The Old Mission at the Quarai Ruins
The Quarai Ruins are part of the historical Salinas Pueblo Missions in New Mexico. Took a day trip there yesterday with my good friend, Robin. We both enjoy getting out with our cameras, and relaxing whether in the car or hiking around.
Here are some notes about Quarai from the Travel Guide: Quarai was on the southeastern fringes of the New Mexico Pueblo world, and inhabited before A.D. 1300. The Tiwa-speaking Indians farmed, hunted and gathered salt from the saline lakes in the valley; the Spanish colonials established a mission and chapel at Quarai in the 1600′s, and at that time it is estimated there were 400-600 native people living there; in the late 1600′s a serious drought struck and by 1677 Fray Parraga locked the mission’s doors for the last time and headed north with the Tiwa people to Tajique and then to Isleta.
Quarai is nestled in a beautiful spot, with old cottonwood and other types of tress and brush. The boysenberry bushes (at least we think they were boysenberry) were thick with fruit and attracting small birds in large numbers while we were there. The Butterflies were also more numerous than we have seen in a long time.
We saw what first looked like a field mouse near a picnic table, huddled down in some foliage trying to keep warm. There had been so much rain lately, it may have been flooded out of its home. Upon closer inspection, we aren’t sure it was a mouse, but not sure what it was.
I got a little turned around driving back to Albuquerque. I’m usually pretty good with directions, but I took a wrong turn and it took us awhile, with a map, to get back on the right roads.
We stopped for lunch in Estancia, a small town, where literally everyone knows your name. We had lunch in a BBQ place, but ordered the day’s special – a burger with fries and a small drink. It was delicious.
We encountered one heck of a rain storm on the way home. Found ourselves wondering if we were going to make it through a couple places where the water had pooled heavily. Robin and I made it back into Albuquerque around 4 p.m.
At 6:30 that night I met Cristen Grey at the Southwest Gay & Lesbian Film Festival kick-off party at Scalo’s in Albuquerque. Cristen is a wonderful musician/singer/songwriter that lives in Santa Fe. Her sound is contemporary rock, and she writes her own material. I’ll tell you more about her another time, as she has just launched a new CD.
OH…the kick-off party was fun. Lots of people there that I haven’t seen in awhile. Scalo’s provided delicious food (buffet spread). But my favorite was their chocolate eclairs. OMG! The chocolate was light, and the cream filling fluffy and not too sweet. I wanted a second one, but stopped myself.
The film festival looks to be a great one this year! Those of you in New Mexico should try to attend.
