Welcome Fuqua and Science Team!

We got another late start today this time due to minor mechanical problems with the van. We departed at 10:30am for Cenote Muchachos once again. Terrence refrained from diving today to await arrival of the Fuqua students and the remaining Cambrian team participants.

Team 1: Renee and Grant
Imagery was the mission for today. We decided to acquire our footage along Cindy’s Line out of Cenote Muchachos. Two full hours were spent setting up stills adjacent the beautiful formations. Karl made a decision not to dive to ensure a full recovery. However, he did come to the site to help transport equipment and gear up.

Team 2: Fuqua Participants
At three-thirty in the morning, eleven sleep deprived teenagers and chaperones departed from Fuqua School with one thought lingering on our minds. What have we gotten ourselves into?

When we students first heard about the opportunity to take a trip to Akumal, Mexico, what we thought was going to happen and what was really in store for us was a completely different story. After the first deposit was made, we all received a list of suggested vaccinations including typhoid, yellow fever, hepatitis A, B, C, and rabies. At that point, we realized that “spring break” was going to be a little different this year. After a grueling ropes course and several nerve-wracking meetings, the excitement and anticipation began to grow. We were all ready for the challenge.

March 20, 2004 finally came around; it was time for the journey to begin. After spending more than two hours on the Fuqua School Activity Bus, our group of travelers finally arrived at the airport in Raleigh, North Carolina. From Raleigh, our crowd made a connecting flight to Charlotte, North Carolina to their final destination, Cancun, Mexico. When we arrived at the airport, accompanied by our chaperones, it suddenly became clear to us that we were now the minority. Sticking out like sore thumbs, we made our way through the customs rituals of Mexico. After a couple of us were “randomly” searched, we were met by Amy Giannotti. We left the airport and climbed in a van headed for Akumal, Mexico.

When we arrived at the condominium at which we were staying, we were greeted by a spectacular staff and an amazing, upbeat organization of explorers. When we were shown our rooms, our breath was taken away by the picturesque scene that they overlooked. We are all aware that we have a lot of work ahead of us. Our days will be long and difficult, but on the other hand, we know we have received the glorious opportunity to take part in such a prestigious mission. We look forward to the challenges and the lessons we will learn from them.

Team 3: Amy, Artie, Bob
We awoke early and departed Miami at 8:00 am. The plane landed in Cancun at 8:40 am, and we waited for the Fuqua Team to arrive at 12:30. Once we were all in a herd, we drove down to Akumal to get acquainted with our new home for the week. From a research perspective, we hope to establish some baseline water quality data in the cenotes we’re exploring. Specifically, we’ll be measuring pH, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrate-nitrogen, and specific conductance, in addition to analyzing various water samples for fecal coliform counts.

Here with us on the Cambrian team is Bob Giguere from Orlando, Florida. Bob is an Emmy award winning Producer who co-founded both bGenesis, LLC and Equinox Documentaries, Inc. Bob has been learned to dive in Maine, so you as you might imagine he approaches his first dives in Mexico with great anticipation. While here, Bob will be producing a segment for the local PBS station in Virginia about the Fuqua students, their experiences here, and about their involvement with the project.

A huge thank you to Villas DeRosa who in addition to helping us explore the Yucatan Peninsula for years have helped by shouldering the logistical challenges of bringing a group of students to stay with them and participate in the expedition for a week. From Nancy at the top to the newest DeRosa team member, everyone has helped to make this once in a lifetime experience possible for the Fuqua students. Thank you from the entire team.

Tomorrow the students and science team will have a site inspection to prepare them for their expedition participation. They will travel to most of the cenotes we have found in Sistema Camilo. In the days ahead look for water quality testing and cave survey in a dry cave.

Team Members

• Artie Ahr
  
• Amy Giannotti
  
• Bob Giguere
  
• Grant Graves
  
• Renee Power
  
• Karl Shreeves
  
• Thecia Taylor
  
• Terrence Tysall
  

Fuqua Team

• Meg Barkley
  
• John Boswell
  
• Woody Dunkum
  
• Meagan Jones
  
• Brian Mackintosh
  
• Amanda Massie
  
• Josh Owen
  
• Annie Rudy
  
• Jeremy Wyatt
  
• Dora Bounds – teacher
  
• Shane Newcombe – teacher

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Send questions or comments to the trilobite.

Questions and Comments to the Trilobite

Great report! Especially liked the team member profile. Tell her I’ll
be glad to get her a rooster to assist in the morning wake-up calls when she gets back.

Bob

I think I can do without a rooster. Maybe a mocking bird or whippoorwill like the ones out of my window. More later.

T

I am personally posting a $1,000.00 donation (reward) payable to the Cambrian Foundation for the hair from Grants’ head! Seriously though, it sounds like you all are having a great time and I’m extremely jealous I’m not there to wilt in the jungle with you. Grant, happy to hear you are back on your feet. (I’m filling out my CF forms right now, going to see Potkin next week).
Be well, see you all soon!
Matthew A.
Good, it will be good to have you join us in the future. Get those forms done up and I will check them for you and get you to sit the exam. Then we can submit your paperwork. Good on ya. Yes, my hair, just cannot do a thing with it. The humidity, the heat, the ravages of the jungle and all the stress just has it a mess. LOL Please. Like I care about the hair.