Saturday, November 15, 2008

Taos Pueblo


The three greeter dogs outside the entrance to Taos Pueblo are our first indication that life is good for pooches on The Rez.




Taos Pueblo has been continuously occupied by the Red Willow band of the Pueblos for over 900 years!



I didn't even notice until I looked at a larger version of this photo that the stone at the bottom right has a petroglyph etched into it.

We had interesting chats with the vendors who have shops inside doors like these. Everything from native New Mexican herb teas, to jewelry to clothing is available. I bought a pair of coral earrings from a woman named Cornflower Blossom.


The sign by the door invites us to come inside for fried bread.



We learned that we should stack the wood vertically to get it to burn properly in the kiva fireplace. I told the man who advised us that I now know how to make 4 kinds of fires: in a kiva, in a flat fireplace, at a campsite, in a cast iron stove.

He said, "Now you have to learn like this," and demonstrated rolling a stick between his fingers, Boy Scout style.

We laughed. I said, "That's next! Maybe I can count starting a fire with a magnifying glass the fifth kind?"

He said I could!



We chatted with this woman while she made us fried bread. (That's her fireplace in the photo above this one.)

She had honey, powdered sugar, and cinnamon & sugar for toppings. We opted to try it all, so she put honey on half, and the other two toppings on the remaining quarters.


One of the larger buildings on the plaza.


A young man waits near the graveyard.


Like I said, great place to be a dog. This is the reservation's Catholic church. Something like 95% of the Pueblos are said to be followers of the faith.


Kind of impressive!

This was probably my favorite thing we did during our New Mexico adventure.

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