Canyon de Chelly, AZ

DAY 9
FRI 5 OCT 2012

It was the Edward S. Curtis iconic photograph from the book: Portraits From North American Indian Life (Outerbridge & Lazard pub.1st ed) that inspired and made me want to visit the American Southwest to see the beauty of the historic Canyon de Chelly.



See also: www.facebook.com/TheEconomist/videos/vb.6013004059/10153833666144060

Canyon de Chelly has been continuously inhabited by various Indian groups for more than 2,000 years, including, the Ancient Puebloans and now the Diné, who make their home here.

To visitors it is Canyon de Chelly, a geologic wonder of the Southwest whose landscape has inspired artists, poets and travelers willing to venture off the beaten track, deep into the Canyon. But to the Diné, it is Tséyi' - "the place deep in the rock," home to generations of Navajo that have settled here.

It is beautiful, serene, peaceful, pastoral. Being here feels like another country, another continent, another world - it's hard to believe I'm in the USA, and it's 2012 as I walk in a place steeped in history and ancient spirits.