Flashback 2: Wednesday

So Wednesday I was planning on going out into the field, but decided on Tuesday evening that I wouldn't have time to analyze all the data. So I stayed back and input lots of data (most people did this actually). Then, after those in the field finished up their work, we visited Fort San Lorenzo, a UNESCO world heritage site (also the ruins I mentioned in the picture from the canopy crane).

On the way there we drove into a clearing with some conglomeration of park offices. Someone came out and told us that the road was "broken." We all looked at each other and asked what that meant, and there was some talk of getting out of the bus if it was impassable. Then we reached the area in question and suddenly understood:

The "broken" road.

Apparently the rainy season can bring some pretty serious mudslides. Luckily, we were able to drive around on a dirt trail. Fort San Lorenzo was quite striking, though the ruins were in pretty poor condition. The fort was built in the 16th century to defend the mouth of the Chagres river, but it changed hands multiple times over the years.

The fort walls.

All the cannons were really quite impressive. Here are just a few.

One of several lines of cannons.

One of the cannons with a crest on it.

I also really enjoyed all the doorways.

And the stones themselves (and bricks interestingly interwoven, presumably due to the multiple building and rebuilding periods).

Then, after looking around we walked down the hill to a beach in a small cove where we swam for awhile. On a Wednesday. During class time. (But don't worry, Wednesday was followed by my 40-straight-waking-hours Thursday and Friday...)

The view from the northern fort wall looking out into the Caribbean
and the cove in which we swam.

So now I've pretty much caught up with myself. Tomorrow we embark on our next adventure: "Ecology and Epidemiology of Parasites and Infectious Diseases."