Being a student of Sociology, there are many things which attract your attention in a different way. Sociological Imagination comes in to play in several aspects of daily life,even before you realize it. . Travel is surely not excluded from that. So when the plan was made for a trip to several Canyons in Colorado and Utah, I made sure that MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK was on the list. Any student of Sociology or even Anthropology will not try to miss a chance to visit the Cliff Dwellings of the Pueblo Indians.
Mesa Verde translates to Green Table. It was inhabited by the Ancient Pueblos or Anasazi Indians for over 700 years from 600 to 1300 AD roughly. The Anasazi were primarily farmers and basket makers . The Mesas were an ideal choice for farming land in these harsh canyons. They made their homes in these Cliffs in the Montezuma County of Colorado. Mesa Verde is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the best archaeological preserves in the US.
We drove down from Denver to Mesa Verde National Park and headed straight for the CLIFF PALACE on the CLIFF PALACE LOOP ROAD. Once you have gotten your tickets, you gather at Cliff Palace to await for your tour guide.
After a small briefing session, you begin the hike down. Sturdy walking shoes are a must. The Cliff Dwellings are in a large crevice in the Canyon and to head there to have to claim down the mountain literally. The National Park has stone stairs which are quite narrow and you often have to squeeze yourself . But what follows are literally strong rope ladders,which are a nemesis fro someone with vertigo like me.
But I kept going on and on,as the prize at the end of the hike, was much more than the fear itself. To have studied about something in a classroom in Kolkata(India) and to finally be at the place, is a different feeling altogether. To see centuries worth of archaeological splendor right in front of your eyes is inexplicable. Its absolutely breathtaking and awe inspiring.
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The National Park tries to control footfall to these ancient dwellings so tours are carefully timed. Before you realise time is up, for you to climb uphill.
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| We turned around for some photos on our way up |
After the Cliff Palace, we did a stop over at the HOUSE OF MANY WINDOWS from the overlook on the road. But our lens was not powerful enough to capture it all.
We just had half a day at the Park, but we made sure we made the most of it. It has been quite afew years to this trip, but it seems just like yesterday.
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK
Website: http://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm
Montezuma, Colorado
USA
Nearest City: Cortez
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