EagleMoon.net Journals

Journals: Week 10 (June 18-24, 2007)

[weeks 1-10] [weeks 11-20]

DAY 67: Thursday, June 21, 2007 (MESA VERDE, CO)

(Sunday)- It's Thursday as I'm writing this, and boy do I have some catching up to do with this journal!! We haven't written since Sunday morning~ and there's so much to share since then. Being that Sunday was Father's Day, Jonathan and I made a barrage of phone calls to our fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers and other fathers we know (my brother was celebrating his very first Father's Day as a new dad!). After all calls were made, and all Father's were wished a very happy day, we decided to tour a couple of museums since we had passes to get in for free.

First we headed inside the Museum of International Folk Art. This was a really neat museum- extremely colorful with all kinds of exhibits, including: miniature villages from all over the world, international masks, tin pop art, dolls, and a full feature exhibit about the international history of weaving and sewing, called "Needles and Pins". We learned how wool is spun into thread- fascinating!! Okay, so maybe this museum doesn't sound like an action thriller- but the next museum was really special.

We walked across the way to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture- this was a really amazing museum. This one began with a video presentation story of how the Native Americans of this region believe they were created. From deep within the center of the earth (the Grand Canyon), they arose out of the three levels (fire, ice and water) until they joined the plants and creatures above the surface into this fourth level of the earth. We explored exhibits of the Native American "Indian's" clothing, tools, jewelry, pottery, art work, language, etc. There were many videos of interviews with native people playing on TV screens all over the museum, so we got a personal idea of who the Navajo, Apache, Zuni, Anasazi, and other native people were previously, and are presently.

What really struck me most was how perfectly in sync with nature and the universe the native inhabitants of this land were, and how much was lost and destroyed by the arrival of the white man. This is obvious, I know, but to actually be in the places where these people once lived so harmoniously makes this fact stand out even more intensely. Here, amidst this region of the country, with glorious mountains, peaks, canyons, gorges, radiant sunsets, millions of stars, and an immense blue sky above, it is easy to feel connected to the earth and all of creation. And it is impossible not to sense the sadness and devastation of an entire nation of people who were forced off their land, forced to give up their language and their religious ceremonies and practices, forced to adopt a new religion, new names, and new ways of life- at the expense of so much that was precious to them. Even still, they have survived, and their ways have been handed down by their ancestors. Many still practice their ancient ceremonies and other aspects of their native way of life today.

In ancient days, every single thing had a meaning, a purpose, a song, a dance, a ritual, a story, and a prayer attached to it. And everything that was grown, hunted, weaved, worn, etc. was thanked for giving of itself so the people could use it to survive. Everything was cyclical, and the circle was sacred- thus the seasons, the ever-expanding universe, the round homes and circular paintings, pottery and so forth were a celebration of life and its comings and goings. This was a beautiful experience, and the trip to this museum will be one I carry with me forever.

Following our trip to the museums, we headed back to town for dinner with Mathew and Elizabeth. We ate New Mexican food at a tiny place called Maria's, well known for it's margaritas. Although we did not indulge in booze, we did indulge in beans! Delicious!! Afterward, we shared s'mores over the fire, and fell asleep under a dazzling star-lit sky.

(Monday)- This was basically a travel day for us. We took the minivan to a Hyundai dealership for a much needed oil change, then headed to Mesa Verde, CO to the Mesa Verde RV Resort about a half mile from the Mesa Verde National Park. We set up the tent and camped for the evening, planning to explore the Mesa Verde ruins the next day.

(Tuesday)- We did a LOT of resting and relaxing today, which was so great. We spent a lot of time out at the pool (the campground has a nice pool and two hot tubs!! This is really roughing it, just the way we like it!). We met a really nice man the previous night as we were outside checking our email- his name is Randy. Turns out Randy is a 3rd grade teacher from Macon, Georgia on a two week camping vacation. He told us a little bit about his life back in GA, and recommended some things to see in this area, since he'd been here over a week already. Randy told us about visiting a "twilight tour" of the Cliff Palace ruins, which would be held on Wednesday evening. We decided we would all go together.

