MONUMENT VALLEY – this is one hell of a day pilgrim 

Tuesday – after the long, long, long journey yesterday, being caught in the most adventurous of storms, checking in to Gouldings Lodge late at night – and even being so tired, I manage to wake up early to see the sunrise over the monuments but there are still a few clouds around and cannot see much so decide to go back to bed.

Well, colour me so surprised – about an hour later Kylie is up and tells me to come outside and bring the cameras. The fact that Kylie is up so early is an earth shattering event in itself so with 3 cameras in hand – (I now have charge of the Advantix) I mosey on out to see and greet the day in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

The morning is fabulous and we have our own private cabin that is on the top level. We can still see over the roof of the main motel in front of us but the view of the Valley is stunning.

HOWEVER – – – behind our cabin there is a sheer wall of rock – about 300 metres high. That’s a rush let me tell you. It is incredible and I am so glad that I didn’t see it before we went to bed because I would have stayed awake all night just in case it fell on us!

After photos, movies and more photos we get ready for breakfast and decide what tour we are going to do. We decide the full day tour – 8 hours – is the go. This turns out to be a big mistake. But K&T head off to the restaurant and I go and book the tour. USD80.00 per person that includes a BBQ lunch and cowboy coffee!. Yee ha!

The lady in the reception area tells me that because we are doing that tour we have to check out before we go – so then I have to zoom back up to the restaurant and tell K&T the news. We have a relaxed brekkie albeit a bit rushed – nevertheless we still manage to admire the views not to mention the wonderful Navajo crafted water jug on our table!

It is really good to actually get a decent sized jug of water instead of those thimbles that most restaurants give you.

These jugs are hand crafted by the Navajo and we try and figure out a way to get this one out of the restaurant. We ask our waitress about the jug and she informs us that they are for sale at the Souvenir shop so we decide to go there before we pack up our belongings and check out.

Unfortunately we spend so much time in the shop we start to run late and decide that it would be a bit on the precarious side to get the jugs as then we would have to cart them all over the road trip and they could break.  So disappointed (but not undaunted as I have a plan to check them out on line when I get home) fed and watered we load up the car once again and move it to the car park.

Now a bit of info for you: above is a picture of the jug I purchased on line and that in itself is a saga.  When I returned home I could not see them on the website so an email sent and returned told me that we could buy them – and the lovely lady had even included photos of the jugs they had at that time.

So – I bought two as you do – one for Kylie and one for me and had them sent to Kylie’s house.  It was two years before I actually got to bring mine home as I did not trust the mail system and I preferred to collect it myself. How keen is that! Anyway, back to the story of this trip!

Our mode of transport for the tour is an open jeep type truck. I think this is going to be great – but K&T don’t look impressed. There are about 10 of us and after everyone deciding where they want to sit, we head off but unfortunately there is one (there has to be) loud mouthed woman who never shuts up.

We have a Navajo guide whose name is Don who tells us that our days journey will take us to all the famous landscapes in the valley and then to Mystery Valley (?) which is a mystery to us but more about that later! We have been given a map and I try to mark where we go but it is of no use.

It is very bumpy in the jeep and between that and having 3 cameras going flat out the map has to take a back seat. We have to be very careful of our cameras as the dust is very red and very, very fine so while we are not taking photos (which is not very often) we have to close the lenses and cover the camera.

I find the best way is to shove the cameras up my shirt and then whip them out at the appropriate time. But I digress – –

We all get excited when we see the entrance to the park and Don stops for us to take photos of the sign.   A guide who understands that we must have our Kodak moments – what a treasure!

Our first viewing stop is at the Navajo Visitors Centre where we get the most breath-taking views over The Valley.  All the places I have seen in the movies and books come to life and even standing here I cannot comprehend the vastness of this place that takes in three states – Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

I try to imagine what it was like when the only ones here were the native Americans. No noisy vehicles and their even noisier tourists, no ‘modern’ buildings and I am drifting into my own little world when – yep one of those noisy tourists starts up with the ‘take my photo here’  ‘isn’t this awesome’ etc, etc.  I rest my case!

