On the road, from Page and more!

Friday, June 13th, 2008

We are getting back on the road again. Well, we are always on the road but lately in a different fashion due to fuel prices! We just deal with it by establishing a home base and, maybe you have noticed, going around and around! I know Utah would take a Lifetime to truly circle it. The main reason for us choosing Bluff was because of an offer to participate in the birth of a new restaurant, giving up 3 days of my week. The pay of course would have helped out the Journey tremendously, but… so it did not work out. And I have been thinking all day what good would it do to write about it? Maybe a couple words as a reminder. Nothing positive for sure as a couple days ago I was subjected to an irrational array of words expressed in a not very fashionable way, only hoping today that the ugly facial expression of seemingly suddenly a stranger confronting her own temper directed to me will soon be only a vague memory.

Cortez 2  

Cortez 5

Regardless of our almost 30 years of difference, respect always being a nice "term" but lacking at that moment, more than any other feelings, I was taken back by the change of mood from past e mails and discussions, as suddenly I was dealing with a totally different person. I think there is a medical term for it, I will not look for it, instead, with a cool head, try to make a decision, the same question always… east or west? There was no question about the fact that I was not going to be subjected to such outbursts! North for sure as the heat is coming on! I have always stayed calm throughout difficult situations, the same working, when tickets in the kitchen would pile up and everyone would get excited loosing time and temper, I have always stood even calmer than my normal composure… thinking and moving then on a precise path is what I have always done best, that day was the same… one has to love getting older and acquiring a certain sense of maturity! So the water has ran under the bridge… and the road awaits us as always. Enough said about it…

Cortez 6

  Cortez 3 sergio

Were are we?… Cortez, Colorado! It is all green! We are here for only a couple days at the most, it is that time to regroup, trying to keep my composure from the past event and time for errands in a real city! Prescriptions filled, Walmart $4 generic prescriptions are available, a great help when without Health insurance. Provisions for the road and a new tire change which I have been carrying for a while for the sidecar. We took a quick ride up the Mesa Verde National Park, where we had never been and met up with another traveler, Sergio from Boston… on the road himself, first time, for 3 months. In town ourselves for just a couple hours and already I was given a tip about an evening Dance followed by a talk from an 84 years old Navajo Code Talker, at the Cortez Cultural Center and planned on attending, which we did…

2 dances 1  

2 dances 2

It was an interesting evening with much learned about Navajo Traditions and stories about the Code Talkers and how it all came about. Truly an education and meeting some wonderful people. As interesting was as much our conversations, Sergio and myself. Here is a rider that has left home two weeks ago, with plans of a schedule and myself almost two years on the road with no schedule. I realized last night how much I have changed, how much the values that were yesterday do not mean anything anymore and strangely enough, Sergio himself, as also Artk which I met a couple weeks ago in a similar scenario, are also deviating from their own original path! I felt as this was a message, if maybe not totally expressed will probably come into Life on its own with many travelers.

grand child 1 grand child 2 grand child 3

Sergio had a great time last night attending the Dance and Sam’s stories, the Navajo Code Talker. He had been riding and riding for two weeks non stop and it was interesting to hear myself talk about how different it is "traveling" and "living on the road". The riding itself as I have mentioned many times is always awesome… but somehow becomes secondary to the Life on the road. And that is exactly what he experienced last night, happy for a diversion and much education with great entertainment. Enjoy the moment… we talked about as he himself very quickly had broken his schedule many times. What difference does it make trying to cover great distances versus enjoying where one is at. I still have not a precise idea of how many miles ourselves have covered! Does it really matter now? I read these ride reports titled "3200 miles, 5 days and 6 hours…" and wonder what their vision has been.

Lakota 1 Ramona 3

I do understand it, I was there myself a while back! 1000 mile days were pretty much the norm quite often, fast and faster. As the years have gone by the inner vision changes and I truly enjoy noticing that others as Sergio and Artk, much younger than me, are already being hit by the bug… the bug that has made them slow down and take in what Mother Nature has to offer, at the same time deviating into such entertainment as last night. We talked finances, an always sore subject as the mighty dollar is indeed a necessity in Life, on the road or not… it has become for many more than half of their traveling budget! Telling him due to personal circumstances Spirit and I actually have left about 4 years too early but we are making due. We talked camping… cooking… maintenance on the road… I never realized I knew so much, even more how much it has become our way of living. Happy Trails Sergio and be safe.