Later that afternoon, Randy told us he would be going up to the mountain to see the Balcony House ruins, and invited us along. We happily agreed, and went on a very interesting tour. After driving the 20 miles to get to the top of the Mesa Verde National Park, we arrived at the Balcony House. The Balcony House ruins are a cliff dwelling that was built right into the side of a sandstone cliff, underneath a huge alcove. The tour led us up a 32 foot ladder (which made our teeth chatter and our knees knock pretty furiously) into two courtyards. Inside the courtyards were dwellings made out of clay brick and mortar, which have stood the test of time for over a thousand years. It took the cliff dwellers about 90 years to complete building their home, and they lived there for about 800 years before migrating south and integrating with the Hopi Indians. We learned how the people found and carried water, how they stored their food, and about their religious ceremonies practiced inside huge "ovens" called Kivas. This was a really amazing tour!

After the tour, we drove around and explored some more from the top of the mesa. Randy had been raving about a local Italian restaurant called Mama Ree's the next town over, so we headed there for dinner. The food was scrumptious, and the hospitality was the best! Mama Ree and De (our waitress) treated us just like family! It was a great day, and we were pretty pooped by the end of it. So we headed back to camp for the night and finished reading "The Alchemist." It was a great book- thanks so much, Erin!

(Wednesday)- Today we woke up at 7am to get an early start to a very full day. Jonathan and I decided to go back to the mesa to do some more exploring of the ruins. We got there around 10 (after a little grocery shopping to stock up on fruit and water) and headed to the Spruce Tree House. This is another cliff dwelling, which features two Kivas (one of which Jonathan and I were allowed to climb down inside). The Kivas were used mostly for religious ceremonies, and a few are still used today. We were allowed inside this particular Kiva because it does not have the Sipapu (small hole in the floor, which symbolizes the center of the earth, where the native people believe they emerged from in their creation story). The lack of this sacred detail means the average tourist (i.e., us!) is allowed inside. It was dark and pretty dusty in there, but spectacular nonetheless to be inside this ancient ceremonial oven. Very special!!

After visiting Spruce Tree House, we ventured out to hike a three-mile loop leading to ancient petroglyphs. It was a good thing we left early, because it wasn't too hot. Three miles up three hundred or so feet into the mountains feels a lot more like 10 miles. But we had a really good time stopping to read about the local vegetation, geological history and to take in the many breathtaking views of the canyon all around us. It took about 2 hours to get to the petroglyphs, which are carvings in the sandstone. These were really magnificent. The tour book explained the drawings as representing the multiple cliff dweller clans in the area, and their migrations to the mountains. We noticed engravings of people, deer, birds, hands, and my favorite: spiral symbols.

The spiral symbol is an ancient one, and means many things in many different cultures. To the Native American tribes, the center of the spiral symbolizes the origin of the people, and the outer circles represent the people's transition outward to a new area or region. The circle itself is sacred, and is often thought of as protective. Spirals can also represent the ever expanding universe, as well as the infinite internal journey of self-introspection. I learned on a trip to Greece once that the spiral represents eternal life, as it symbolizes a coiled snake. Pre-Christianity, the snake was considered sacred, and the fact that it could go into the underworld and come back up to the surface signified its death and resurrection- thus the snake represented eternal life! Anyway, I digress.

The petroglyphs were a sweet reward, making the hike well worth our effort. Jonathan and I joked about three miles being our limit with hikes like this (although I think one mile is probably more like it in this altitude and heat- it actually got up to 103 degrees today!!). And yet at night, it gets very cold in the desert. Our first night here, it was only 32 degrees- our noses nearly froze in our tent that night!

We decided to head back to Mama Ree's for lunch after our hike- Randy had raved about the french fries. That sounded just right to us! When we got there, our buddy Randy was already there, coincidentally, having just finished his own lunch. He hung out with us as we ate, and filled us in some more about his very interesting life. Turns out Randy is quite the adventurer. He has been hang gliding, has traveled to Kenya and Tibet, and has even survived being shot three times by a home intruder! Randy told us about his family, his school where he teaches, and some of his students. He also filled us in on his unique perspective about life, having almost died after being shot. He really feels that life is too short not to live it to the fullest- he has even found forgiveness for the man who tried to kill him, although he admits this was no easy task.

