An unforgettable day

Up and out early again on Wednesday - after a delicious breakfast with freshly baked sourdough bread and muffins in our hotel - for pickup at 8 am by the van of Wild River Expeditions. It had rained early in the morning and it was still partly cloudy when we boarded the boat. Fortunately, it cleared up during the day and it quickly warmed up and soon we were sitting on the boat just wearing t-shirts.

I don’t know whether it still can get any better, but this 8,5 hour river trip on the San Juan River was much more than what we had expected. On an inflatable boat for up to six people we were joined by an American couple of „bloggers“. Our guide Marcus - a handsome Dine Indian (Navajo) - showed to be an expert in archaeology and geology and, also, did a great job in encouraging the engine to keep running in the low water of the San Juan River. First stop was at the Butler Wash Panel petroglyphs, where we hiked up to impressive figurative panels of the Basketmaker II period (400/500 d.c.) - see pics.

Our second archaeological stop was even more impressive: River (Snake) House – cliff dwellings of the Pueblo culture, around 1000 AD. This reminded us a lot of the Mesa Verde structures, though on a smaller scale. After our short hike up to the archaeological remains, Marcus played „chef“ and set up a lunch of tacos with all the sides on a foldable table, which he had stored - together with all the food and water as well as with a „portable bathroom“ (a bucket with a toilet seat) - on the boat.




The afternoon was mostly spent on the boat and we learned a lot about geology. All the different formations (partly similar to what you get in the Grand Canyon) were just fantastic, wished I would have time to get a better timeline. We crossed Comb Ridge, floated through a canyon, saw Mexican Hat, watched a bald eagle, a blue heron, donkeys, horses and sheep along the river bank. Looking through my pictures, I noticed that they can never fully reflect the reality and how monumental and majestic the landscape is. Nevertheless, I have attached a caleidoscope of pics from the boat trip:

Marcus made us all little souvenirs, cut and braided of willow branches while he was navigating the boat to its final destination, Mexican Hat. After 27 miles (ca. 45 km) on the river we were picked up by the van and arrived back to our hotel at around 5:30 pm, cleaned up and went out again for dinner at San Juan River City Kitchen - delicious tacos and quesadillas and a local brew. What an unforgettable day this has been! Thank you Charlie!