We spent another long day driving across the desert to Casas Grandes and yesterday morning we visited the ruins at Paquime. These crumbing adobe walls are what remain of a major trading settlement in this area that flourished between AD 900 and 1340. The people that lived here had ties with groups in Arizona and New Mexico. We got to the ruins early enough to have the place to ourselves and it is a special feeling wandering around the site with a cool wind blowing and birds singing. The museum that is part of the complex is very well done and shows many of the artifacts found here, including beautiful polychrome pottery.
Before we left Casas Grande, we made a visit to one of the pottery shops that features the work of potters from the nearby town of Mata Ortiz. These pots are made in the Paquime style using a cream coloured clay and painted with red, brown and black geometric designs. They are very beautiful and very reasonable. We picked out a number of lovely ones and while we were paying for them, a young woman in her 20s with a little baby on her hip told us that she had made three of them. She was rightly proud of her work and it was really cool to be able to meet her and shake her hand and compliment her on her artistry.
Following our shopping trip we drove north to the border and crossed from Palomas into the town of Columbus, New Mexico, without any difficulty. We have given back the auto import sticker that was issued for Mohita as we have decided that we will not take her into Mexico again, as it's just too stressful worrying about the aging engine and other parts. We'll keep her for camping trips a little closer to home.
No comments:
Post a Comment