We rested up a bit at the pool before getting ready for the second half of our adventure for the day. Around 5pm we headed back to the mesa for the Twilight Tour of the Cliff Palace ruins. We had a guide who was adept at impersonating Charlie Mason- not to be confused with Charles Manson!- who "discovered" Cliff Palace in the late eighteen hundreds. "Charlie" had us use our imaginations to pretend what it might have been like to discover this area way back when. We climbed down our "ropes" (metal steps) to the cliffs below (which took about five minutes. Charlie told us this would have taken about two and a half hours for the original explorers to climb down the steep cliff face with ropes, logs, and deft footing). It is amazing to think that the cliff dwellers actually lived in these cliff alcoves, with water being carried from nearby springs across very steep gorges, and crops being planted and harvested on the hot mesa tops. The only way in and out of these dwellings back then was up and down the steep cliff faces, using ropes, logs, and ladders. Thankfully, tourists can take the stairs.

The Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling of all the ruins in the mesa. It has many different rooms for sleeping and storage, one large courtyard, a pen for turkey vultures (that was used as a security system!), and four large Kivas. Since it was twilight and the sun was beginning to go down, we got a really nice view of the inside of the canyon at sunset. Listening carefully, we could hear the sounds that the original cliff dwellers probably heard at dusk (ravens and turkey vultures cawing, smaller birds chirping and the whistling wind). After an hour and a half tour, with "Charlie" filling us in about the history of the original explorers and their families, we headed back out of the mesa and back to camp for the night. It was a long, hot and fascinating day in Mesa Verde! We were exhausted, and ready for a good night's sleep.

We decided to stay one more day at the camp site, just to relax and catch up with some journaling, posting pictures, writing emails and post cards, and basically settling down after two days of exploring. So we'll be heading out to Utah on Friday. We hope you enjoy the pictures of this amazing place! We have been significantly touched by the natural beauty, the history of the people, and the amazing ruins. ~Elena

DAY 70: Sunday, June 24, 2007 (Gallup, NM)

