Day Ten:

Today is Monday and another beautiful day for traveling. We are headed to Taos New Mexico to visit the pueblo community. This community is considered one of the oldest inhabited communities in the United States today. Here, the people still practice their culture, religion, and traditions. The Native language is Tiwa, which is not written or recorded and never will be. Details of their traditions are sacred, and will never be revealed outside of their tribe. Each generation passes the information on down orally. Life in Taos is the same as it was thousands of years ago. The buildings are made of mud and straw and are maintained with the same mixture. Outdoor ovens are still used, they are dome like structures heated up with fire. When the fire dies out the ashes are removed. Stone walls retain the heat of 350 degrees, for baking bread and cookies. There is a large Kiva to one side used for ceremonial gatherings. We have seen in many of these as we visited these ancient sites on our tours. The design reveals that there were intelligent people, using what they had for their exact purpose. Entering from the roof and down the ladder represents returning from mother earth to cap on where they came from. A fire was lit in the middle with smoke going up and out. To the side was a window for air to enter, with a small wall in front venting the draft from extinguishing the fire. From what we have learned from listing to the many tribes of the native Americans, is they all honor and respect mother earth and father sky. They do not take all that nature provides for granite. In their beliefs, we are all connected to nature, all creatures, and to each other. I(Patty) love this concept of such respect. I think that it is commendable and respect them in return. Another interesting tradition that i learned today was how very important it is to teach their children to respect their elders. Children who misbehave in school bring disgrace and shame to the parents. The tribe council orders parents to attend school with their child for either a day, week, and sometimes months. Besides their own tradition, traditional religion is around 98% Catholicism. They have a little church named St. Gerome. Statues and other artworks date back to the Spanish presences. The Virgin mother is revered and honored. She also represents mother earth in which it all comes from. Next to her is Jesus her son and other spiritual statues. Woman of the community change the colors of their clothes representing the seasons. Pink for spring, blue for summer, yellow for fall, and white for winter, and for the Easter season it is violet. The Korbels and the frames for the 14 stations of the cross are all hand carved. The people in the peaceful mountain desert region are forever grateful to the Great Creator for all they have.

With the sun still shining we bored the van and began our drive to Santa Fe, New Mexico. We arrived and find a quaint little town with a splendid mixture of old and new. We walk around taking in all the beautiful scenery. There is a lot of "look here" and " look there" and cameras clicking away. As we continue walking we find the center green. It is a lovely little park surrounded by many stores. Here gathered are a variety of people, young, old, rich homeless, and tourists. We keep walking and see that many of the buildings have the same architectural design as depicted in the old western movies. There are many shops and restaurants along the way. Some are novelty stores filled with items that us tourist want and need for family, friends and ourselves. These little treasures will help us remember all the nuances of these special days and special days. Our shopping continued for the rest of the day. As we walk we look in the windows admiring and wishing for the amazing objects. We walked down the street making our way to the Loretto Chapel. This beautiful little church has a beautiful story that goes with it. The story is about some nuns who had the chapel built, but forgot about the stairs getting them up to the choir loft. After consulting with many carpenters, they were told the same reasons, not enough room and just simply cannot be done. The sisters began to pray to St. Joseph, the ultimate Carpenter. After many weeks of continuous praying, an old man road up on a donkey with only a small tool box, he assured them that he could build a stair case. He had only one request and that was to be left alone. The Sisters agreed and soon they had a spiral stair case indescribable to the people. The structure of the stairs used no nails or glue. The old man on his donkey left as mysteriously has be appeared. The sisters never did get his name or where he was from. This led them and many others to believe that it was him St. Joseph himself who came to Santa Fe to answer their prayers. This is the story of the sisters in the Loretto Chapel and the Miraculous staircase. We left and went on our way walking to the van each with their own thoughts. I Patty especially love this story. Once on the van the conversation picked up but with a very low key tone. We had just finished what was the most amazing and exciting adventure we could have imagined. To Mr. Bryson and Ms. Brannon, what else could we say but thanks!

Day Nine:

Not knowing what to expect we all pulled up to Bandelier National Park entrance, what followed was several miles of winding mountainous roads. We soon arrived at the visitor center/ gift shop, and had a good lunch. We had a knowledgeable guide(Cheryl) who was a full time park ranger who travels to different national parks. Cheryl led us along paths in the park. She explained many things, one example being the Yucca plant, which was used for threat, baskets, and soap made from the roots. The path eventually lead us to the ruins of the Anasazi tribe. The ruins show the outline of a round village structure. Our guide explained to us everyday life of the Natives and told us that the only two domestic animals within these confines were dogs and turkeys. We continued beyond the village and climbed up the mountain side. Built into the side of the mountains were hollowed out areas that contain cave dwellings. We climbed ladders to photograph each other among the tall rocks and glimpse inside the homes of the Anasazi Indians. The dusty trail continued along side the stream , pinion trees, cottonwood trees, and the Ponderosa Pines. We arrived at the 140 foot cliff and a series of ladders that weave their way up the side of the cliff to the Alcove house. Alcove house was once a thriving community of the Anasazi tribe. They lived there for about 400 years and no one knew exactly why they left, though a few theories have been documented such as the 25 year drought that they believe may have driven out several tribes in the region. After our long climb back down the ladder, we followed the trail that led to more ruins that were carved and built into the cliff side. There we were allowed to enter the caves and roam around. We sat down in the cave and imagined what it would be like to live there hundreds of years ago. We all felt as if it were one of the best days on this trip so far.

