Day 22
Mon 16th July New Mexico Taos
Early morning. The light threw detail the other way making a completely new landscape. Sat overlooking the gorge and watched small creatures appear among the rocks.
Huge breakfast back in Taos and we check out the town more closely. Actually it feels very good and people are relaxed and friendly. Decide we could live here and should stay the night at a free campsite up the mountain discovered by a hitchhiking chef from New York who we give a lift to Walmart. He is looking for land to build before Hollywood fully discovers the area and prices soar. Even Walmart makes a (weak) attempt at adobe frontage.
Many galleries in town selling expensive art. Murals and sculptures on street corners. Several importers of world ethnic goods, restaurants with art for sale and artists painting at easels.
Spend the afternoon roaming the Taos Pueblo, the indian village under the mountain that allows fee paying tourists to tromp through their alleyways to help their preservation. They also make stuff to sell and I am tempted by a 3ft or more diameter cottonwood and hide drum - deep resonant tone - but its too big for the truck even if it wasnt crazy money. Red Willow, the old drum maker, suggests I put the drum in the passenger seat and leave Lisa there. The village is adobe - mud and straw - small homes built similarly to the greek style for warmth in winter and coolness in summer. Tempted to go back for the drum.
Try to photograph drive thru adobe bank and discover camera shutter button gone - as predicted on the sony complaints website. Failed to find button around the last stance a photo was taken in so fashioned a new one from a matchstick, a sewing popper and some tape. It works ok but I have a low regard for Sony. Found the campsite some way out of town through inspiring countryside and boondocked along a river between two high canyon walls with more stars above than I have ever seen. Could live here - given an income - first place I’ve felt that since Greece. Could be the similarity.
Into Taos for breakfast as a treat - served the most enormous platters that we struggle to share. Wandered the shops looking at all sorts of wonderful cheap impractical right now goodies, sorted the house bills again and met friendly amiable people all along the way. H discovered his camera shutter button had done a Zebedee ( a common albeit unacknowledged problem. Alongside the focus it begins to look a very overpriced shoddy piece of equipment which is sad. When new and working roperly it seemed the polar opposite.) Saw a jack rabbit - couldnt have been anything else. On to the taos Pueblo to see the Indians and their village - the buildings all adobe and not architect designed. Very beautiful in a tumbling back down to dust sort of way. Met members of the Mirabel clan. What a coincidence. Red Willow, an old drum maker, told us to look to the mountain for a decision on our direction and then offered to swap me for a drum H fancied. A little Indian lady popped up out of nowhere to sing ‘You are so beautiful’ at me (she liked my skirt). Went to free campsite towards ski area outside Taos. Beautiful spot - stream, pallisades type rocks and trees. This is boondocking - how exciting. Dont know why but we both feel very drawn to this area.