Don't open the Ark!

---

On Sunday morning, we were off in time to visit an ancient Anaszi/Hisatsinom (descendants of a people whose history dates back to 6000BC and whose ancestors are claimed to be the Hopi and Zumi Indians) site on Navajo lands. Batatkin village is an example of a medieval village (inhabited around 1250AD) built into alcoves in the rock of a canyon's walls.

Later in the day, we arrived in Monument Valley in time to meet our Navajo host, Harley, who took us on a 'jeep' tour (a cage on the back of a pick-up truck) and showed us loads of famous film locations including the rock Tom Cruise climbs in MI:2 and lots of John Wayne/John Ford stuff. At one point we stopped and lay down inside a cavern with an 'eye' in the roof whilst Harley played the Navajo flute and drums and sang old songs. When he had finished he told us that this cavern was the location where the Ark is opened in the first Indiana Jones film and also the eye is where Harrison Ford was lowered into the pit of snakes! Inspiring and cool at the the same time - what a place!

UPDATE FEB 2008 - Em's just watched all three of the Indiana Jones films again and she's not convinced that the above info is accurate. Most of the opening sequence for the THIRD film looks like it could have been filmed in Monument Valley (or somewhere similar), but cannot see anything in the first film that looks familiar.

As the sun went down the weather took a turn for the worst and a thunderstorm developed as we sped across the desert towards the site of our overnight stay. The lightning was incredible and made even more dramatic by the fact that we were all exposed to the elements and getting very cold and wet...

That night we ate Indian Tacos (yum!) and then slept on the floor of a Navajo hogan (sort of big mud hut with a wooden roof) right in amongst the sandstone monuments.

---