Leaving Fingerprints
  • Blog
  • Places
  • About
  • Contact
  • Greg's Pics

Monument Valley & Mystery Valley

8/28/2014

0 Comments

 
I have to admit, I was a bit bummed about no comments on my last video about Greg finding his power. So, I was hanging out feeling a bit sad, and well.... thats why the delay on this post. Not to worry this post will be awesome still I promise. But feel free to be more vocal in your response (thats too long!, thats awesome, this post sucked - ok except the last one!). Drink in hand, onwards we go to......
Picture
MONUMENT VALLEY...

The Valley will be familiar to all of you as the backdrop to the early western films including the famous John Wayne film STAGECOACH directed by John Ford. If westerns are not your thing, (you should watch that one though), then you might've seen the magnificent rocky outcrops against a desert landscape in various car commercials, or Bon Jovi's music video for Blaze of Glory. (The leather waistcoat and singing on top of a mountain, with aerial photography and CG lightening...oh yeah the 80s!)
Picture
Picture
Bon Jovi is right there on the edge
Picture
Picture
As we are such notable celebrities we decided to stay in the valley itself, actually at the original lodge Gouldings, which housed John Wayne, John Ford and other film productions.

Started by Harry and his wife Mike, originally as a trading post for the Navajo Indians of the area. The hotel is set against an amazing mountain of rock.

Today it is staffed entirely by Navajos and I believe the present owners pay a fee to Navajo nation.

Our room was probably as basic as John Wayne's (i imagine back in the 30's!) , and triple the price! However in the middle of the desert there aren't many options. This whole area is Navajo Reservation, and governed by the Navajo Nation.  

Actually we booked the last room which was located next to the gas station...hmmm...


We did a full day tour of Monument Valley and Mystery Valley. Mystery Valley is not accessible to tourists unless taken by a Navajo guide who has been given permission by the Navajo Nation. Parts of Monument Valley are the same. 

We were lucky enough to be taken by a Navajo guide named Rosie, yes it is quite a English name. But Navajo people are not allowed say their own Navajo name, but in Rosie's case she was raised by a white foster family outside of the Navajo people. This was fairly common a few generations ago.
Rosie first took us to a Navajo hut called a Hogan, where we were treated to an arts and crafts demonstration and I got my hair done, Navajo style.

Picture
Getting my hair done. Apparently Navajo women never cut theirs....so I got told off!
Picture
Bun Hair style reflects the sun, the earth and the spirit connecting them. (my hair was too short for the bun!).
Picture
Spinning yarn - now taught in Navajo schools
Picture

A little history to set the scene:
Back in 1864 the Navajo people, and the Hopi were taken from their homes in the desert and marched to a reservation. Many died on this winter march, which they called The Long Walk. At this tiny reservation they were held for 10 years before the US Govt created the Treaty and granted them the territory back. I guess they realized the desert had no oil.

Once they people got back to their allotted area, the children were taken away and  placed with foster families, like our Rosie, they were given white names and taught only English. Similar to the aboriginals these children grew up without their heritage and so today many older Navajo cannot speak it or understand it. 

Rosie did tell us that the kids growing up today stay on the reservation and go to the local schools where they teach Navajo and other traditions like weaving, ceremonies, and history.

The Navajo Code Talkers
The generation before hers was the code talkers. I was fascinated to find out about these Navajo men who participated in WWII. Knowing little of modern history myself  (I studied ancient!) the men from monument valley were the original code talkers that helped the US to create an breakable code. They used Navajo words and created new words to describe troop movements, weapons etc and it was the only code that the Axis couldn't break, as they didn't even know what language it was.

Mystery Valley

Mystery valley was the highlight for us, with the sweeping vistas, blue skies and climb-able rocks!
The temperature averaged around 108F (42 Celsius!) and there are few trees and little shade as you can see from the pics above. It's off limits to tourists unless you have a Navajo guide from this area. 
Rosie told us that her grandmother lived nearby, and so this was her backyard essentially!
She took us to see ancient Anasazi dwellings built into then leeward side of high caves. Not much is known about the Anasazi, they were one of the prehistoric Ancient Pueblo peoples that were here before the Navajo around 12th century BCE onwards.
Many of the Navajo ceremonies including the Blessing Way are actually Anasazi in origin.
Picture

We saw remains of mud brick walls inside caves, and faded rock paintings on different sites. Some of the rock paintings were of hands, just like the aboriginal  hand prints. We were told the handshake is very important to Navajo. When you shake hands you are greeting someone with your:

Thumb - towards gods

forefinger - your mother

middle finger - your father

third finger - paternal grandfather

little finger - maternal grandmother

So when you shook hands you were shaking with your whole family similar to when you painted your hand, it was marking the wall with your whole family.

Climbing the rocks was fantastic and we had a ball, getting to climb up onto the rocks, and explore all the nooks and crannies! It kept going and I didnt want to come back down! (See if you can spot me on the picture below right).

The day was beautiful, clear blues skies and red rocks so Greg was taking as many pics as a Japanese tourist on speed.

Monument Valley

PictureRecognise this? From Stagecoach as they drive through the valley
Monument Valley was next up and we got to see all the rock formations up close, with names like Rabbit and Bear, Rain God Mesa, Elephant and Camel Butte. Including, John Ford Point where he shot Stagecoach scenes.

We also got to go around the back of Monument Valley which was again closed to the public to see some more rock carvings - they are awesome. Check out the curly goats pic below - great carvings from many years ago!