From our vantage point I see the Left and Right Mittens (photo left) the quintessential Monument Valley photo if ever there was one. We stay here for a while to admire the scenery and also to enjoy the Visitor Centre Gift shop.

They have some incredible hand-made items.  Woven rugs which are brilliant but also cost a fortune.  Considering the time and effort that goes into making one of them I am not surprised at the price.  Lots of jewellery with silver and turquoise and the typical tourist items – magnets etc.

Back into the jeep  and we descend down the trail and into the valley floor.  More spectacular scenery – it is no wonder why the Navajo fought and still continue to fight for this land.

Our next stop is John Ford’s Point where Don explains about the movies that John Ford and John Wayne made here like Stagecoach and The Searchers.

That is very interesting but I would also like to hear more about the Native American history of the place and what they call the monuments.

Some touristy stuff is just ‘crass touristy’ – like some of the people that visit this place.

One of the large monuments is called ‘John Wayne’s boot’ and it really does look like a boot.

Further out on a point there is a Navajo sitting on a horse – a very touristy Kodak moment.

A bus load of Asian tourists (they are world wide) arrive and want to get too close or maybe they want to get on the horse so the authorities shoo them away.

But not to be undaunted they soon return and are once again shooed away.  What a hoot!

There are some stalls where the local Navajo (there are about 300 living in the park) sell jewellery they have made so I buy two necklaces (couldn’t decide which one I liked the best) and two bracelets. Really nice – silver and turquoise.

It is such a beautiful and desolate place and so full of the history of a very proud nation.  Our jeep travels well in the sand and we stop and see the Totem Pole where

Don tells us we can get out and stretch our legs a bit. I tell K & T to walk out into the sandy area so that I can take their photo and it is only on returning to the bus we are informed that there are many rattlesnakes in this area!

Here is me sans rattlesnakes but with the usual supply of cameras.  After we explore the area Don informs us that there is a tank of ice water on the back of the jeep in case we are thirsty – just the mere mention of ice water sends us all stampeding toward the back of the jeep.

Next up is the typical touristy thing to do, a visit to a Navajo house (called a Hogan).

HISTORY LESSON : A hogan is the primary traditional home of the Navajo people.   Other traditional structures include the summer shelter, the underground home, and the sweat house.

A hogan is usually round and cone-shaped, but they may also be square. A traditional hogan is made of wood and packed mud and earth in varying amounts, with the door facing east to welcome the rising sun for good wealth and fortune.  Today, while some older hogans are still used as dwellings and others are maintained for ceremonial purposes, new hogans are rarely intended as family dwellings.

Traditional structured hogans are also considered pioneers of energy efficient homes. Using packed mud against the entire wood structure, the home was kept cool by natural air ventilation and water sprinkled on the dirt ground inside. During the winter, the fireplace kept the inside warm for a long period of time and well into the night.

There are two Navajo ladies who show us how they clean the wool of their sheep and goats. Don explains how the Navajo used to live in these buildings and how things have changed to accommodate modern times – it really is very interesting.

He also explains that a Navajo does not cut their hair and the ladies show us how they brush their hair and tie it up, again very touristy. One of the ladies is 91 and she still rides a horse in the valley.

If we want to have our photo taken with her it is recommended that we make a donation.  Ever the tourist – I pay the dollar.

On the road again we stop the jeep and go for a short walk.  The photo below right shows the extremely narrow trail we have to walk – right against the rock!

There has been a rather large rainfall last night, and even though everything else so far is dry, this track has copped quite a bit and we have to dodge the huge water features.

I reckon if you fell into some of them you would be scraping off red mud for years to come – but then again it could be used as quite a good facial treatment.  I am sure that there are many women who would pay thousands for this – I am not one of them so I am very careful where I walk.

At the end of the trail as we come back to the truck is Eye Rock – or Eye of the Sun – depending on what you read or who you listen to.

There are markings around it that look like eyelashes, but I suspect it is where the rain has run down the sides.

