DESERT       SKIES 

Indians, Balloons and 
Little Green Men…. 

you can find them all in 
New Mexico!

New Mexico borders with Arizona and reaches up to Colorado. When touring the State the air conditioning  made the car cool and comfortable  but it was wonderful to get out into the dry heat.  The warmth seemed to penetrate and bring alive the bones that had been chilled by a northern winter.  

  Indian territories  ranged from  the massive Navajo Reservation, whose 2,000-square-mile south-east corner occupies the entire Northwest corner of the state, to the tiny but prosperous Cochiti Pueblo, a booming resort area just north of Albuquerque. 

Some nineteen  Indian pueblos lie within the boundaries of New Mexico. The basic building material is adobe, a brick made from mud and straw that is set in the sun to dry. 

The style of building,  with the deep door recesses and the small windows,  means that inside the homes are cool in the very hot summers. 

In New Mexico's pueblos, and you can usually find native crafts people selling their wares. It pays to shop around for the beautiful turquoise jewellery. You find it everywhere with prices varying enormously and you even get really keen offers when you stop for ‘gas’ at the filling station shops.

At the  Taos Pueblo plaintive Indian music played on a flute drifted on the air. In the  buildings were the historic home of Indians  for a thousand years, . 

The various ruins associated with the ancient Anasazi civilisation can be reached from

Santa Fe.  

The Anasazi Indians were the first  inhabitants of the U.S. Southwest .They were remarkable builders and the massive blocks of stones at Charma fit so closely together that you can scarce slip a credit card between them.  

More recent in history was the arrival of the Spanish colonists in 1598  who constructed a string of mission stations a days ride from each other,  The San Miguel Mission at Santa Fe  was built in 1625  and was originally used by the Mexican Indians. They were conscripted  by the Spaniards as soldiers and servants and the arrival of the Spanish is re enacted each year in Fiesta with riders in plumed helmets riding through the streets.

What goes up.

Ballooning is another attraction and is  fascinating as a holiday 'extra.'  At Albuquerque in New Mexico they will be hold the Kodak International Balloon Festival.  Claimed to be  "the single most photographed event on earth."

 it's estimated that more than 25 million still photographs were taken at one event. Albuquerque is the premier ballooning city due to the crystal skies, perfect October climate and a combination of weather patterns and geographic landscape, that  allows balloonists to control and even retrace their adventure.

Even if you are not competing,  a flight is to be heartily recommended. Balloon travel can be a mixture noise and utter peace. With the burners closed we moved  silently  at one with the wind. 

A quiet conversation on the ground could be heard clearly, birdsong added to the pleasure and occasionally we were challenged by the barking of a dog as our shadow fell across the ground and we invaded it’s territory.  

  Our pilot decided that it was time to go up a few hundred feet, he opened the burner and with a roar,  flame shot hot air towards the opening of the balloon. This had two effects. The first was to lift us gently skywards, the second, was for the balding man next to me to put on has hat to protect his sensitive scalp from further roasting.

When it started, over thirty  years,  ago the Balloon Fiesta was a mere 13 balloons in a shopping mall parking lot. The event has now grown, drawing nearly nine hundred  balloons and one and a half million spectators. It is  located at the 200 acre Balloon Fiesta State Park on Albuquerque's north side and the  mass ascensions are between 7:15 am and 9 am. "Dawn Patrol" balloons launch before sunrise and provide luminous points of colour for spectators arriving early in the morning.

…and what comes down.

If you enjoy festivals  one that is almost ‘out of this world’  takes place at Roswell, where in 1947,  an alleged spaceship craft crashed in the desert outside of Roswell.

The UFO Festival is held in the first week of July each year,  They have a number of speakers authorities who give serious talks,  also ‘fun things’ and a carnival atmosphere that ensures a good time for everybody.   

The museum,   has  reports and affidavits from eyewitnesses and people involved in the incident.  When they started the festival, they had about sixteen hundred visitors, recently a hundred and seventy  thousand arrived.

 The success of the' X files'  and 'Star Trek' TV programmes, mean that Trekkies show up each year and take part in the costume contests. 

It’s a lot of fun and The Roswell Incident has really   put the town on the map as a major tourist attraction. 40% of the visitors are from out-with the U.S. just how many come from my native Scotland or from outer space they  don’t quite know.

 Time to beam up?