Our first adventure of the day was visiting Acoma Pueblo Sky City. This is the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America dating back to 1100 A.D. There are over 300 structures with about 50 people still living here. There is no electricy, plumbing or running water. Our tour started off at the Sky City Cultural City. We caught a small bus and were taken 370 feet to the top of the mesa.
Our guide Alvin, is from this city, and did a phenomenal job educating us on the history of the Acoma Pueblo. I was touched (and appalled) at some of the stories. Really horrific to hear how these people were treated by the Spanish and the Catholic Church. It’s amazing how resilient these people are. This chapel, San Esteban del Rey Mission, was built in 1629 by forced labor. It took 11 years to be completed. Ironically, only about 5% of the Acoma people are practicing Catholics today.
We spent about an hour and a half walking around the city.
The views were spectacular!
At the end of the tour the guide gave everyone the option to climb down the mesa rather than take the tour bus back. He said it wasn’t an easy hike down and if you were afraid of heights, don’t attempt it. Nonna talked me into it. (Mmmm, who’s corrupting whom on this trip?!). It was amazing and our favorite part of the tour. There were steep steps, carved in ladders, all contained in a slot canyon. He advised us to look for the carved in dents that the women used to help guide them. Hard to believe they did this while balancing on their heads pottery containing water. See our happy faces as we made it safely to the ground. For the record we were the only ones on the tour who did it!
Next stop Santa Fe! After exploring the plaza and downtown area on foot we decided on “linner”...and it was delicious! I love this place. The architecture, colors and friendly people give it such a great vibe. The sculpture in the top left corner is called “Grandmother”. We thought that was a good omen.
Hard to believe this day could get any better, but we ended it at Ojo Caliente Mineral Spa. There are 8 different hot spring pools to chose from. We spent several hours bopping from pool to pool. We soaked for hours, well into the late evening. It was made all the more magical when the cliffs were lit up and the open fires were crackling under the clear starry night. Life is good.
