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Juni 21, 2012

Visiting The Navajo Nation

The Monument Valley lies somewhere in between Utah and Arizona, which means different time zones. We got confused, and as a result overslept the next morning. But this was only a minor problem because our hotel The View was actually in the best spot to watch the sun rise, so we stood on our balcony, eyes half shut, and watched it go up and light the whole valley on our feet. The Navajo Nation people still live there and the hotel, too, is a big part of the social infrastructure. The land is sacred and protected, tourists` dirty feet are only allowed to step on a few trails. Because our trip just happens to be in the hottest time of the year, there is not much left to do but to try hike very early, sleep or drive during the day and go out just before the sun sets again. So we quickly grabbed our backpacks and set out to hike on the Wildcat trail that goes around the Mittons-butte that you see right below here. As soon as we stepped out, we were accompanied by an early local. As if it was the most usual thing to do he lead us the whole two hours,  obviously knowing the trail by heart and carefully marking each and every stone on the sandy path. Surely his presence scared off all other wildlife but his care and companionship totally made our morning. As a gratitude from our side, he happily accepted our offer of a half a liter of water in the end. It was clear that it was not his first time drinking directly off a bottle.
The Mittons. Käpikud
Our friend and path guide at sunrise 
View on the Monument Valley from our balcony at The View 


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