Film note

We were able to watch Stagecoach at Gouldings, and it is a fantastic film with a great plot! I was totally impressed by the stunts and found it was by a famous stunt man Yakima Canutt. He does an amazing stunt of jumping onto the backs of moving horses and then falling between them and under the coach! See the video below.

He and John Wayne also created the first safe screen fighting techniques, and went on to refine stunt gear for films. Check it out from 3"51 is his famous stunt dropping between horses and the coach. Just before that you can see the horses falling from gun fire. Unbelievable.

Finally, I'll leave you with some pics of the storm that came over Gouldings as we were eating dinner. Greg grabbed his camera and left me to get some great shots!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Blogs

    All
    4000 Islands
    Airbnb
    Ancient Civilisation
    Angkor Wat
    Animals
    Archeology
    Arizona
    Athens
    Australia
    Beach
    Bear
    Bearizona
    Beatty
    Birthday
    Blues
    Bodrum
    Bolivia
    Boyband
    Bryce Canyon
    Bucharest
    Bus
    California
    Cambodia
    Cappadocia
    Cathedral Rock
    Cave
    Central Asia
    Chicago
    Clarksdale
    Da Lat
    Death Valley
    Delphi
    Delta Blues
    Devils Bridge
    Didim
    Disneyland
    Dive
    Dracula
    Eco Farm
    Ephesus
    Escalante
    Exploring
    Food
    Food Tour
    Gingers Paradise
    Gouldings
    Grand Canyon
    Greece
    Greg Shields
    HaLong Bay
    Hana
    Hanoi
    Hawaii
    Herakleia
    Highlights
    Hindu
    Hofu
    Hoi An
    Homestay
    Hot Air Balloon
    Huatulco
    Iliad
    Inca
    Japan
    Joshua Tree
    Kardamyli
    Kauai
    Kazakhstan
    Laos
    Legend
    Luang Prabang
    Map
    Market
    Maui
    Memphis
    Mexico
    Miletus
    Monument Valley
    Mum
    Museum
    Mycenae
    My Son
    Mystras
    Nashville
    National Park
    Nevada
    New York City
    Oaxaca
    Olympia
    Osaka
    Paia
    Peru
    Phnom Penh
    Portland
    Potosi
    Priene
    Puno
    Red Rocks
    Relax
    Rhyolite
    Romania
    Ruins
    Salt Flats
    Samaipata
    San Cristobel De La Casas
    San Francisco
    Santorini
    Scuba
    Seattle
    Sedona
    Sequoias
    Seven Wonders
    Shinagawashuku Guesthouse
    Siem Reap
    Skydivethebeach
    Skydiving
    South America
    Sydney
    Tham Nam Lot
    Tokyo
    Top 10
    Top 10 Usa
    Trip
    Turkey
    Uros Islands
    Uros Khantati
    Usa
    Utah
    Uyuni
    Video
    Vietnam
    Website
    Wreck
    Xe Bang Fai
    Xe Bang Fai Cave
    Yosemite
    Zipolite

    Authors

    This is the story of Jade & Greg.  Two creative escapists, who've decided to pack it up and travel the world for a year and a bit!

    Get the latest blog updates sent to your email below:

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    @Littlegreenjade 
    Latest Instagram feed:

    Archives

    May 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    4000 Islands
    Airbnb
    Ancient Civilisation
    Angkor Wat
    Animals
    Archeology
    Arizona
    Athens
    Australia
    Beach
    Bear
    Bearizona
    Beatty
    Birthday
    Blues
    Bodrum
    Bolivia
    Boyband
    Bryce Canyon
    Bucharest
    Bus
    California
    Cambodia
    Cappadocia
    Cathedral Rock
    Cave
    Central Asia
    Chicago
    Clarksdale
    Da Lat
    Death Valley
    Delphi
    Delta Blues
    Devils Bridge
    Didim
    Disneyland
    Dive
    Dracula
    Eco Farm
    Ephesus
    Escalante
    Exploring
    Food
    Food Tour
    Gingers Paradise
    Gouldings
    Grand Canyon
    Greece
    Greg Shields
    HaLong Bay
    Hana
    Hanoi
    Hawaii
    Herakleia
    Highlights
    Hindu
    Hofu
    Hoi An
    Homestay
    Hot Air Balloon
    Huatulco
    Iliad
    Inca
    Japan
    Joshua Tree
    Kardamyli
    Kauai
    Kazakhstan
    Laos
    Legend
    Luang Prabang
    Map
    Market
    Maui
    Memphis
    Mexico
    Miletus
    Monument Valley
    Mum
    Museum
    Mycenae
    My Son
    Mystras
    Nashville
    National Park
    Nevada
    New York City
    Oaxaca
    Olympia
    Osaka
    Paia
    Peru
    Phnom Penh
    Portland
    Potosi
    Priene
    Puno
    Red Rocks
    Relax
    Rhyolite
    Romania
    Ruins
    Salt Flats
    Samaipata
    San Cristobel De La Casas
    San Francisco
    Santorini
    Scuba
    Seattle
    Sedona
    Sequoias
    Seven Wonders
    Shinagawashuku Guesthouse
    Siem Reap
    Skydivethebeach
    Skydiving
    South America
    Sydney
    Tham Nam Lot
    Tokyo
    Top 10
    Top 10 Usa
    Trip
    Turkey
    Uros Islands
    Uros Khantati
    Usa
    Utah
    Uyuni
    Video
    Vietnam
    Website
    Wreck
    Xe Bang Fai
    Xe Bang Fai Cave
    Yosemite
    Zipolite

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly