We drove through the town of Taos. From the car we saw blocks of adobe buildings containing art galleries and shops. It is a place for people above our pay grade to while away time surrounded by history.
We headed to the Taos Pueblo. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A small river runs between multistory adobe structures, some estimated at 1000 to 1200 years old. They have been continuously inhabited by the same families, the dwellings are passed down generation to generation. Some of the dwellings have been turned into shops selling crafts created by the local Native American people. Several signs remind visitors that this is a place where people live and to show respect to their homes.
We realized the effectiveness of adobe as a building material when we commented to one gentleman in his small shop how cool it was compared to the much warmer temperatures outside. He said that in the summer months, we were there in September, the difference was even more noticeable. All the structures we were in had small skylights. I believe these were originally the escape for the smoke from the fires that helped keep warm them in the winter.
As we walked through the area we were awed by the thought of the history this settlement had witnessed. In the U.S. this type of antiquity is virtually nonexistent. There are some ancient ruins left behind by early people who, for reasons unknown, moved on, but this special place has managed, somehow to survive.
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