At Harappa, without television, newspapers, or English radio - there is little to distract focus from archaeology. This provides an ideal working environment, linking the site, artifacts, and the people and lives that left these data. It also requires methods of `recharging my batteries' on Fridays [our 1 day off], or in the late afternoon.

After a month of work, I found it beneficial to survey the mounds, walk some in the countryside, or visit town. I could think about what I had been working on, have a time to try to link the many parts together to understand my trenches. After getting greeted and talked to all the locals, I normally would be happy to get back to work with it's peace and quiet.

On most walks I would spend time walking around the archaeological site, as it is a raised area above a flat, table-like plain. These walks produced the general site pictures in the `Photos' Harappa pages.

Other times I would walk along the paths and canals, among the fields which cover the countryside. The canal system is an intricate communal system, with each farmer contributing labor and upkeep to keep the canals working. They stretch for miles, filling to the ends before each farmer floods their fields in succession moving toward the water source.

Walking one day, I ran across one of my work crew out in his fields. Here he is next to his fields, with the canal full of water.

We walked for a while among his fields and enjoyed the pastoral view. We came into his village, where he showed me his cows and house. We had some chai, and enjoyed an enjoyable afternoon hour together. Walks in the countryside for me were wonderful, due to the lovely countryside and villages that are found everywhere. However, my idea of a peaceful stroll was countered by Pakistani hospitality. I would be strange and rude to skip out, even though I really wanted to get back to our camp to get things done. It gave me an opportunity to see Pakistani farming village life and understand life there better, a chance I'm glad I've had.

Inside the house, which were generally one large sleeping room and some back rooms [which I rarely saw]. The style of decoration was both intriguing and frightening. The propensity of wildly colorful posters combined with handmade or embroidered cloth and items made a strange disparity.

The houses were nice and cool, I was always very honored to be invited in. Each time I learned something further about real Pakistani life, as well as seeing a little more through our cultural differences.