Tuba City, Arizona, and Monument Valley, Utah (Day 6 - 3/1/14)

Monument Valley. Hi-ho silver!

Today we take a drive around the 'Grand Circle' - a large area across four American states that encompasses many natural attractions. The idea is to see Monument Valley and maybe something else, but the Duck's ambition ends up taking us on a 300-350 mile round trip. 

The first goal is to cross over into Utah and see Monument Valley. On the way out we pass through a lot of Navajo country and witness firsthand the impoverished conditions some of the people live in. Small hogans and caravan-sized boxes dot the cold, dry landscape in random places alongside the highway, many without water or electricity. 

The hogan, a hexagonal-shaped building, is the traditional style of home for the Navajo. There are two different kinds - one for men and one for women.

Floyd later explains to me that a great portion of Navajo land was 'frozen' by the government between 1969 and 2007, meaning that repairs and development were not allowed for a very long time. The U.S. Government in 1969 had decided to do this in the hope of forcing the Navajo and Hopi tribes to resolve their internal land disputes, but it didn't work out and a lot of Navajo families (and presumably Hopi ones too) have been suffering for a long time as a result. Compensation is currently being sought by the Tribal Council but the current government hasn't been very receptive to this idea.

Monument Valley is my favourite thing about the trip so far. Nothing prepares me for the sheer majesty of these huge red monoliths (called buttes - something I learned today). Looking down on the valley gives me the exact shot used in the Doctor Who episode The Impossible Astronaut and also transports me to a handful of westerns. I even stand in the footsteps of the great John Wayne; the Duke liked to observe the valley from this exact spot and filmed some of his most famous films amongst the god-hewn structures in this rusty red landscape.

Abandoned or closed Indian jewellery store outside Monument Valley.

Monument Valley - panorama shot.

We drive back into Arizona and the Duck decides to take me to a Navajo diner called the Blue Coffee Pot, a place she had been to with her Navajo chaperone two years earlier.

This time, though, it's just me and her - two very white Australians in an all-Navajo restaurant.

Stepping into the diner gets us more than a few stares from the Navajo staff and customers, and I have to admit that I did not feel very welcome. This could very well just be racial paranoia, but it gives me an unexpected insight into racially-based discomfort nonetheless. It's hardly comparable to the hardship experienced by minorities the world over, and we tough it out and enjoy our lunch the best we can, despite the staring.

Hungry Jacks in Navajo country, note the hogan in the foreground.

From here we drive into a national park to see the the National Navajo Monument - a series of trails that lead to lookouts overseeing a heavily forested canyon. The snow is thick and, this time, is soft enough for a snowball fight. Despite my pleas to the contrary, the Duck takes great delight in showering me in ice - the crisp snow sharply dusting my face and filling the pockets and collar of my hooded jumper.

The Navajo Monument - the ancient pueblo can be glimpsed at the base of the arch.

At the lookout we see down into the canyon where a huge natural alcove shelters a perfectly preserved Navajo pueblo - far bigger and less eroded than the Hopi ones we saw at Sedona. Such is the remarkable state of these ruins that I can almost see how they were in the 13th century - peopled and vibrant with life, a cliffside community in equilibrium with the American environment.

As the sun sets we race to Antelope Point, a strange red rock beach on the Colorado River. It's getting cold and dark by this point so there is no chance of a swim - though Duck picked up what she thought was a shell before I help her identify it as animal bones, prompting her to drop the dangling vertebrae in disgust.

After the day's 10 hours of travelling we meet May and Floyd back at the Cameron Trading Post (15 minutes past Tuba City) for the restaurant's famous Navajo Tacos. This is basically like a big soft taco, only with Navajo frybread used to wrap up the meat and salad. It's delicious but also extremely filling. We look around the Trading Post afterwards, and Floyd is surprised to discover that the store is selling a buckskin that he tanned himself (he recognises the secret trademarks he put into it).

A Navajo taco. I didn't get a chance to take a picture of one because it was too delicious not to eat straight away. This pic is from eatingtheworld.wordpress.com

Later, when we get back to Tuba City, I speak to Floyd at great length about politics, mainly the differences between Australia's and America's political systems, and he fills me in on the ongoing political struggles of the Navajo nation, as well as the decreasing use of the Navajo language and customs among the younger generation. He also speaks about his experiences in the Tribal Council, including some explosive stories about the Indian Rights Movement, as well as a corruption scandal that saw the most influential members of the council imprisoned. At this point I am still only aware of Floyd's occupation as being something to do with politics, but as we ate back at the Cameron Trading Post the Duck and I noticed two young Navajo men who came over to Floyd to pay their respects to him. They call him 'sir' and seem a bit chuffed that he speaks back to them in such a friendly manner. It is at this point that I realised Floyd is kind of a big deal within his community.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Earlier today we drove on Floyd's Road. It's not called that, but it's a road that he fought very hard for - a replacement highway for a collapsed road that now diverts a lot of traffic through Navajo communities. He and May speak so fondly of it, so the Duck made sure that we drove along it on our travels today. We take roads for granted, but how often do you get to meet someone who was instrumental in the construction of one, and then get to drive along said road? Maybe I'm just a weirdo, but I get a big kick out of that.

The Duck in Monument Valley.

Buttes and snow

Navajo in ceremonial mask.