. Most kids are starting to learn English so basic learn to read English books are good.

7) Facebook page -- ask questions! Staff and ex-students are really helpful. I suggest sharing questions there to get their perspective rather than mine. This is a private page, you will request to be admitted.

8) Traveling to Ecuador. People often wonder if it is dangerous to travel to Ecuador and in the country. It has been given the safest designation by the US State Department for years but recently they upped it to Level 2 because of crime on the north coast, which we do not get close to. We are several hours from the border with Columbia, so that is not a problem at all. Quito and Ecuador is dangerous like any big city in the USA is dangerous, you have to be mindful of your surroundings and watch your stuff at all times. It is also a good idea not to walk around with big easy to steal cameras in public places. When you look like a tourist you are treated like one.

Here is a description from the state department’s website.

Level 2 – Exercise increased caution in Ecuador due to crime. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. [This is for areas we do not get close to on the Northwest Coast]

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/ecuador-travel-advisory.html

9) Immunizations. You are going to be doing routine extended travel and study abroad. We recommend going to the CDC website to get the latest updates on what you should do in terms of vaccinations.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/extended_student/ecuador?s_cid=ncezid-dgmq-travel-single-001

10) Money in Ecuador. They use US Dollars. Things are cheaper and they are not used to seeing $100 dollar bills, often they do not accept them. We suggest bringing $200-300 dollars to the country and taking the rest out of the many ATMs that are available.

11) Traveling by plane to Quito. It is easy to get into the country, we don’t need a visa and they use US Dollars. But if you are international student you should check with the Ecuadorian consulate. In Quito airport when you get to the immigration line you say that “You are doing a study abroad school program with your college”. And they will give you a 1 to 3 month visa. For customs, you are not bringing in anything that you will not take out. For example, the customs officials may think you want to sell your laptop (they are 4x more expensive there), so if they ask you say it is for your school work and you are bringing it home. (Not that we recommend bringing one, they can be bulky).

12) Phones in country. We recommend either unlocking your phone here so you can put a local SIM card inside it, OR simply buying a junker phone there for cheap (my guess is less than $30). There is internet increasingly everywhere, but not in our communal house where most students are staying. There are internet cafes that are easy to use in the village.

13) Orientation Meeting for students living in the Bay Area on June 5th at 6pm in room 3103, this is the kind of meeting where everyone comes, including your parents and friends, to ask questions and hear from us about all things Ecuador. Several students who were there last year will also be on hand to tell you the nitty gritty. I bring pizza and we try to give you as much info as possible to help you pack and generally be prepared for the trip.

Well that is all for now. I will have many more email blasts coming your way. Keep the questions coming and I or some of the others with experience will answer them (especially easy on Facebook). Remember also that we will have a meeting in early June where all your families and friends can come and find out more information too! (date and time TBD).

Estamos en contacto,

Professor Sam Connell

Official Welcome Letter

Welcome to the 2019 field program! We are pleased to offer you a warm introduction to the Pambamarca Archaeological Project (PAP) which has been excavating at fortresses in Ecuador since 2002. The Foothill Program has been a part of PAP since I started bringing students down to take classes and do research in 2007. Ecuador is a wonderful country full of amazing people and places, and we are excited to be sharing it with you. By ‘we’ I mean not just me, but Ana Gonzalez who also teaches at Foothill College, and other scholars along for the ride. We are all equally involved in the process leading up to our trip and also when we are on the ground in Ecuador.

There are a number of things you should prepare to do in the coming months. This email serves as your first official project news flash, with many more to come. Parts of this email will be redundant to those of you who have reached out to us on email or who have visited our project website; but please read it carefully all the same. We added a very detailed Participant Information tab on the website and it will be the go to place for information regarding the program and archaeology project.

Date of Arrival

If you choose to arrive in Quito on the official start date of the project (Aug 4), you will be met at the airport and taken directly to the town of Cangahua depending on when you arrive. [If you have been to Quito before, they have a NEW international airport that is much closer to where we live and work]. Someone will be at the airport waiting for you because you will have sent us your itinerary, even if that time is 11pm or later!

For those of you who want to arrive on Sat. Aug 3 or earlier, which is one or more days before the official start date of the project, there will be plenty to do in Quito and we will provide you with the names of good cheap hotels or hostels where to stay, but we are not responsible for you. In fact, plane flights are even cheaper mid-week, so you may want to come early and explore Quito and the surrounding reagion.

Your Application Status

Step 1: As a member of the Foothill program you are required to complete your $1,000 program fee payment by June 1st. Most of you have already submitted the $100 application fee; therefore a $900 payment is necessary. This can be accomplished by either making out a check to Foothill College or filling out the attached Fee Remittance Slip.

Step 2: Fill out the Waiver Agreement Form that is also attached (this is a second waiver, just to be sure).

Step 3: Mail both the Program Fee check [made out to Foothill College] and the completed waiver form to:

Dr. Samuel Connell

Department of Anthropology

Foothill College

12345 El Monte Road

Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

Step 4: Following the payment of the program fee you will be allowed to enroll and register in 4 units of Foothill Classes and this will take place in June. This can all be done online with a credit card at www.foothill.edu. Foothill requires that all participants enroll in classes. I am having all students simply enroll in a 4 unit Independent Study course because it is only 2 weeks and this is not extensive enough to be a formal field school. I will send more details about the class in April. Information about courses and the Foothill course schedule are available through our Department of Anthropology website. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REGISTER FOR SUMMER CLASSES UNTIL JUNE, SO SIT TIGHT AND I WILL ALERT YOU AS TO THE DAY.

