10-06-09

The Grand Canyon was fairly busy even in October. People from all over the world were excited to be there and see firsthand what makes the canyon grand. It is indeed incomprehensibly large. Even standing there looking at it in person it’s hard to fathom just how vast of a distance it is.
A woman from Asia joked to me while watching here husband and sons lingering close to the edge, “Get grown men here and they run around like children, I thought I had two boys, I have three”.
I spent all morning and part of the afternoon hiking and simply gazing at Earth and all her splendor. I felt truly blessed just to be alive and to live and breathe.
I drove to Wupatki National Monument. Honestly I wasn’t sure at all what it was, but it was on my way and my National Park Pass would cover the entry fee.
It was a quiet desert prairie. There were a few travelers there, but it had a much more natural feel than the touristy Grand Canyon.
I pulled into the first sight, the Box Canyon Dwellings and read the information. Wupatki National Monument protects 800 year old dwellings of puebloan people. I walked the trail to the remains of two pueblos. I was amazed that these structures were still somewhat in tact after 800 years. There were information signs that told of the people’s lifestyle and what the area was like when they lived there. Much of it remains a mystery.
It would have been a difficult environment to survive in. Water is very scarce and so are a lot of things that rely on water, such as food and fire wood. The scenery is stunningly gorgeous. I imagined what it would have been like to grow up there. I think it would have been wonderful to grow and play and gather food, not knowing what lied over the horizon. What animals, what places and people were out there? I can see why people of the past so easily believed in eccentric Gods, spirits and magic. It was such a wonderful place. I stayed until the sun began to set. I’m so glad I stopped.
I got back in the bus and headed for Interstate 40 to take east. I slept at a really nice rest area west of Flagstaff.