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The Navajo Lands - Canyon de Chelly
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| View from the rim | The Tour - Ruins | The Chinle Lodge |
| The Tour | The Tour - Petroglphs | Next morning |
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Visitors are obliged to hire a guided tour. It is expensive. We thoroughly enjoyed it, learned a lot and will not forget I had assumed "Canyon de Chelly" was of French origin. Our Navajo guide explained it is just white man's corruption of the Navajo place name. | ||
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From the rim, before the tour
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1082 _18Sep30-SW18_1135 Quick picnic lunch.  |
1083 _18Sep30-SW18_1153  |
1084 _18Sep30-SW18_1156  |
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1085 _18Sep30-SW18_1257a  |
395 _18Sep30-SW18_1138  |
396 _18Sep30-SW18_1138b  |
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396 _18Sep30-SW18_1141a  |
396 _18Sep30-SW18_1145a  |
1086 _18Sep30-SW18_1315  |
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1087 _18Sep30-SW18_1315a  |
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The Tour - Navajo history recounted by a Navaho. A thriling ride.
The picture I missed is of Noriko's face when our guide explained the Navajo tradition of inheritance. Males may own no land. All land goes to the oldest daughter on the death of the mother. Japan, inverted. "What if there are no daughters?" asked someone. "Sixteen children and no daughter? Not likely," our guide replied. | ||
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1102 _18Sep30-SW18_1516 Hold on tightly or get tossed to the floor or over the side.  |
1102 _18Sep30-SW18_1517  |
1092 _18Sep30-SW18_1344 Our guide's aunt's house. She was there but we did not approach.  |
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1098 _18Sep30-SW18_1440  |
1102 _18Sep30-SW18_1537  |
1106 _18Sep30-SW18_1652  |
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1107 _18Sep30-SW18_1655  |
1109 _18Sep30-SW18_1750  |
397 _18Sep30-SW18_1245  |
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400 _18Sep30-SW18_1311a  |
403 _18Sep30-SW18_1434  |
404 _18Sep30-SW18_1434a  |
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406 _18Sep30-SW18_1519 Rescuing a stranded party. Dead battery.  |
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The Tour - Ruins
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1092 _18Sep30-SW18_1331  |
1092 _18Sep30-SW18_1332  |
1095 _18Sep30-SW18_1433 "White House", the largest of the ruins  |
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1100 _18Sep30-SW18_1449  |
1107 _18Sep30-SW18_1717  |
1107 _18Sep30-SW18_1723  |
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401 _18Sep30-SW18_1420  |
406 _18Sep30-SW18_1538  |
1104 _18Sep30-SW18_1603  |
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406 _18Sep30-SW18_1538a  |
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The Tour - Petroglphs. Most are Navajo, some are Chaco and much older.
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1093 _18Sep30-SW18_1427  |
1094 _18Sep30-SW18_1430  |
1096 _18Sep30-SW18_1438  |
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1097 _18Sep30-SW18_1439  |
1099 _18Sep30-SW18_1441  |
1101 _18Sep30-SW18_1511  |
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1103 _18Sep30-SW18_1559 Petroglyphs, both Navajo and ancient Chaco.  |
1105 _18Sep30-SW18_1632 Taken by a phone through binoculors. The painting depicts the white "holy man" (priest, cardinal or bishop) who blessed the slaughter of hundreds of indians.  |
398 _18Sep30-SW18_1259  |
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401 _18Sep30-SW18_1422  |
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"Chinle", like "de Chelly", is derived from a Navajo word unprintable via our phonetic alphabet meaning "flowing out."
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1109 _18Sep30-SW18_1941 "Navajo Taco." Deep-fried, this is not my favorite version of "bread."  |
1110 _18Sep30-SW18_1942  |
1111 _18Sep30-SW18_1942a See other guests behind.  |
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A view from the rim the following morning. The weather is changing.
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303 _18Oct01-SW18_0542  |
303 _18Oct01-SW18_0548  |
304 _18Oct01-SW18_0549  |