Ramona 1  

Ramona 2

The Dancers last night where the "Roach" Family, the very young Lady is their grand daughter, already joining into the Traditions. I learned much about their Traditions. Their custom to wake up before sunrise, run east and run back west before the rise as running with the sun. The importance of "grand mothers" in their families. The importance of their Traditions and songs, songs dating back hundreds of years or as recent as today in complete harmony with the dances performed. Their private and very Sacred "Sunrise" Dance… and the gaining popularity of many Pow Wows, specially as the weather warms up, sometimes as many as 20,000 attending. You really should try to attend one if you can, besides the beautiful clothing, the song and dances to the beat of the drums and singers, the experience in itself is a very Spiritual one and might transport you where you have not been yet.

Ramona 4

Ramona 5 Ramona 6

The Roach Family lives in New Mexico, they often travel to Cortez as they did yesterday, spreading the words of their Cultures and exhibiting the various dances. Norman is a Lakota, Romano is Navajo and Norman has been a 12 time winner at Pow Wows. They daughter herself has been a many time winner of "Iron Woman" dances where they will dance non stop up to 50 songs! She is now training for the 10,000 meter race for the next Olympics envisioning and getting her strength from those early morning runs she has done all her Life. I wish her the best of success.

Lakota 4

The ring Dance by Norman…

Lakota 3 Lakota 5

And the MC asking if any other grand parents would like to also join in! In great shape these two are…

Ramona 8

Ramona 7 Ramona 9

It was then an hour listening to the incredible story of Sam, a once in a Lifetime opportunity to hear first hand how Navajo Talkers developed and utilized spoken code which was never broken by the Japanese during the war, and how they aided in the Victory of the United States in the South Pacific.After graduating from Mission School in Farmington, New Mexico, Sam joined the United States Marine Corps in 1943 and did 5 combat duties in South Pacific! During World War II, the Japanese were breaking every American code. The Navajos in the Marine Corps became legendary Code Talkers, whose transmissions in their native language provided this Nation with the only totally secure encryption. They were there during the bloodiest battles, relaying vital information and saving thousands of lives. Their contribution was immeasurable, their bravery unquestionable. It was for me a true Honor to listen to him last night and meet him personally. Did you know that August 14th is "Code Talker Day"?

 Sam

Till next time… enjoy and all be well…

Have you checked the T-shirts? "Throw the Dog a Bone!"… T-shirtsMouse padsPhotography we have been getting great feedbacks.

We are always under deep appreciation toward the readers that have send in a contribution helping this website’s expenditures. For those who have not, continue enjoying the site, pictures, recipes, and if you feel it’s worth $1 a month, the contribution button is above, snail mail is below…

Ara Gureghian   853 Vanderbilt Beach Rd #245   Naples, Fl 34108

Ara & Spirit

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3 Responses to “On the road, from Page and more!”

  1. Jim Jacobs Says:

    sorry about the job, Ara. Enjoyed the Navajo pixs.

  2. AtlasRider Says:

    I admit that I fixate on mileage too much sometimes. I wonder why I get so much satisfaction out of reading my odometer at the end of the day, “700 miles, woo hoo!” I feel like I’m in a marathon sometimes, and testing my endurance on the bike is a fun challenge for me. I’ve been ignoring the miles more and more lately, and focusing on here and now. It doesn’t take very long after I am off the bike before my throttle hand gets itchy and I hit the road again. Short and sweet stops, then long stints on the road. That’s what I like now, perhaps that will change in the future and I can be satisfied with riding less than 200 miles in a day.

  3. t.s. calvillo-cox Says:

    greetings to chef ara and spirit. i finally got around to viewing your site. the pictures from the roach family dancers are precious. you seem to be a very interesting person. i wish we would have had more time to visit while you were here in cortez. you have quite the eye for photos. i am sure i will be visiting your site often. by the way, your career as a chef is also quite impressive. be well and God Bless.

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