Monday May, 30th
On Monday, we arrived at the home of Ruth Roessel, a Navajo elder. We greeted her, moved our things into a room in the house and then we were put to work. We were sent out back to the hogan (pronounced: HO-gahn), our sleeping quarters for the two nights of our stay on the reservation. We had three tasks: shake out all the rugs and check them for snakes, spiders and scorpions, sweep the dirt floor and spray it down with water to minimize the dust. After this was completed, we made our way back to the main house and started a game of “ghetto baseball.” I did not play as I went on a photo excursion around the inspiration filled property. My photo taking has become an illness as I have taken over 2,000 photos this trip. We had some time to our selves before we were called in for a traditional dinner of Navajo tacos. These may or may not be the most incredible food item one will ever eat. A Navajo taco consists of Indian frye bread, pinto beans, sauteed ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes and the works of a taco. We pigged out on these for a little while and then we started preparing for our first night in the hogan. Some of us showered, some of us didn’t. We got into our pajamas, brushed our teeth and gathered our flashlights and pillows and went out to the hogan. We spent some time outside waiting for it to get dark enough to see the stars. When the sky darkened, it came to life with a glittery sheen of millions of stars. I have never seen so many stars in my life. We craned our necks and watched satellites, planets and stars twinkle above us. As we were gazing up something caught a few of our eyes...a shooting star! How did we know that there was one? Mr. Hodgson’s (Nickname: Hodge) squeal of delight clued as all in. We were all so focused on his hysterical sound, and Ms. McGrover’s side stitch inducing laugh that only a few of us saw the second shooting star of the night. After a little while longer of star gazing, we headed of to bed in the hogan...which is a whole ‘nother blog post in itself.
Tuesday: May 31st- Jake’s Birthday
We were woken up early by the chilled morning Arizona air and the bright sun streaming through the windows of the hogan. We awoke with discomfort of being freezing, having a sore back, or not really having slept at all. We rolled out of our sleeping bags and made our trek to the main house. We were kindly greeted with a steaming plate of eggs, bacon and fried potatoes, generously prepared for us by Mrs. Roessel herself. Over breakfast, she explained to us how this is her special breakfast that she makes for her children when they visit her. After we stuffed our faces (for the umpteenth time on the trip) we showered and changed for the day. Our next activity was a short history lesson presented my Mrs. Roessel. We were educated about the Navajo calendar, the significance of the parts of a hogan and a mural with much symbolic meaning. We also had the privilege to learn how to count on Dine´. This skill was later used on the bus to do the “Count-Off.” Following this miniature history lesson, we had some time to our selves but what follows is amazing. We got to make our own frye bread! This delectable treat that we had been eating the whole trip was now ours to make. The group learned to make the dough, I accidentally napped through that (shhhh!), and we headed outside to the fire pit to cook the dough. We were doing well making patties to fry, with the exception of Mr. Hodgson whose dough got thrown in the dirt by Mrs. Roessel. We fried up our dough, doused them in sugar and went to work eating to our hearts content. Amazing. Delicious. The most incredible doughnut one will ever eat! We cleaned up this mess, and began to think about preparing dinner. I know you’re probably thinking, “What?! They’re going to eat again?” Oh yes, we were going to eat again. The guys took the job of starting a fire in the pit (an impressive one I must say) and the girls started laying out all the food. 26 burgers, 24 ribs, a whopping dish of salad, a platter of fruit and two birthday cakes later, we were all stuffed with food up to our ears. Feeling a wee bit guilty for our smorgasbord we started a game of “ghetto soccer.” Our goals were crafted from tires and fire wood and the sidelines were the electrical cords running to the hogan. It was a decent setup except for the massive red ant hill smack in the middle of the field. It was like playing soccer on an obstacle course. One with an obstacle that would leave you swollen, itchy and in pain if you didn’t avoid it. Nick Bilynsky, nicknamed “Billy Sky” by Master Hodge, is an amazing soccer player and really shows the ball its place. After our game, we prepared for bed and headed to the hogan. We were highly entertained by Jake’s amazing guitar skills and Chris’s singing and humor. Post mini concert, we all collapsed into our sleeping bags.
Wednesday: June 1st
Gasoline to drive to Chinle: $40
Entry fee to the park: $50
Two cases of water: $10
Experiencing the Canyon de Chelly: Priceless
Yesterday we did a 5 hour hike down and through the Canyon de Chelly in Chinle, AZ. We had the pleasure of seeing “Spider Rock” and the “Mummy Cave.” Our guide Andrew was incredible, extremely knowledgable and knew the canyon like the back of his hand. We made our descent into the canyon via a twisty, turny path. As we walked slowly with our arms out just in case, Andrew seemed to glide down the face of the mountain. We made our way down the magnificent rock formation and crossed a small river at the bottom. Across and down from the river, are Navajo people selling their art and jewelry. I purchased a necklace with a small horse pendant and an amber arrow head necklace. After our mini shopping break, we started our 4 hour trek to the mouth of the canyon. Astounding. Breath taking. Insanely gorgeous. There really aren’t words to describe the beauty of this natural wonder. As you walk through the canyon, and look up along the rock, you see the hieroglyphics that were carved by the Navajo people in the 1600’s. This really blows my mind to know that so long ago, people were creating art on the canyon walls and now I have the ability to see them with my own two eyes. The ruins of the homes and buildings send out an almost eery vibe. To know that 400 years ago, Navajo people were living in them is an incredible thought. We continued our trek and made it to what is left of the river. Shoes off! There is no way that one could make it through this donning their shoes. The cool water and soft, squishy sand is like heaven to our sore feet. Walking, walking, walking...wind! The wind! It whips through canyon and shoots the grains of sand into the backs of our legs. Dear gosh, does it sting! We close our eyes and look down to avoid being blinded. “Grab it!” someone yells, referring to the cowboy hat that has just rocketed off Mr. Hodgson’s head. He sprints and saves it. We continue our trek, sore and tired. “Three more bends in the path.” Andrew tells us. (This walk is nothing for him, mind you) Come on guys we can do it. There’e one bend, and two, and three! BUS! There’s the bus! I have never been more excited in my life to see a bus or our amazing diver, Mr. McHaffy. After de-mudding our sneakers, we climb on the bus and collapse into the seats in front of the air vents. We head back to the visitor center to drop Andrew off at his car. Before his descent down the steps of the bus, we shower him with a warm, gratuitous round of applause. As we serenade him, his face lights up and he smiles back at all of us. To know that we made him happy is extremely touching and was a rewarding way to end our adventure.
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