SUNDAY, 8/19

SUNDAY, 8/19:

      Up fairly early and into the Tribal Park. Found the “Wildcat Trail,” the only trail open to visitors in the Park.  Gave us a feeling of being up close and in amongst the monuments.  Very beautiful & stunning, even though the persistent haze/smoke that’s all thru this region was still somewhat there – but only enough to mar it . . . really only affects long-distance views, and even then not hugely.  The trail took us in a loop around the “West Mitten” formation, probably the best-known in the Valley.  So we were able to see the different colorations in different angles of the sun.

      Spent probably close to 4 hours on this 3.3 mile trail.  Mostly level, but desert sand the entire way (some places looser than others), so that made it slow-going at times.  But we didn’t mind – we were in no hurry.  And of course we stopped for pictures a lot.  Had the entire trail virtually to ourselves – met one guy on his way back shortly after we started out, and then another group just as we were finishing.  I hope that the group starting as we were finishing was prepared for the heat – it was between 11 & 11:30, and really starting to heat up!   Our shoes and the bottom few inches of Bill’s jeans were covered with the orange-red dust!

     Ate lunch at the restaurant affiliated with the Visitors’ Center & hotel.  It’s of course owned & run by Navajo people.  We were seated right away & told that our server would be right over . ..  but waited about 10 minutes, and no server.  There were only 2 or 3 other occupied tables besides ours – no one waiting on those tables either. Finally, Bill said something to the bus-boy who served us water.  Almost immediately, a woman came over who apologized but acted like she didn’t know where our server was – on break??   She took our orders & said she’d turn it in right away.  I had the feeling she was a supervisor or manager. Extremely nice and solicitous.  The restaurant soon filled up, and it looked like she was the only one waiting on all the tables. 

    We’ve noticed this characteristic often within the Tribal Park . .  . a feeling that things are a little loose, casual, disorganized, unregulated . . . for instance, there were signs at the Visitors’ Center that talks were available on certain aspects of Navajo culture.  So Bill asked at the Information Desk where & when they’d be held, and was told that they were short-handed so wouldn’t be doing that during the weekend, but they’d be available starting Monday.  Not sure that would be the case even then.  Another example: when we entered the Park this morning, the young man at the entrance booth just took our money (cash only), and gave us no brochure, nor receipt, which we did receive Saturday.  Signs of a different culture.

     Anyway, we enjoyed our leisurely lunch . . . sat at the window overlooking the Valley, with a great view of the West & East Mitten formations, as well as other buttes & mesas.  Could see the tour jeeps & private vehicles on the road which we started on yesterday.  Some were going like a bat outta hell – drivers high on testosterone, no doubt, while others crept along like we did.

     Came back & read, rested.   Drove back in for our 5:30 (sunset) tour.  We chose Simpson Trailmasters to give us our guided tour, mostly on a recommendation in Fodor’s Tourbook, and from their website.  They present themselves as wanting to give guests who are interested more information & insight into the Navajo culture & way of life and what these rocks & the entire valley mean to those people, rather than just pointing out interesting rock formations.

     They were true to their word.  Our Navajo guide, Ira, was happy to share lots of stories, traditions, & explanations with us.  Bill especially asked him about various ceremonies, and Ira filled in where there were gaps in his knowledge.

     We started out on the same route we tried on our own, as far as John Ford’s Point (the director who made John Wayne famous), where we stopped for several minutes and could get out, take pictures, look around, etc.  (We didn’t make it this far on our own.)  Were told that the very point on which we posed for our picture being taken was where they positioned a Jeep for an ad (can’t remember if TV or magazine – I think TV).  Also was shown at the end of the film “WindTalkers” (about the Navajo Code Talkers).

      Then, instead of completing the loop that’s on the public self-guided tour road open to everyone, we went into the “back country,” or restricted area (must have a Navajo guide with you).  As we got into the back country, we saw phenomenal scenery. Huge alcoves scoured out of the sandstone rock, graceful arches carved in the rock, plus Anasazi petroglyphs, pictographs in the rock.  And always the vast open sky, even if somewhat cloudy tonite.

     A special treat:  while we were resting in one of the huge alcoves & looking at the imagined natural carved figures above, Ira played his Navajo flute for us, and a female guide from a parallel tour group sang in her native language.  Quite lovely. 

     We continued on & made a couple more stops where we could meander about, and then made a stop where we let out the rest of our passengers:  one family from Upstate New York and one from Paris.  They were all spending the night in a Hogan, preceded by dinner prepared outdoors by the tour company, and special Navajo entertainment.  Can’t imagine how much that cost, especially since both families had 3 kids each!  Was fun to hear the 3 French little girls chattering away in French. But we’ve gotten very used to hearing foreign languages spoken here.  Lots of German, French, Japanese . . . have also heard Spanish & Italian.  English is definitely a minority language here!  I’d guess that 80% of European tourists who visit the U.S. want to see the Southwest – because it’s so dramatically different than anything they have there . . . plus the whole Western cowboy aura.  

       So Ira continued back with us.  We just enjoyed the scenery & the nice temperature and again hearing his answers to our questions.  We asked if there was much bitterness towards the Gouldings & other Anglos, who changed things so much for the natives living here.  His answer was that the Navajo had always survived by adapting, from the time they came over from Asia on the Siberian land bridge.  Even so, you could sense the underlying sense of loss of what life in this area used to be like for his people. For instance, the entire valley floor itself was sacred, because that’s where the formations signified sacred acts of the spirits, where sacred herbs & medicine were found, where prayers were offered, etc.  Only Shaman & holy men were allowed down the valley floor – the rest of the Navajo lived on the mesas above.  But Goulding & others like him persuaded the ruling elders that it was ok for people to inhabit the valley floor and for others to visit it, by sweetening the deal with money.  So we see the almighty $$ at work in every culture.

    He also shared with us that the Navajo have their own names (as well as spiritual significance) for these monuments, not the ones the Anglos gave them.  For example, the “Three Sisters” formation (a nun teaching her 2 students) was so named by the Franciscans.  But the Navajo name it, “Sun, Earth, Moon,” with the smaller, middle spire depicting Earth.  Among other reasons the middle spire was identified as Earth is because there is a bear on the upper left side climbing on the top of it.   Sure enough – you can see it!

    The last 10 minutes, Ira was going at full throttle over those ruts & bumps.  I had to keep my eyes closed most of the time, to keep dust from getting in my contacts.  It was mostly dark by then anyway, so I didn’t miss much.  But I still felt it plenty – lurching out of my seat, both of us being thrown sideways . . .! 

     First thing we both did when we got home was to take a shower – felt as if we had red dust in every pore in our bodies!  But it was so worth it – spectacular desert scenery at its best, and a lot of added knowledge and understanding.