Field Trips and Other Info...

Living
It was interesting camping with about 14 other people for five weeks, especially when the closest bathroom is a 5 minute walk away and it’s a really long hike to the shower, which we all shared. We see each other 24/ 7, so I’m very attached to my little two person tent. We usually got the weekends off of working and went on field trips, which I also really enjoyed.

Chimayo
Our first field trip was to Chimayo, where we were going to watch pilgrims enter in the city and have mass, however we arrived too late and only watched a portion of the mass. They have the spiciest chilies there. I could barley eat the Frito pie. We also went into the church, where there is bottomless pit of holy dirt. They have a whole room dedicated to the miracles that have occurred because of the dirt. There are crutches hanging off of the walls and pictures of people every where throughout the room. Outside there were also beautiful arts and craft tables.

Ojo Caliente
The following weekend we drove to Ojo Caliente and learned how to make pottery using micaceous clay. Some stayed there in the evening to participate in a sweat lodge. I heard it was an intense experience. I would have liked to stay, but I already felt dehydrated. We worked on our pots at the fort for several hours every few days. Spending so much time working on that one pot made me really appreciate people who make pottery for a living, and realize how much time and work it takes to make ceramics. I was extremely nervous the entire day when we fired the pots. All the popping from the pots in the fire sounded horrific. I saw mine crack a little, but I’m glad it didn’t spall like some of the others. Luckily, everyone’s pot made it through.


San Juan Pueblo
We went to the San Juan Pueblo while they were having a feast day. We saw several dances in the pueblo, including corn dances and a buffalo dance. I thought it was interesting how it was the same day as a Catholic holy day. In the churches and other homes of people we’ve visited I can see how these two traditions have merged with each other, not completely wiping the other out.

Chaco Canyon
Last weekend we went to Coronado and Chaco Canyon. It was our only overnight field trip. The first day we went to Coronado (just north of Albuquerque) and saw a pueblo where people no longer live. Archaeologists uncovered layers and layers of artwork in the kivas there in the 1930’s, which we were privileged to look at. I was disappointed, though, to find out that the archaeologists rebuilt the pueblo using Spanish adobe bricks. The first night we stayed in a beautiful campsite. Although it was really sandy it was only a few minute walk to the Rio Grande. We watched some fireworks, which lasted for about an hour. It was a new experience for me to sleep with several other people in an eight person tent. Both nights we camped the view was amazing, but the bright, full moon blocked the view of the stars.
The next day we saw an active pueblo on top of a mesa at Sky City. It was scary being that close to the edge of a cliff, but the view was amazing. The tour guide would even talk about people throwing each other off the face of the cliff and having the children, who could walk up and down the rock staircase, bring water up to the city.
The second night we camped at Chaco Canyon. I was happy because I got a little bit more sleep than the first night, but I was not happy when the stupid crows were howling at 6:30 am for around 15 minutes. When I walked out of the tent and already wide awake they had already flown away. That morning several people decided to go on a 5 mile hike. I knew I couldn’t make it, especially since it was so late in the morning and the high was supposed to be around 99 degrees. I stayed in the canyon with a few other people and our teacher. We walked around to the nearby ruins, saw several petroglyphs and axe markings in-between them, and learned about all the different types of architecture. It was amazing seeing all the different styles of pueblos and the wide range of them during this entire weekend.
I really enjoyed the trip, but I wasn’t really fond of all the driving. When we came back I was a little sick. I don’t know if it’s because of being car sick or having altitude sickness again. The altitude sickness, if it was that, was worse then it was when I first arrived in Taos at the beginning of June.