Very quickly, since today we're actually on a schedule that has us movin' out in about 15 minutes. Several fortuitous events have occurred that have led us to Gallup, New Mexico today, and for the coming week. We left Mesa Verde Friday morning, not knowing whether we would be going to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon or to Bryce Canyon/Zion National Parks. We figured that when we hit the fork in the road where we'd need to make a decision, we would make that decision. We did, however, stop at the Four Corners National Monument, which happened to be on the way to both places. Long story short (and the full version will be written later), we met a man named Wayne who was heading up a "mission" to help build/repair houses in the second poorest county in the country, that of the Navajo Indian tribe in Gallup, New Mexico. Really long story short, he invited us to join him and his crew (i.e., a church group from Iowa, the Lutheran Church of Hope), and we took him up on his offer. We camped the night in Chinle, Arizona in a free campground at the Canyon de Chelly (pronounced "shay") National Monument that Friday night. On Saturday, we hiked into the canyon to see the White House ruins, and then headed for Gallup in the afternoon. There are about 50+ people here to help for the week, most from Iowa, a few from Tucson, Arizona. More details of how we got here will follow, but for now, that's the gist of why we're now in Gallup, NM. Until then... ~J

~~~~~~~~~~~

I have a little more time to write now. So here goes. Thursday night, I just want to mention that Randy, Elena, and I drove seven miles north of Mesa Verde to Cortez. We went to the Cortez Cultural Center where we saw some native Indian dancers, The Roach Family Dancers, including two grandparents and their grandson. The family has won many awards at national and international powwow dances, so it was a real treat for them to share their dancing with us. Elena and I even got out their when they called for the audience to come out and learn a few steps! Afterwards, we all went inside the center where a World War II veteran, Samuel F. Sandoval, 1st Marine Division (pictured on right) spoke of his experiences. This veteran was no ordinary veteran, though. He was a Navajo Code Talker, Navajo marines who were selected to create a code that could not be broken by the Japanese, who were apparently breaking every code prior to the Navajo Code. The Navajo language is difficult for non-Navajo people because it wasn't a written language; it was all oral. So they created this code that was never broken. The Navajo Code Talkers are "credited with saving countless lives and hastening the end of the war." The movie with Nicholas Cage, "Windtalkers" is about them (though I haven't seen it).

Anyway, as I mentioned above, we were at the Four Corners National Monument last Friday, waiting in line to stand on the actual corners where each of the four states (Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona) intersect. There is a platform just by this area where someone can stand and take a picture of you touching each part of the states-the only place in America where four states actually intersect. Just being the two of us, however, we had no one to take our picture. We thought we'd just ask someone on the platform to take our picture once we got to the front of the line. Just before it was our turn to play the tourist, a man comes up to us from behind and asks us if we have anyone to take our picture. No, we don't. He said he would take ours if we wouldn't mind taking his. Seems like a perfectly symbiotic outcome to me! So this is what we did.

After we took each other's picture, we made some small talk about what we were each doing there and our respective trips. Turns out that this man, Wayne, was on his way to lead his church group from Iowa in a "mission" to help a Navajo area located in Gallup, New Mexico. After getting a little more information, we parted ways. Elena and I talked about whether we would want to do something like that, thinking that if we wanted to, we could probably just ask Wayne if we could join him and his group. I mean, it's not like we had a specific appointment at the Grand Canyon or Zion National Park. They would still be there in a week if we decided to take a small detour. I should point out, as Elena did that day, that it was totally sunny with nary a cloud in the sky, getting as high as the low 100s, if not at least feeling that much! So we resigned ourselves to continuing on our journey as planned. But then...

We probably walked about 100 feet to the other side of the parking lot to look at getting a snow cone, when who do we see walking along the path? That's right- Wayne. It was then I simply asked him if he had a card, in case Elena and I were interested in helping out next year, if we were available. It was then that he simply asked us if we were interested in doing it this year! Turns out he just had a cancellation from a family of three, which meant he had one extra room available if we wanted to join the group. Would the story be even more interesting if one of those three people who cancelled at the last minute was named Jonathan?! Wayne was traveling in a small RV, so after Elena and I looked at each other like, "Maybe there's something to this thing, and we're supposed to be doing this now," we walked back to Wayne's RV as he gave us more information about their work: there were many projects to be tackled, like building a small library in a church, building porches on homes, fixing roofs, as well as more intensive home building projects like putting up sheetrock, insulation, electricity, etc. Despite all of the work needing to be done, Wayne emphasized that it was the relationships with the Navajo people that was most important, even if the projects weren't completed by the time the group was scheduled to leave next Friday. And despite this being a church mission project, it was no matter to Wayne that I'm Jewish, nor that Elena and I are not religious people. It was a no pressure sell as Wayne emphasized the experience and the service as the main objectives. He gave us a brief itinerary of the next few days, where the group would be meeting and when, as well as directions to the various places. We left Wayne telling him we'd talk it over and maybe we'd see him soon.

