After a very long drive last night from Arizona through NM and arriving at 12:30 am in Cortez, CO -- we got some well deserved extra sleep this morning! But it couldn't be too late -- we had to get to Mesa Verde National Park!
What a gorgeous day to explore the cliff homes of the Ancestral Pueblo Indians -- some dating all the way back to 1000AD! The weather forecast had indicated the 104 degree range, but atop the mesa we were fortunate to have a cool 90 degrees! And a nice refreshing wind also helped!
These people are not called Anasazi anymore. That is a derogatory Navajo term meaning "enemy." So now they are called Ancient Puebloans. Several modern tribes claim to be related, especially the Utes. This statue at the new visitor center shows one of these ancient people scaling the cliffs.
Somewhat crazily, we opted to take a tour of one of the most famous cliff dwellings in the park-- Balcony House! In order to reach this particular space of antiquity, we had to follow a narrow path along the side of a sandstone cliff face with a 600 foot drop to our side. Then we had to climb a rickety 32 foot wooden ladder. The ancient people must've been very nimble and fearless!
Once we arrived at the ancient dwelling space, it was incredibly fascinating to see how these people lived over a thousand years ago. To have the knowledge and the ability to build such incredible dwellings of cut stone and mud mortar in these 800' cliffs is amazing! Bedrooms, storage areas, gathering space, and kivas -- round rooms dug into the cliff floor where people gathered for ceremonies and campfires, all still standing! The people who built these places were very successful, growing crops on the mesa top. But after about 80 years, a 30 year major drought hit the region and forced them to lands in Arizona.
After our hike, I naturally had to get in a bagpipe session!
After the tour, a huge rainstorm, a "monsoon," as they are called out here, hit! We watched the storm approach from an 8700' peak in Mesa Verde! Very intense to watch such a torrential amount of water cascade down over the lands far below while standing in dry sunshine! Not to mention watching the crazy lightning display!
But after the storm passed we were blessed with this magnificent rainbow!
Quite the eventful day! Tonight we are staying in Durango, CO! Such a fun and fascinating town! We are staying at the famous General Palmer Hotel from the 1890's Quite fancy with gaslamps and ornate wooden furniture, doilies and lace curtains. Plus a teddy bear on every bed!
Until tomorrow!
-JW & SW
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