Sunday, November 2, 2014

We've Arrived!!!

We're finally here.  Rick, Liz, Justin, and Ryan left DeKalb, Illinois, at 1130am on Saturday, November 1, and arrived in Iquique, Chile, ~300pm on Sunday, November 2.  The trip was long, but it went (fairly) smooth.  We met up with Sue Swanson in Santiago; however, Rick's clothes and Liz's research supplies didn't quite make it.  They should arrive in Iquique tomorrow...we'll see!  The weather here is mild with highs in the mid-70s and lows in the low-60s (Fahrenheit).

For our first night in Chile, we kept things simple...get familiar with our surroundings, eat, and rest.  We had dinner out at a local surf and turf cafe--the food was amazing.  Steaks, ceviche, fresh seafood, papas fritas, and Chilean malbec.  It was a good way to start the trip.

Tomorrow, we get a rental truck and gear up for the research.  In the meantime, here is a picture of the U.S.-based research team, clockwise from left: 
Dr. Ryan Pollyea - Assistant Professor of hydrogeology at Northern Illinois University, 
Ms. Elizabeth Olson - Ph.D. student at NIU specializing in stable isotope geochemistry and climate change, 
Dr. Sue Swanson - Professor of hydrogeology at Beloit College,
Mr. Richard Jayne - M.S. student at NIU specializing in basin-scale fluid flow and geostatistics, and 
Dr. Justin Dodd - Assistant Professor of stable isotope geochemistry at NIU.




For the LINCOLN LIONS:  Our trip yesterday started in Chicago.  Then we took airplanes to Miami (Florida), Santiago (Chile), and Iquique (Chile).  Ask Mrs. Phelps if she can show you a map of these places on your overhead screen.  What kind of animals do you think we'll see?  What kind of food do you think we'll eat?


2 comments:

  1. Here are the animals we think you will see:
    Camels, alligator, rattle snake, lizard, bear, anteater, ants, dinosaur bones, and a tiger.
    Here is what we think you'll eat:
    Lobster, quesadilla with fish not cheese, fish sticks, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets.

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  2. This is a great list!!! Here is what we have seen so far:
    Animals: lots of dogs & cats, llamas, dragonflies, wood-eating moths, sheep, small birds, and lizards. I'll post a picture of the lizard for you.
    Food: empanadas, steak, french fries, eggs, jelly & bread, pretzels, and potato chips...

    I'll let you know if we find any more animals or eat more interesting food!

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