Day two

All I can say about today is WOW!!

It has been an amazing day which started out at the Hubbell Trading post, which is the oldest continuously operated trading post on the Navajo Nation Reservation.

This trading post had multiple rooms which included the jewelry room and the rug room. All the items in these two rooms were had crafted from the local Navajo people. 

Hand made Navajo rugs

Also at the trading post there were two hogan's, which are the traditional homes the Navajo live in. Not all Navajo live in these buildings anymore, but most still have one on their property and use them for ceremonies and such.

This hogan made of sticks and rustic branches weaved together is a male hogan. Women will not use this hogan.

This is a female hogan, which is used by both men and women. All hogan's doors are positioned to line up with the rising sun in the east. Most are constructed with eight sides and have a dirt floor along with a hole in the roof.  




Once we finished looking and shopping the real fun began!

We headed down into Canyon de Chelly for a off road guided tour. We found out that you cannot go into this canyon without a guide and that there still are about 75 families who still live in the canyon.

Entrance into Canyon de Chilly

Archeologist believe that this canyon has been lived in for close to 5000 years. The first inhabitants didn't build permanent homes, but remains of camps are found throughout the canyon. Later residents built houses and ceremonial sights up on the canyon ledges.

This was my first chance to see some cliff dwellings. It is such an astonishment to see what these people did. All the stones needed to be carried up to the ledges, which had to be an arduous task.

In this canyon there were cliff dwellings around every bend. According to our guides this is the first time in  over 10 years that there has been this much water on the canyon floor. Even though this canyon was carved from flowing water in years past, it is something that is not usually seen in current times.

White House Ruin

White House Ruin

Antelope House Ruin

Antelope House Ruin

I also got to see some great pictograph and petroglyphs

Pictograph's are when paint is used to make drawings on the rock surface.

Petoglyphs is when the drawings are carved or chiseled into the rock's surface.




Some more ancestral graffiti...

Just outside of Antelope House Ruin

Just outside of Antelope House Ruin

There were so many things to look at it was hard to know where to start!

Cat rock

Owl Rock

Interesting rock

Look at all the different levels of sandstone there are. You can see the where the water use to be million of years ago. 

 This was called the tunnel, or the martini because it is a hang over. It is a section of the canyon that you have to drive under to get to the White House Ruin.

The whole day was amazing and ended with a visit to spider rock at sunset.

Spider Rock