#3, #11, #17 & #19 - Taos Pueblo

On our recent trip to New Mexico, we spent a morning at Taos Pueblo where I was able to check off four more items on Rinda's Photo Scavenger Hunt list.

The first building we encountered as we entered the Pueblo fit the requirements for #17 - A Church.

We met our tour guide outside the church, a college student and native of the Red Willow People of Taos Pueblo. The tour was extremely informative as we learned about the history of these native peoples from their beginnings through their conquest by the Spanish Conquistadors to the return of their land by President Nixon right up to the present day where some of the natives choose to continue to live within the borders of the original Pueblo despite the fact that there is no electricity or running water.

It was a sunny day, so I had no problem capturing lots of photos for #11 - A Shadow. The one of us standing in the entryway to the church courtyard is my favorite.

Our tour guide informed us that the homes within the walls of the pueblo are privately owned by tribal families. The yellow and red doors in this photo capturing #19 - An Outdoor Stairway lead to his family's home.

These outdoor stairways were prevalent within the pueblo, some resembling well made ladders, some steps with handrails, and some more rustic in nature.

We also found #3 - A Border around the perimeter of the cemetery which is located on the spot of the original church building. When the second church at that location was destroyed during the War with Mexico, the site became a cemetery.

We were allowed to take photos of the cemetery, however it is considered sacred ground and is only entered on the day of a funeral or the one year anniversary of a death. The natives believe that the dead and the living have different energies and it is not good to mix them, so the cemetery is closed except at those few appointed times.

This leaves eight items remaining for me to find and share for the scavenger hunt! Anyone seen a clothesline in the DFW area lately?