We decided to come to Santa Fe based on three criteria: we had never been here before; we could get here using a free Southwest ticket (well, Albuquerque but close enough); and we were pretty much guaranteed SUN. So it wasn't until after we made our travel reservations that we actually started researching what we might do once we got here. Independent web searches lead Rob and me to the same conclusion: “Well......”
This area is a mecca for those interested in Native American art and history, art galleries in general, museums, and churches, including one featuring a “Miraculous Staircase As Seen on 'Unsolved Mysteries'!” Rob and I aren't really drawn to Native American culture nor shmancy art. And while we can appreciate a good museum or a notable church, our intention was to be outside. In the sun. Wearing shorts and no socks. So we made a short list of things we might want to do in and around Santa Fe and packed our swimming suits for the fall-back Lounge By the Pool activity.
Color me surprised. We are heading home in the morning and our swim suits are still as dry as the landscape. We have been suitably busy and enjoying every minute of our visit and have left several ideas “for next time.”
I only vaguely remember our 1.5 hour drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe a few days ago. Suddenly existing 6000 feet higher than I am accustomed to made me very sleepy. Even several days later, I am still well aware of the high altitude. I have to walk slower than I'm used to and even a simple stair case can leave me short of breath. As we drove up to 9000 feet towards the rim of a caldera near Los Alamos yesterday, my head started throbbing. Sure enough, as we descended back to 7000 feet, the pounding stopped. I am very much looking forward to taking a deep breath when we get back to Portland. A deep, moist, oxygen-filled, smoke-free breath.
I have been in the desert before and am pretty familiar with Arizona. I lived there as a really young kid and we briefly considered moving there before landing instead at Woodhaven. So I wasn't expecting to be surprised by the scenery in Santa Fe. But its proximity to the Rio Grande and its Pueblo architecture influence makes it much greener and more distinctive than any desert community I have visited. While I got rather blasé with all the white stucco and tile-roofed Spanish architecture in California, the adobe here is totally different and the roofs are flat with no tile in sight. Here, the adobe is pink or rusty or terra cotta colored, and the buildings have rounded edges with small wood beams protruding at the top, along with flat metal gutters to siphon the rain water (if there is ever any) off of the roof. Driving around, I felt sort of like we were in Bedrock; you know, where the Flintstones lived. All the homes are sort of roundish and marshmallowy. Ooh, to know a local so I could get a peek inside!
We spent our first day here poking around Santa Fe itself. We took an open-tram tour to get our bearings. Later we window shopped in the Plaza (I was all set to buy an adorable clown thing with raffia hair eating a watermelon – trust me, it would make you laugh, too – until I realized it was $550), and walked around the state capitol building (literally – it is the only round state capitol building in the US; it is in the shape of the Zia Sun Symbol… the circle with four spokes that is the symbol on the New Mexico state flag and license plate). We went into a basilica and stayed much longer than anticipated; it was one of the most colorful cathedrals I have ever seen and that's not just because of all of the stained glass. It was more because of all the Indian-inspired art work. I actually like it after all!
We also spent some time at what claims to be the oldest church in the US (San Miguel Mission, built sometime between 1610 and 1626). We didn't go inside, though. One side of the exterior was being restored so we watched some men on scaffolding chip away at old adobe so they could replace the adobe bricks with new ones they have been making. As we marveled at all the mud-and-straw bricks that were drying in the sun in front of the church, a very weathered and friendly woman covered in dried mud offered tidbits about how the bricks are made and pointed out the mud pit and bale of hay in the back. They make bricks in the morning and plaster in the afternoon. They have been at it for months. The woman seemed tired but fulfilled with being a part of history.
Later, we went to the fancy art gallery area after-hours to look at some really cool outdoor art. We found this awesome kinetic sculpture thing of a flower/sun that was wind-driven. We took pictures and discussed where at Woodhaven we might put it and at what angle to maximize the kineticness. We later went online to find out the gallery's hours and were aghast to discover our planned souvenir of Santa Fe would set us back $1,200...before shipping. That plus the $550 watermelon clown and the $90 silver and turquoise pendant I didn't buy from Miriam, a local Native American whose hours were “Indian Hours – we do whatever we want” meant I saved us almost $2000 our first day here! I'm quite a shopper.
We ended our night with that sunset I described in an earlier post. It was one of those sunsets...and one of those days...that utterly delighted and surprised me by how simple yet extraordinary it was.
No comments:
Post a Comment