Albuquerque part 3
Old town
The first thing I have to mention is the diversity of native indigenous cultures and how they can be represented in simple but deep-meaning things like vases, clothing, jewelry, and others. Imagine how the people, in the beginning, were able to become with natural colorants, materials, and techniques to express feelings, beliefs, and other important things like the harvest calendar, all this comes to my mind while I was walking every street of the old town, the red chilies decoration, made me feel welcome and privilege of living through history, almost felt my native side emerging, in my mind had this slow motion image of myself walking in those streets years and years ago while looking at colors of the adobe walls and looking at the stars in the chilly night in the desert around.
But coming back at the real experience, for me was fascinating seeing the pigments on the vase on Navajo vases, those iridescent colors almost felt ethereal. I haven't dug much into the meaning of these ones but I'm sure there is a fascinating story behind every single design and color, hope I can go back and share some time with native people to understand the whole concept of "Native Nation" that sound so powerful and empowering to native communities when I heard it, I imagine how I'm my country that would be and just thinking on the territory division based on native tribes distribution and not in political/colonized minds, it would make much more sense.
Air balloon festival
Non intentionally but grateful about how many beautiful things I encounter during my last visit to Albuquerque, just some hours before departing to California, while watching the sunset, I knew the show was about to start, there were some colorful balloons on the horizon, and in the social media they announced the beginning of the festival on the next day, the 1st of October. It was my first time experiencing an international hot-air balloon festival. Far from the simplicity I imagine, The New Mexico air balloon festival was elaborated, inspiring, and made me understand a lot of the culture. Not. just companies but individuals, prepared during the whole year to take the flight over the Albuquerque desert with the stunning reddish sunshine.
Some of the balloons are really colorful and creative with the shape, and some others go to the traditional side which reminds me of those Disney air balloons with circus inspirations. From 6 am to 9 am, I enjoy the process of seeing how they do the preparation (see video).
Unfortunately this blog doesn't allow me to share links or pictures so I invite you to go to my original blog https://www.junglejournals.soniacamargo.com/
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