“Paradise” is always in the “Eye of the Beholder.” For some it may be a harem of never-aging concubines; for others, a long street of boutiques and an unlimited bank account; for others, a box of cupcakes and for others a lake full of hungry fish. It depends on one’s experiences, needs, likes, dislikes, and ideas of bliss. I once spent a summer riding the backcountry of the Big Horn Mountains that seemed at the time to be paradise. What I needed was solitude; the matchless beauty and uniqueness of the place were added gifts.
For some, a “loss of paradise” is much easier to see. It can be a decaying city, a power-line stretching out across a mountainside, a string of billboards almost anywhere, or, a really high pollen count.
This post is about a trip I made into the Colombian portion of the Upper Amazon Basin over 25 years ago where the loss of paradise was easy to see. But you won’t find that story here. Once again it is on this Blog’s Bio at “Paradise Lost.”
It is not a new story. Rather it is from a small book that a friend and I edited called The Bottoms Up of International Development which is a collection of stories that friends had been telling one another for years about their experiences in international development. We blackmailed them into putting them down on paper. The book is worth a look and may still be available on Amazon.
Enjoy,
r/
My personal paradise could be a staqte of mind, being in my happy place. But, I usually don’t find it in there unless I am out there.
Today I went for another drive somewhere north of Santa Fe. Up winding mountain roads with canyons down the left and right. In one location on top of a ridge, both. At that location I got out to marvel gaze in both directions down. It is a place where everyone looking for the treasure has searched. I had never been there because I assumed it was all up canyon. If I had only known how twisty the road was I would have been up and down it on my motorcycle all summer long. My paradise is the ride.
Here is a photo of a boulder up there with a good example of a blaze on it. From this angle it looks like a pyramid with the eye of Horus on it. But around the sides it is just a boulder. I think you will recognize where it is.
I went driving north of Santa Fe to Santa Cruz Lake recreational Area. I got a sense that it fit many of the clues. But, I didn’t see a blaze this time. I did notice a plaque that stated the park was established under the Department of the Interior and BLM. That fits.
I didn’t go in there alone. There were three men fishing on the dock. I could hear them talking about everything to do with fishing. It is a nice area to picnic, fish, and play with the kids. For that reason I will be back when the weather gets warmer.
Hi Richard, It sounds like forestry people have it tough down there. Too bad you guys had to turn around. I served in Vietnam and Cambodia, we were in alot of wilderness and saw and heard amazing things, I thought not having some scientists alone with us ,was a huge lost opportunity. We were well supplied, and our losses were low.
My mom was upset that she missed out on my road trips. So I invited her to go with me up to Chimayo this Friday. I want to look below the dam and down the canyon. Then we will have lunch. The Hacienda looks like a good place to eat ; )
The dam had a beautiful pond beneath it and a nice stream flowing with water. But the area was an example of paradise lost. The dam was covered with graffiti, and the ground was polluted with trash. Aside from that it fits most of the clues in the poem.
On our way out I went down a dirt side road and got stuck in the sand. I also scatched the car on trees and bushes along the way. After an hour of digging with my hands I was able to get out of there. My mother reminded me that when she grew up in Montana they always had a shovel with a pick in the trunk of the car. Lesson learned.
Here is a photo of the dam, and mom:
Michael, that part of NM is famous for any controlled substances ever cropped, invented, or fabricated. For years, the graffiti was a memorial to all those who had ODed. Last time I looked which was a couple of months ago, all the names with “RIP” after them had been covered with the names of just plane old taggers. Something sad about that.How was lunch?
Lunch at the Hacienda was surprisingly good and cheap. For such a small village it was also busy. These places take pride in using Grandmas recipes. The only debate is whose Grandma will it be. When I worked as a cook in Albuquerque I often found myself in a debate over that, and it was never my grandma. Their loss. She worked as a proffessional cook all her life.
The Hacienda has a side business worth looking into. It is the home of chocolate brown pottery. It is a deep brown pueblo style pottery with native designs that I found appealing. I was hoping that it may be the Home of Brown. But the location just didn’t look right.
Here is their website:
http://www.ranchochimayogaleria.com
I just noticed that there were some bangles for sale at the Hacienda.
Somebody mentioned that the Gypsy girls dancing in TTOTC were making a display of their bangles in the drawing. For whatever it is worth, they are nice.
Girls dancing or bangles?
I had to get out on the road and into the mountains today. I didn’t go any place new. Not even for lunch(except I realized it is actually called Resturante de Chimayo, and Hacienda is a different business across the street). I went back up to Chimayo and Santa Cruz Lake. Somethings kept eating at the back of my mind that I needed to check out. The last time I was there I got stuck in the sand and didn’t get much of a chance to look around beneath the dam. I am finished with that.
Next I thought I needed to stand on top of the dam and look down at it. It is a step dam with many ledges for people to stand on and paint their graffiti. But, it looks like it is no place for the meek, if you are brave, and so on.
When I arrived at Santa Cruz Lake it was open and the attendent was there to take my money to enjoy my day. I told him that I was going to hike over to the top of the dam. He informed me that a part of that trail was NOT on BLM land.So, if I got injured there they would not be responsible. I decided that would fit FFs comment that he was uncertain about whether it was on BLM land.
When I got to the trail I discovered that my robot let would not be comfortable with it. Half the trail was good, without boulders, holes, or debri. Then I got to the part that the attendent must have had in mind when he warned that I would be responsible for my own safety. It was narrow and sloped with the steep terrain. It was an obstacle course not built for the meek, faint of heart, or robot legged. I chose caution and turned back.
One of the features of SantaCruz Lake is these logs and trees sticking out of the water. They have bark peeled off portions of them creating nice white blazes on them. So, if you are brave and in the wood, wade over and have a look. It could be worth the cold.