New Mexico: the State of chile peppers and old things

NM - Petroglyph

NM - Petroglyph 2

NM - Petroglyph 3

NM - Sandia Peak

NM - Sandia Peak 2

NM - Sandia Peak 3

NM - Madrid 3

NM - Madrid shop

NM - Madrid 4

NM - American Spirit

NM - Taos 4

NM - Taos Pueblo

NM - Taos Pueblo 3

NM - Taos Pueblo 2

NM - Taos 5

NM - Bandelier

NM - Bandelier 4

NM - Bandelier 2

NM - Bandelier 3

NM - Museum of Folk Art 2

NM - Museum of Folk Art

NM - Rattlesnake 2

NM - Rattlesnake Museum

After going North, West and South of Tucson, there was only one way left: East. To the State of Chile Peppers, old Cliff Dwellings, Adobe architecture and Spanish Folk Art. We visited the State of New Mexico!

The State's capital Albuquerque (impossible to write correctly the first time, by the way) is a six hour drive from our home. And even though it likes to advertise itself as the 'Land of Enchantment', our first impression was nothing but endless highway, and Border Patrol. No US citizens? Passports, please! O, right...These world travellers just smiled and looked blond so were able to continue their journey, after a very convincing story (ahum).

Before going to our hotel we made a quick stop at the Petroglyph National Monument. An area with thousands of black boulders of volcanic rock, covered in ancient (and also less ancient) carvings of lizards, people, arrows and other vague emoticons. We decided to walk the short loop of the Boca Negra Canyon, which sounds very exciting and exotic, but was actually a small hill located in the middle of an urban neighborhood. At the top we had a good view of the schoolbus dropping of the kids. But along the route their were plenty of carvings to look for, and to figure out, which made it a nice trail. After this 'stretching of legs' we headed to dinner at The Frontier, the place to be in Albuquerque. A sort of American diner with five huge Western themed rooms and spicy, delicious Mexican food. With a huge meat and green chile (hot!) stuffed Burrito we ended our first day in style.

The next day we left Albuquerque to continue North, to Santa Fe. For a spectacular view, we followed a long and winding drive up to Sandia Peak. The fact that the top is more than 5,000 feet above the center of Albuquerque was showing by the fact that there was still a lot of snow.

The end of the road was icy cold and deserted. Shivering in our summer jackets (I actually do have one...) we hiked a short distance along the rim for breathtaking views of the city and it's surroundings.

Back in more decent temperatures, we then took the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe, a backroad that runs through a couple of so-called ghost towns, some of them re-invented. Like the town of MADrid (just so you pronounce it right). One street lined with cute, colorful and very alternative shops, galleries and even bars. The town is a popular stop for bikers, which gives it a nice and laid-back atmosphere. It is also a good place to buy the strings of dried red peppers you see hanging on every porch in New Mexico. It is supposed to be a welcome to visitors and should give them good luck on their journey. We bought one to give it a try, you are welcome!

But really the place to be in New Mexico is at the end of the Trail: the city of Santa Fe. With it's characteristic Adobe style buildings and many art galleries. Don't think, by the way, that this Adobe style is from the 'old' days (remember, American 'old' is is what we Europeans call 'contemporary'), but a vision from the 20th century, to attract tourism. It does give the town a certain charm and Hispanic feel, I won't deny that. The central Plaza gives it a Southern European ambiance and it is one of the few towns in the States where it is actually nice to walk around. To learn more about the actual history, the New Mexico Museum of History is definitely recommended.

After a Pink Elephant beer that seems to be popular in the area, we stayed the night at the nice Guadalupe Inn. Too bad a couple with a young baby decided to do the same...

After a short night during which we repeatedly promised each other never to have kids, we left early to visit Taos Pueblo. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, consisting of clusters of mud-brick buildings and claiming to be the oldest continually inhabited community of the United States. And it does feel ancient. Not American 'old town' fake but actually old. And like you're in a video game, i won't deny I wanted to climb those darn ladders the whole time... A young woman, who grew up in the Pueblo guided us trough parts of the village. The houses stay within a certain family, and you have to be at least 25% 'Taos Native' to be eligible to inherit one. Most people nowadays live 'outside the wall' (they seriously call it that, like you are in Game of Thrones), where they are allowed houses with electricity and water. For the older generation, tourism is their source of income. They sell jewelry, baked goods, pottery and paintings. And the wonderful stories are for free!

From mud-bricks we went to cave apartments at the nearby Bandelier National Monument, which is an even older site once inhabited by Native Americans. The main Canyon is lined on either side with these cave 'apartments', while the remnants of a 16th century settlement occupy the valley floor. The main loop trail passes some of the excavated caves, accessible by short ladders. Most of the caves are smaller than I imagine a Brooklyn apartment to be, but they were inhabited by multiple families at a time! For a more thrilling experience it is also possible to visit the more remote Alcove House, only reachable by climbing 140 feet of steep ladders...And trust me, the problem is not going up.

We made it safely down the cliff to visit the Santa Fe Museum of International Folk Art the next day. And this one was a little weird, with their main attraction being a big hall stuffed with dolls, clay figurines and other colorful folk art pieces. Not displayed in a way that seems logical (like per country, or nation), but put together to show similar themes, colors or materials. To show the 'universality of things'. Might be, but to me it was all rather confusing. So we started our drive back to Tucson with another visit to a weird museum: The International Rattlesnake Museum, in Albuquerque. The small family owned museum in what looked like someones packed living room, or barn, has snakes piled up in every corner. Even though I wasn't sure whether this is the best life for a snake, the museum was very informative.

Our day and our trip ended in the village of Truth or Consequences (didn't make that up). And all I am going to say is: If you ever want to feel instantly depressed, this is the place to be.

It was time to go home.