We finally get back to the jeep – glad to report that no one has discovered the red mud baths – and then we head out to see more of this wonderful place.

There are some incredible rock formations or Natural Arches as Don says.

During this time we see Ear of the Wind.  Apparently when the wind blows it makes a very haunting sound.  Unfortunately no wind today – just heat and dust.

At every stop, Don inspects the formations to make sure that no untoward vandalism has taken place.  He invites us to join him in his walks but we decide to stay in the jeep with the ice water!

Getting back in the jeep – we move on – the first residents of the valley were the Anasazi or ‘ancient ones’. They built cliff dwellings, some of which we see this morning and some we will see later this afternoon.

After about 3 and a half hours of bumpy road, red dust and spectacular scenery we head back to Goulding’s to drop off the people who are not doing the full tour. We wish we were among them – it has been a l-o-n-g morning.

There are 5 of us left. A husband and wife (the woman mentioned above who never shuts her loud mouth) Kylie, Tyler and me!

On the way again – we head off to Mystery Valley which is in the opposite direction to where we were this morning. The trail is still bumpy, still dusty and still exciting, well, I think it is anyway.

About 35 minutes later we arrive at our picnic area where Don starts preparing our BBQ lunch.

We enjoy the shade of a few trees and behind us – yes, the customary 300 feet of sheer rock we have hamburgers (which are delicious), cookies, chips and lemonade and it is very relaxing to just laze there and look at the vivid blue sky and the views.

I was disappointed that we did not get the ‘Cowboy Coffee’ we were promised in the brochure but the cold drinks certainly made up for it.

After lunch we board the jeep again and head off to see more Anasazi ruins with ancient hand prints and drawings and more interesting rock formations.

We stop at Lonely Pine which is so named because there is a tiny tree growing out of the rock; Honeymoon Arch and more Anasazi ruins – Square Room which is built underneath an overhanging cliff.

There are so many wonderful natural arches in Monument Valley.

The Valley provides perhaps the most enduring and definitive images of the American West.

The isolated red mesas and buttes surrounded by empty, sandy desert have been filmed and photographed countless times over the years for movies, adverts and holiday brochures.

Because of this, the area seems quite familiar, even if we are on our first visit, but it is soon evident that the natural colors really are as bright and deep as those in all the pictures.

The valley is not a valley in the conventional sense.  When I say valley you think of mountains all around with the valley snaking through them.

This valley is rather a wide flat, sometimes desolate landscape, interrupted by the crumbling formations rising hundreds of feet into the air, the last remnants of the sandstone layers that once covered the entire region.

On the left is another interesting rock formation – Skull Rock.

About 4pm we head back to Gouldings – it has been a big day and we still have to drive to the Grand Canyon.

On the jeep ride back to our car we have a chance to wash off some of the red dust in a clear and clean water trough. It looks as if it is also used for horses but no matter it is cool and refreshing on our hands and arms.

We get back into the jeep and start for home but in a short time once again we are covered in red dust!

This is our last view of this incredible place.

When we get back to Gouldings where we thank our guide Don for a most interesting and informative day – he certainly was a treasure as I said.

We have a quick pit stop and again we try to get rid of some of the dust but it is everywhere and will just have to wait until we get to the Grand Canyon. After such a long day – we realise that the morning tour would have been the better option but too late now!  We get into our car and not long after leaving we are hit by another rain storm. Huge raindrops that hit the car with ferocious force.  Some of the landscapes that I wanted to see on this part of the drive are obscured by the rain but no matter. I take some video and hope for the best.

We arrive at our hotel – The Grand Canyon Holiday Inn Express – and there is no bar fridge as requested. So – yep – Kylie hits the phone and in her most persuasive manner talks to the Manager. A fridge soon appears at our door with profound apologies. Now that is sorted out we hit the shower and the water is like a red river heading towards to plughole. Needless to say we each spend quite a lengthy time in the shower.

After a refreshing break we then endeavour to clean all the dust out of our cameras so that we will be able to get nice clear pictures of the Grand Canyon tomorrow.

Highlight of the day: all of Monument Valley!