WEDNESDAY
SEPTEMBER 19, 2012
This morning at 8:30 AM, we were fortunate to board
vehicle number one with David as our Driver/Guide
to see MONUMENT VALLEY which is a Navajo Tribal Park,
"a 30,000 acre preserve established in 1958,
and located on the border of Arizona and Utah,
within the 16 million acre Navajo Reservation. "
Per the brochure we were given.
They rode in trucks with Open sides and bench seats like
kids would have in a school bus.
The temperature this morning was
already up to 75 degrees, but those
of us who had brought jackets with hoods
were quick to use the hoods as we got in motion
on US Hwy 163 South to the private Navajo Tribal Park.
We soon understood the need for this
vehicle type of "all terrain" truck,
in that we were traveling on sand, rock slabs,
and time worn paths,
that we would not think of as roads at all.
This is one of the three matching vehicles we rode in.
Our first stop was to experience
a HOGAN, which was constructed of
juniper and cedar logs, in a hexagon shape.
The exterior has a dome shape, and
is considered female.
They are held together
without the use of nails or studs.
The pointed Hogans are male.
Bark removed from the logs,
is later used as filler between the logs,
and then mud is mounded on top to finish
the rounded dome.
The home we were in was approximately 25 years old.
It is held together by gravity and the weight
of the logs and the sand-mud.
While our Driver/Guide David
told us about the Hogan structure,
Lucy demonstrated the carding of wool,
and hand twisting to remove lumps
and seeds to create a strand of yarn.
Notice the beautiful silver and turquoise jewelry
she is wearing.
These are some of Lucy's creations.
The dyes for the wool are from
native plants. Thus the colors
of brown, grey, black and white.
Looking to the ceiling
helps you to see the Hexagon shape.
As our morning progressed,
David as the leader of our Safari,
stopped for several photo ops.
Honeymoon Arch was
a challenge for some
of our party. You can see
at least six on the top of the Arch,
and many made it to the area
under the arch. I stayed
below and got this photo,
and felt much safer.
This formation was called
Skull Arch
Pictograph
Pictograph
Mike, one of our Drivers,
Drummed and Sang,
and then led us in several
dances accompanied by
his Drumming and Chanting,
before our lunch.
Our day concluded as we
drove out of the Monument Valley
Navajo Tribal Park,
with the surprise sighting of wild horses.
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