Day Eight:

Today we all packed up our things and headed out to the Aztec Ruins. Just a few minutes away from the hotel we were amazed by how close the ruins where to peoples houses. Once inside we were able to watch a short documentary and walk through the museum. One model we saw was of the archaeological layers of the remains from the Anasazi people; It was titled "Aztec Trash". Within the layers of earth remnants of clothing, pottery, tools, weapons, and food were found. Seeing these items we cannot help to think what future archaeologist may find within our lifetime. Chip bags, milk cartons, and cigarette butts? We were also able to walk into a Kiva where our guide talked about the history of the ancestral people. After the lecture we were able to walk around and explore the buildings where 50,000 people once lived. It is very impressing with how well the buildings have withheld weathering throughout the years.

After we left the Aztec Ruins we visited Durango, Colorado. Durango was established in 1880 as a midway stop for the Rio Grand railroad, between Silverton and the far west. We saw many historical sites such as the Strater Hotel and Diamond Bell Saloon. We ate lunch at " Old Tymer's Cafe" where their slogan remains, "We cheat tourists and drunks." The slogan dates back to a time when the place was a hardware store, and is still displayed today as a restaurant.

The town is cradled amongst beautiful mountains that tower high above the buildings making the scenery one of the most amazing towns we have seen so far. We lingered in many of the shops along main street in hopes to capture that perfect souvenir for ourselves or a loved one back at home. We loaded back up in the van and headed to the hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Day Seven:

Today we went to Mesa Verde and the Four Corners (New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado). Mesa Verde is one of the highest points of elevation that we have been to yet, 8500 feet above sea level. We hiked down to the Spruce Tree House were we were able to experience something very unique; we climbed down a ladder into a Kiva, which the Anasazi considered a place of worship and held their ceremonies there. The Pueblo peoples considered Spruce Tree House to be their ancestral home. We enjoyed the cultural experience there. After we left Mesa Verde we went to the Four Corners where the four states connect. Who said you couldn't be in more than one place at a time? We were in four! We got to experience some real authentic Navajo food called Fry Bread, in which they shared with us a few recipes. We were able to speak with some of the Natives and hear their stories, while others were able to speak with bikers who were Vietnam Veterans from Australia. Another thing we saw in the Four Corners were some Native Americans who just arrived after walking 20 miles for health and unity. We enjoyed our day hopping from state to state.

Day six

Today we had a surprise waiting for us at the Navajo Prep School. At the Navajo Prep School we learned many different cultural histories. When we arrived at the school they had two student guides (Armando and Ana) waiting for us to tell us about the school. We went into the Student Success building and we were greeted by their singing group. When spent the day with some students and visited in some classes. The school was very laid back and the community was peaceful.

The three classrooms that we visited helped us learn as if we were the student. We sat in their english, history, and culture class. For lunch we sat around the Hogan and enjoyed the meal that the Navajo students prepared for us. It was a great experience to taste the food of a different culture. After we ate lunch, Armando sat in the Hogan and took it upon himself to sing to us. To hear a young man such as Armando sing to us for safe travels, was such an impact on all of us.

At the end of the day we were all privileged to be there and spend time with the students of the Navajo School. On our way out of the Navajo Prep School we gathered in the courtyard, and were blessed to hear Armando sing us another song in his native language. To say the least, we appreciate the opportunity to spend the day with another culture and will keep this with us for the rest of our lives.

Day Five:

We hope that our last entry was entertaining. Today we had a scenic drive through Colorado. We visited Monument Valley in Utah. There were different mountains along the way that look like sculptures along the way and we took a lot of picture.

We continued on the canyon lands and saw the news paper wall. After all the hundreds of pictures, the group went for a walk and found ourselves in Roadside Ruins. This would not have been accomplished if it was not for Mr. Bryson and Mrs. Brannon driving those many hours.