Financial Aid

The director of financial aid at Foothill College, Kevin Harral, is prepared for applications for summer quarter aid that need to be processed quickly. You will need to make the department aware by stating on the top of the application that this is for the Summer Ecuador program. These are the 'unusual circumstances' that are talked about on the Financial Aid web page. http://www.foothill.edu/aid/

Scholarships

We will be offering $10,000 in scholarship money combined to all students coming on our Anthropology programs (Ireland and Ecuador). This is an unheard of fantastic amount. The applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of 2 anonymous professors here at Foothill. There are already two scholarships on the Foothill website -- check them out and some applications are due by Feb 21st -- so go there now! https://foothill.edu/financialaid/programs/scholarships.html

Details for more scholarships are going to be released very soon! I will let you know.

PASSPORT

We can't overemphasize this -- your passport is essential for travel to Ecuador, but you will not need a visa (they give you that when you arrive in country). Make sure it is up to date -- physically pick it up and check the date!

Optional Orientation Meetings

From what we can tell by looking at the list of students who have expressed an interest in the Foothill program you are spread out across the country, which means you are not required to attend a pre-departure orientation meeting. This is not a problem since we will spend plenty of time together in Ecuador getting ourselves oriented. Depending on where you are, however, there are a few orientation opportunities you should know about. Sam Connell will be meeting with students in the Bay Area and Chad Gifford with students in NYC. We also have veteran staff members living around the country and in Canada, so you should let us know where you live and we can try to match you with a staff member who could meet you informally to talk about the project. These meeting dates will be made in the Spring.

Project Resources Online

We have many online resources up and running, including our website: https://sites.google.com/view/pambamarca/home

In addition, our student staff members with lots of experience read the online posts on Facebook regularly in case student questions come up. You will see that there are threads of prior conversations that you might find very helpful.

Contact Senior Staff Members who KNOW EVERYTHING -- FACEBOOK GROUP - SIGN UP

Our senior staff members in charge of student well-being will be reaching out to you. They are graduate students who have been coming to the project for years, and started out as students. We have set up a PRIVATE Facebook page for all years where students old and new can contact each other (join by requesting a membership), I call it the Student Interaction Group - Help/Questions/Fun We intend this group to be the place where people suggest traveling tips, plane flights, and generally everything to help out your guys coming to Ecuador. The Project has a main Facebook page presence as well here… Main Facebook Page

Airline Travel: Purchasing Tickets

We have found that ticket prices can be cheaper mid-week, enough to make it a good possibility for you to come to Ecuador a few days early. If you do come early there is plenty to do in Quito, you probably know that it is a big tourist hub with plenty of sites to see, places to stay in all price ranges, and great food to eat. Remember, we are not going to be available for pick-up until Aug 4th! There are easy ways to get to Quito and for that matter our home base in Cangahua via taxi. You are welcome to arrive in the late evening on Saturday so that you get the full Sunday experience in Cangahua which will be having a major festival on Sunday Aug 4th. We will arrange a van for pickup at the airport on Saturday evening which will take you directly to Cangahua where we stay and there will be a bed for you, however, we are not ‘responsible’ for you until Sunday August 4th when the program officially begins. Whether you come early or leave late, we leave that up to you, but please know that we are only responsible for you on and between the project dates.

You will definitely want to leave some free time at the end of the trip to travel. Many students in past years have taken the opportunity to travel in Ecuador and Peru following the field school, because after all you are in Ecuador.

Once you have purchased your airline tickets to arrive in Quito please email your full itinerary directly to us so that we know when to expect you.

Again, please make sure that your PASSPORT is up to date. Passport applications are taking up to 12 weeks to process and the expedited process is taking longer than previous years.

Traveler’s Insurance

We are requiring that you purchase short-term travelers insurance. Which is an important supplement to your regular health insurance. There are a number of vendors, such as www.eglobalhealth.com where we see quotes for $60.00 which covers up to $1,000,000.00 for the month of August for example. You will need to provide documentation of insurance at a later date.

Do you have to know Spanish?

Certainly you do not need to know the language to be a part of the program. Everyone is speaking Spanish all the time, and if you know a little, you will end up knowing more. We put together a thing called Pequenas Guias which pairs little kids with you so that you can hang out with them, meet their families, play video games, whatever you want to do. They practice english and you practice spanish. It works out amazingly.

To Sum Up

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to send us an email or give us a call. We are excited to meet you and stay in touch as you make your plans. For me personally, I am excited to return to Ecuador to continue our research on the Inca. This year will be one of our best because we’ve taken a three year break and everyone will be excited to have us return. The students who I know already are all great people while the archaeology and community service work should be special. I know this will be an excellent season.

Staying in Cangahua in the Casa Comunal versus the Hacienda Guachala

Several ‘mature’ students have expressed interest in staying at the Hacienda Guachalá for two weeks. The Hacienda Guachala has decided not to give us a price break and will be charging us the going rates that you can find online. My guess is that you can get by for around 50$/ day maybe less. Because we offer this experience at such low prices and most other costs have risen in the past few years, we will simply not have the funds to cover more than 20% of your food/housing costs at that Hacienda (10$/day). What this means is that I have to ask that you pay for your stay at the hacienda as a guest, and then I can independently arrange to subtract this amount (10$x30 = $300) from your final cost.

I hope that this email is helpful, and there will certainly be more upcoming. Stay in touch! If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to ask.

Best,

Sam Connell