What I did on my birthday: Desert view (exit of Grand Canyon) Antelope canyon, Monument Valley

We are now in Monument Valley.
But before we left - we soaked up more views of the Grand Canyon from the East entrance.

There is a 25 mile scenic drive to the East of Grand Canyon village with multiple stops to view the canyon in all its splendour.

Right near the park gate there is a very interesting tower full of Navajo paintings and pottery. This is a 1930s reconstruction of an ancient dwelling and rock art.

Having viewed the Colorado river from afar, we were determined to get closer to it.
Driving across the desert we spotted the San Fran snowy mountain range in the far distance.

We raced to see the iconic landmark of Horseshoe Bend (joined by a scrum of other tourists as it is accessible to tour buses) in Glen Canyon. River flows from the right and exits on the left.

Less busy and more enjoyable, we headed for a kayaking tour of the Lower Antelope Canyon (named long ago by the Navajo for the abundance of antelope)

This canyon is accessed via Lake Powell, an artificial Lake created by the Grand Canyon dam across the Colorado river at Page.

Despite a strong headwind we had lots of fun in the ‘sit on top’ double kayak in the canyon, admiring the sandstone rock formations. The white marks are calcium (water stain)

The dark marks are known as dark desert varnish.

Our next stop was a couple of nights in the Monument Valley Navajo tribal park. View from our hotel window was awesome.

There have been at least 12 movies filmed here including several John Wayne classics:
https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/12-movies-shot-in-monument-valley-on-the-navajo-nation-42wjq5shZECXex3LtSOk9g/

John Ford (Director) of the John Wayne movies is credited with starting the tourist craze for Monument Valley.

The Navajo were celebrated for adapting their language as a code during WW2 (also see 2002 movie called the Windtalkers with Nicolas Cage) Interestingly as Navajo names are literal, the code for Britain translates as “Between Waters” ; and Australia as “Rolled Hat”

We took a morning tour on a 17 mile loop in the park with a local guide.

We learned that each of the Mesa (large flat topped rocks) and Buttes (pronounced Beauts) are named by the Navajo for the shapes they look like.

For example:
Left and Right Mitten Buttes

The three sisters (only the second puddle we have seen in a week)

Big window

Totem poles

“Hogan”, a traditional home for the Navajo.

We entered a Hogan (made of wooden poles covered in mud) and watched some traditional weaving; a rug takes 2-6 months to complete depending on the pattern and the dye.

There was limited walking allowed in the park to try to prevent damage to the landscape but we still managed a 6km hike getting up close and personal with the Left and right mitten butte.

We found more Spring flowers in the desert; all of them were prickly. Cacti, roses and what the Navajo guide called lavender (but did not smell at all)

It was an overcast, windy day and a considerable amount of red dust whipped across the path from the dunes. Needless to say, sand got everywhere!

My birthday was spent in an Indian reservation, it is an alcohol-free zone hence no bubbles for this birthday. We didn’t mind. The holiday is all one huge bucket list treat; we will find good wine again, no doubt.

Views around the park were fabulous.