Day Four: Extreme Dream Hiking Team

We wish we can describe into detail the beauty of the canyon today, but it was breathtaking. As we started down the arduous decent into the canyon what unfolded before us was what some of our fellow hikers described as paradise.
When we reached the valley, we looked around and saw the cliffs of rock surrounding us, and the green fields where natives spend summers farming, staying in Hogans and tending their farms and live stock. We explored the valley of the canyon and viewed cliff dwellings, pictoglyphs, ancient pueblos of the Anasazi, and sat for lunch while listening to our Native guides, Irene and Perry. She further educated us on the history of the Native Americans. Irene explained that another word for Navajo is Danai, which means human being as we are all part of the same group no matter what our skin color.
After lunch the hiking continued as we crisscrossed many streams. The water was cool, and a great relief to our aching feet. As we hiked, the canyon surrounded us giving us one beautiful scene after another. Around the water, we saw cotton wood trees, cattle, and horses running free. The cool running water had rocks, and few hidden surprises such as quick sand, we soon found out where not to walk. After we crisscrossed ten streams we finally arrived at the base of Bare Trail. The sight of this steep, striated canyon wall shocked all of us. Some of us who were brave and agile seemed to follow Perry without hesitation; these were Tim, Lucy, Robbie, Lena, Derek, Tina, Liz, and the instructors. Patty and Crystal were a little apprehensive. As the climb got steeper these two reacted strongly to the height of the mountain. As we made it half way up the mountain we looked back and saw Patty on her knees hugging the side of the mountain praying her rosary; we asked her if she was ok and she excitedly said her goodbyes to us all and said she was going to stay there and string beads and learn crafts.
The panic soon spread to Crystal as she reached about 300 feet up the side of the mountain when she too began trembling. She also began walking on hands and knees and her feet were shaking terribly. She realized a little late she too was afraid of heights for the first time ever. A fellow hiker spoke sternly to her about going around a sharp edge. Everyone pitched in and helped these two make it to the top. They will be forever grateful to the group. The best part about this is the laughing and the fun day that we had with each other.
In conclusion, we learned our definition of team work; 9 students, 2 instructors, and 1 tour guide hiking down 800 feet into Canyon De Chelly and 9 hours later hiking 600 feet up, we achieved our goals as one.

Day Three:

As we are winding down in Chinle, Arizona, we are reflecting on our day in the Acoma Pueblo nation. Today we went to Sky City, which is the oldest inhabited pueblo in the US. We learned many things about the different clans comprising the Acoma tribe including the hardships they endured in adjusting to their new life. The group was amazed at the San Esteban del rey Mission which has been in existence for nearly 2000 years. Inside the mission were photos that have stood the test of time but are starting to show their age. Outside the mission was the burial ground, the Acoma men built a wall around the top corner of the mesa and the women carried buckets of dirt from the valley floor until they had enough dirt for burial. As the need for more space arose the Acoma carried more dirt to start another layer. In total 4 layers were established as the final result of the burial grounds as they reached the level of the church. After the tour and the arduous hike down from the mesa, we all loaded back into the van and started on our 4 hour trip to Chinle, Arizona. We are tired and anticipating our big hike tomorrow.

Day Two:

Well here we go on our 2nd Day … Being in a twelve passenger van with 11 people, 22 bags of luggage, and 3 to a seat brings a new meaning to “ Love your neighbor!!!” This is our 31st hour of driving and we are just arriving to Albuquerque, New Mexico (YAY). Our bodies are now feeling excitement even with the cramps in our muscles. However, this experience with each other has been … priceless!!!!
We went through Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico today and the sights were beautiful. Being able to watch the land transform was amazing. We started with an area filled with trees and ended up with open space and flat land.
Even though we made a few stops, most of our time was spent in the van. Thanks to Ms. Brannon we were brought back to our childhood with Mad-Libs and I (Liz) introduced the “ABC Celebrity-Music Game” and “I Never.” Along with laughing and playing games, Lucy has put a new meaning to taking a nap, but who made the rule that a nap couldn’t last for two days :)
Being able to get to know everyone so far has been the best part and it is just the beginning. Please stay tuned to day to day updates with our journey to the Southwest!!!

South Western Trip 2008

Our First Night:

My name is Tina and I am one of the students who were chosen to experience life through the eyes of the Native Americans. This is the first blog of the trip, hopefully I will be able to post a new one every night so you will be able to feel as if you are here experiencing this trip with us.


So here we go, Ms. Brannon, Mr. Bryson, Crystal, Derek, Liz, Lena, Lucy, Patty, Robert, and (myself) Tina. (Tim is on his way and will meet up with us tomorrow) After half an hour of trying to figure out how we all can fit into the 12 passenger van we get on the road at 5:30 am May 3rd. For the next two weeks we will be traveling all around the SW. The plan is to travel 16 hours the first day and 12 hours the next. Together we will all learn about the Natives of this country and see how their life styles were over 10,000 years ago and they are living life today.

It is now 11:42 pm, we finally got to Clarksville, AR around 8:00pm. It was a fun ride where we all got to participate in fun games and learn new songs (thanks to Derek and Patty). Tomorrow we wake at 5:00am to finish our trip to Albuquerque, NM but not before we make a stop in TX where we will see some amazing art from a local artist.