Wayne's plan, along with 15 or so other group members, was to spend the night in Chinle, Arizona, which is home to Canyon de Chelly, which is home to various ruins of people who lived many thousands of years ago (possibly as much as five thousand years ago). He would be parking his RV in the Cottonwood Campground, the free campsite just outside of the canyon, then heading to Gallup, New Mexico the next day (Saturday) to start planning for the week's work ahead. I should mention two "coincidences" here: Last Monday, my friend Dina, whom I worked with a bit many years ago at ING, sent me a short, one-line email, recommending we try to make it to Canyon de Chelly. Though she has not been, she's heard it was a neat place to visit. So now we meet this guy who's camping in this very place?! Okay, maybe only a minor coincidence. A little more background: I met Dina when I went on a business trip to Des Moines, Iowa, which is where Dina lives and works. And where is this mission group traveling from, all the way to Gallup, New Mexico? Des Moines, Iowa.

As you can see, Elena and I decided to join Wayne and his group, and we drove to Chinle, AZ and pitched our tent in the free campsite just outside of the canyon. We met Wayne by his RV as he was talking with Lynn, another project leader of the group who had ridden his motorcycle from Iowa. Before dinner, we sat a while just talking about this and that, as they each shared part of their life stories as our inquisitive selves inquired (you know, the good parts that had been life changing for each of them). We then had dinner with Wayne, Lynn, and 15 or so other members of this Iowa contingent at the Thunderbird Lodge Cafeteria, walking distance from our tent. Everyone was very nice (as you might imagine people on a mission would be). We started to get to know them, and they us.

We then had a not-so-fitful sleep as the light from the bathroom shone directly into our tent, and four wild dogs barked and howled most of the night. Waking up relatively early the next day, we decided to hike the only hike one can do into the canyon to see ruins (unless you take a paid tour that drives you all through the canyon, which many of the missioners did that day). After breakfast, we hiked down to see White House Ruin on the south rim of the canyon. Again, picture no clouds, sun blaring down, and temps up to the high 90s, if not low 100s. Though there's a nice breeze and cool in the shade (love that low to no humidity!), there was barely any shade as we walked along the mountain cliffs to the ruin. Of course, did we see the ruins right away, or did we pass them inadvertently and walk an extra 45 minutes into the canyon, which happens to be off limits to visitors who are not accompanied by a paid guide? Right. But we eventually saw the ruins and began our climb back up. This was probably a nice precursor to the Grand Canyon: easy to walk down, a tad more strenuous to walk up. But we did it. Hot, tired, and ready to move on, we had lunch and began our drive to Gallup, NM.

We stopped by the Hubble Trading Post, a national historic site, along the way per Wayne's recommendation, but I don't think we really appreciated its significance as we were so tired from our morning hike. Not spending a lot of time there, we drove to Gallup, NM, specifically Rehoboth Christian School in Churchrock. Turns out that more people showed up than dropped out, so Wayne got us a special deal: instead of tenting in their small campsite, we could use the Volunteer Lounge for the week. It doesn't have a bed, but we've got our inflatable mattress (thanks Lisa!) and sheer determination (which is helpful, though not necessarily relevant in this case!). It has plenty of room and, despite a few "interruptions" from some construction crew members who wanted to "lounge," it's very nice accommodations.

Today (Sunday), we went to church in Tohlakai, one of the Navajo towns at which we'll be doing work this week (the other is Church Rock). Didn't think I'd be going to church during our cross-country trip - who knew?! The pastor often switched from speaking English to Navajo at various times, which was very interesting and new. There were about 30 or so Navajo people in attendance, and about half of the Iowa group (the other half being at the Church Rock service). After the service, we had a cookout where we got to meet and eat with the Navajo people who stayed for lunch. (I haven't eaten red meat or chicken since 5/20-over a month!-and any other living thing since the following week. I almost caved today where cheeseburgers were the main course. Fortunately, Elena guided me to the veggie burger we had specifically brought for us. So the vegetarian streak continues!) I'm sure we'll be getting closer to the Navajo people this week as we begin to work with them on the various projects in their communities.

Being with this church group has been an interesting experience in itself. They are quite religious and spiritual, having morning and evening devotionals (short discussion groups on a selected topic, usually relating to a passage in the Bible). Everyone we've met has been extremely nice and welcoming to Elena and me, knowing we're not religious people (let alone me being Jewish!). Though their practices may seem like a bit much to me at times, their kindness and generosity, not only to us but to others as well, overshadow the things I might disagree with. I'm also struck by their camaraderie with each other, everyone willing to lend a hand to another in need, not just among the "needy," but among themselves as well. Getting to know many of them as individuals, they seem to be very down to earth, going through the same things as everyone else. Though I might not agree with everything they have to say, I can appreciate their beliefs.

What I might NOT appreciate is this crazy schedule they're planning for the next week: breakfast at 6:45?! What?! Those crazy Lutherans!!! Well, it's only for a week- not even... five days actually. If they can do it, we can do it, right Elena? Um, Elena?... hello? Are you still with me?! Anyway, we'll let you know how it goes. Until then... ~J

[weeks 1-10] [weeks 11-20]