A walk on the beach

While in Panama last summer, in the Northern islands of Bocas Del Torro, I decided to take a walk on the beach one afternoon. Heading away from the main street where over 50% of the population consisted of tourist, and walked West into more rural areas of the island. After walking for about 15 minutes I turned away from the shore and began walking up towards where I suspected the road to be. On the other side of a low rising wall I saw a vast cemetary. While slowly walking through I noted that the majority of the grave stones were very old and for the most part single interments. Along the far reaching wall closest to the sea there were a number of family monuments, most of which held four family members. Looking closer at these group monuments I realized that every single one of them had been broken into. The tallest of the group I was almost able to walk right into. Snuggling up against the cool stone I snuck a peak inside where to the left I could see the remains of a long ago individual who was missing many of their long bones. I can only assume that after this tomb was raided, animals were then able to scurry in and steal some treats of their own.
This left me wondering, while the larger family monuments are much more elaborate and beautiful, they therefore also atract the unwanted attention from raiders. So, is it better to be simple and safe when it comes to monuments or elaborate while it lasts??

How I Got Here

   Everybody has a past. Whether we choose to accept it or simply close our eyes and hide from it is another story. Some are haunted by the ghosts of skeletons hidden away in the dusty corners of their closets. They make us who we are by forcing us to react to their presence. Life, however, has a tricky way of making sure things don’t stay so clearly black and white. A murky mix of ash and charcoal are chaotically laid out on the path we walk to keep us on our toes. This fact fascinates me. I have a constant want to learn of past people and how they saw the world, hence my interest in the archaeology of the dead

As I’m sure it is for most people who are seduced by the nomadic lifestyle of the ever adventurous archaeologist; the root of their curiosity, passion, and want to find out as much about a past people or civilization can be summed into two words. On the tip of your tongue? Smooth, intelligent, courageous, and let’s face it, easy on the eyes... That’s right, the one and only Indiana Jones! I am not ashamed to say that the first moment when I realized I could do something amazing in this lifetime came to me during a jungle filled scene in an Indiana Jones film. Before you giggle to yourself that I’m a silly school girl with naive dreams, stay tuned to let me explain further....