Land of Enchantment continued

It was with renewed energy, and altitude acclimation, that Team Doria gathered post-wedding for sight-seeing.  The Los Alamos and White Rock area provided more opportunities to learn about the past than we had time or energy to see.  The cave dwellings of Tsankawi (sank-ah-WEE) were a perfect way for young and old to experience the lives lived by ancient Pueblo Indians during the 1400's AD. These villages remained occupied until the 16th century.

Traveling "en masse" proved to be remarkably easy with old Dorias helping young Dorias up ladders and over large boulders while young Dorias helped old over uneven ground.  I saw the circle of life unfolding before me in a most pleasant way.

Tsankawi is a detached portion of Bandelier Monument which can be accessed by road near White Rock.  A mile and 1/2 loop of undeveloped and unexcavated landscape revealed the homes of native people lived high on the mesa while tending their crop on the canyon floor below.  The lack of National Park personnel, a formal entrance fee, no gift shop and lack of visitors, made our self-guided tour a unique experience.

                                              A young cave dweller greeted us at a cave entrance.

         It was difficult to resist taking a few of the broken pottery pieces found along the side of the trail.

                                  Cave family, note the soot, evidence of fire used for cooking.

Passageways were worn to great depths by travel between caves.  We have become accustomed to "look but don't touch" as it pertains to antiquities.  For this reason, it seemed almost wrong that we were allowed to explore so freely such ancient ruins without oversight.

From White Rock we headed on the High Road to Taos.  On this, Good Friday, we were anxious to see the Santuario de Chimayo.  Sutton and Val were anxious to feel holy water on their feet, so with rods in truck, they headed on their own sacred pilgrimage, north to the "blue ribbon" trout waters of the San Juan River.

Handmade crosses line the path to the courtyard of El Santuario de Chimayo.  This Roman Cathoolic Church is an Historic Landmark and Shrine.  During Holy Week, it becomes the destination of thousands of people from all over the world.  It is seen as the most important pilgrimage site within the United States. As we wound our way on the road to Chimayo, we saw with our own eyes, folks carrying heavy crosses on their pilgrimage, still days away from the church.

 

Outside the sanctuary, there was time to enjoy tamales and frito pie.  It was here that I experienced an "awakening", embracing the hot tamale as my forever favorite food.

                                   These men chanted their way into the church carrying Jesus.

We were presented with the opportunity to purchase a variety of chili powders and crucifixes as well as engage in conversation with an interesting store clerk over the pit falls of Sarah Palin and the meaning of Bucky's t-shirt......No Su Dam.

The final days of being to together as a family were spent back in the mountains above Los Alamos.  Here we soaked in Jemez Hot Springs and walked once again looking for elk sheds.   At heart, we appear to be most comfortable in the hills.