Monument Valley is a National Park that celebrates the Navajo way of life. It is one of the most breathtaking views in the United States and is famous for its landscape that has been featured in many motion pictures. Completely within the Navajo reservation, the journey to get to the area will take you on a paved road that intersects the border of Utah and Arizona. Though there are various services available to explore the more difficult areas to get to in the area such as horseback riding and guided tours; if you are visiting the monument valley, using your own vehicle to travel is the norm. RUVs and cars with low clearance may create trouble on these unpaved roads and the road becomes impassable owing to heavy rains except for a 4 wheel drive.
With opening times set at 6 am May through September, if you are looking for some stunning photographs, head on to this 17 mile long drive, 13 miles of which is a one-way loop. Most views of the buttes can be fascinating as they look different from different sides. Compared to places such as the Grand Canyon, this park certainly holds its own for stunning scenery. Featured among the landscape are the buttes that tower over the rest of the countryside as well as the signature reddish orange soil that marks the entire area. The park’s claim to fame is its sparse beauty that is interrupted only by the few trails leading to the Navajo settlement.
Traverse steep and rocky hillside with a Navajo guided tour to get to some of the most renowned formations at Monument valley: West Mitten, East Mitten and Merrick Buttes. The Mitchell Mesa rising 1000 feet above borders the flat land and brings you closer to nature than you ever believed possible. The Elephant Butte that has badlands deep red in color beneath it is a breath taking sight. One side has high, sheer – sided sandstone and the other side is a tapering ridge. Though not exactly of the shape of an elephant, lengthened shadows of the afternoon sun do add to the familiarity! The most photographed Totem Pole is a spire of 450 feet high rock, which is just a few meters in width.
If you have been an avid fan of old Western flicks, you cannot leave the monument valley without visiting the John Ford’s point. John Ford was a director who used this area, now named for him, in many of his movies from 1939 to 1960. Most of the miles at the start of the valley drive showcase the best of desert land – miles of uneven, undulating desert with a number of isolated peaks in the background. One such site that has a plateau overlooking the desert land has been used often in the movies.
However, if you are looking for more than just the buttes and the desert land, then there are ancient caves and cliff dwellings, petroglyphs and natural arches and eroded rock formations as well. All of these are isolated and away from the valley drive and can be experienced as a part of guided tours through back trails. Even as a drive for the family, it is awe-inspiring for the long straight empty road across flat barren desert leading towards a stark red cliff 1000 foot high curving ahead on the horizon!
One of the great monuments of the world, which just recently was declared a monument of world heritage, is Chichen Itza. This is one of the largest pre-Columbian archaeological sites built by the Mayans. The ancient Mayan ruins of this city are quite large and expand over a four mile area. These are some of the most awe inspiring archaeological places you can ever visit.
No one really knows when this great Mayan city was built, but we do know that their golden period was about 600A.D. Chichen Itza is a Mayan word which means “At the mouth of the well of the Itza,” which is a very logical name because this area of Yucatan is arid and there is no above ground water. The city was founded next to two cenotes, or large natural sink holes, created by earlier volcanic movement. These cenotes were large enough to provide enough water throughout the year for the city.
In the early 1900’s, diving excursion began in the cenotes and many important gold, jade and silver artifacts were found among the many bones from cadavers. This indicates that sacrifices were made to the god of rain, in thanks for the ample supply of water. During the height of the Mayan rule Chichen Itza was a major force in both political and economical power. This city learned to trade by sea, which is why they were able to obtain resources from distant places like central Mexico and Central America.
Although we know when the city reigned as one of the greatest powers of the Mayan culture, we are not sure why the city died out so suddenly. Evidence collected when the ruins were discovered indicate that many buildings were burned and much destruction, which indicates a possible conquering by another tribe. Some experts believe there is evidence of the Toltec King Quetzalcoatl’s arrival from central Mexico.One of the most interesting things about this city is the fact that the temples are designed with such exact science. The seven temples are designed in such a way as to represent time, they represent the seasons and days of the years.
The temples are amazing works of art and each has its own special uniqueness. When you enter the site, the first temple you will see is the “Piramide de Kukulcan” which has 365 steps (the days of the year), 52 different panels and 18 terraces. During the spring and fall equinox you will see that as the sun touches the steps on the northern side, the shadow of a moving serpent will appear.
The other temples are just as fabulous with amazing stone carvings, and murals of life, and conquering battles of the society. Much of this magnificent culture is still a mystery, but anyone who visits the site comes away with a feeling of greatness and awe for a strong, intelligent, and mysterious nation, which disappeared without reason.
This is one of those places you want to see before you die, a place that you will remember for all of your days. It is called Machu Picchu, and is the remains of an ancient Incan city high up in the Andes Mountains of Peru. It is 43 miles northwest of Cuzco, way up at the top of a ridge surrounded by dense jungle.
Not much is known about the origins, or the history of the civilization that lived there. Most archaeological experts believe that it was most likely a religious retreat and royal estate created by the Incas. It was built around 1460 by the Incan rulers but abandoned 100 years later when the Spanish invaded.
This ancient city lies at an altitude of 8,000 feet, much higher than the Urumbamba Rive Cloud forest. It was probably abandoned because it was so hard to get to. As mentioned before it was founded by the Incan emperor Pachacuti, and after his death it passed to his family who were responsible for its maintenance.
Most of the buildings located in this ancient city were residences, with a few temples and public buildings. When it was founded there were about 1200 people that lived here. Most of the buildings are made of granite blocks that were cut with bronze tools and then smoothed out with sand.
What makes these structures interesting, is the question: How did the Incas get these stones moved to such an altitude? And how did they manage to fit the stones so perfectly together that they required no mortar? The joints are so tight that a knife cannot even fit through the stones.
Another unique feature of this city is that the structures were built into the landscape and the sculptures are carved into the mountain. The Incas supplied water to their ancient city thorugh cisterns and channels.
The temples sit on the precipice of the mountains. The houses were unique in that some of them were even two stories tall, and the second story was reached with a ladder made of rope, since there are few trees at this altitude. The houses are formed in groups with a communal courtyard for the group.
The roofs were made of thatch and had trapezoid shaped doors and windows which were very uncommon.
Even today, when you visit Machu Picchu, you are left with awe, that such a people could create such a wonderful city so high in the mountains. The silence and the strength of the structures are astounding.