Tänään pääsimme taas tutustumaan Yhdysvaltojen luontoon ja nähtävyyksiin. Aamun ensimmäinen kohde oli Crazy Horse Memorial. Monumentin kaiverrus ja rakentaminen aloitettiin vuonna 1948 ja on edelleen kesken. Työn aloitti Korczak Ziolkowski paikallisten intiaaniheimojen pyynnöstä ja työtä on jatkanut hänen lapsensa ja rakentamista varten on perustettu säätiö. Kun poistuimme monumentilta mietimme oliko tämä nyt hyvä asia kaivertaa jättiläismäistä intiaania kauniiseen luontoon. Toisaalta monumentti tuo paikallisille töitä, alueelle on perustettu museo sekä alkuperäiskansojen oma yliopisto projektin ansiosta.
Päivän seuraava kohde Mt Rushmore. Ennakkoon meitä hieman arvelutti tämä neljän presidentin (Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt sekä Lincoln) muotokuva kaiverrus, mutta loppujen lopuksi monumentti oli todella vaikuttava. Monumentilta lähdimme kiertämään Custer State Parkin Wildlife loopia. Matkan varrella näimme biisoneita, peuroja sekä preeriakoiria.
Päivän kolmas kohde Wind Cave National park. Puisto on jakaantunut kahteen osaan: maanpinnalla olevaan alueeseen ja maan alla kulkevaan luolastoon. Meidän tavoitteena oli tutustua luolastoon. Varasimme itsellemme liput 1,5 tuntia kestävälle Fairgrounds tourille, jossa pääsimme tutustumaan mahtaviin kivimuodostelmiin sekä luolasaleihin. Kierroksen kruunasi kun kierroksella mukana oleva Lakota heimon jäsen pyysi luvan laulaa heimonsa laulun viimeisessä salissa. Maanpinnalle kun pääsimme menimme jututtamaan heimolaisia ja kun kerroimme, että olimme road tripillä, hän halusi laulaa meille vielä suojeluslaulun matkallemme.
Päivä oli pitkä. Kävimme päivän päätteksi syömässä runsaasti ja tietenkin jäätelöillä.
Today we got to continue exploring the nature of the United States and to see new attractions. Our first site of the day Crazy Horse memorial. The carving of this monument was started in 1948 and is still going on. The work was started by Korczak Ziolkowski when local Native Americans asked him to build a monument for them. The work is being continued by his children and by a non-profit foundation. When we left the monument we were not sure if it was a good thing to carve a huge sculpture in the middle of beautiful nature. On the other hand the monument brings work to the locals and because of it there is a Native American museum and a Native American college in the area.
The second site of the day Mt Rushmore. Before we arrived there we were not sure what to think about a sculpture of four presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt sekä Lincoln), but we have to say it was impressive. From the monument we continued to Custer State Parkin Wildlife loop where we saw bisons, deer and prairie dogs.
Our third attraction of the day was Wind Cave National park. The park is devided into two parts: the park above the surface and the caves under the surface. Our target was the caves. We reserved tickets to a 1,5 hour Fairgrounds tour, where we got to see fantastic boxwork sculptures and cave halls. At the end of the tour a member of the Lakota tribe asked permission from the park ranger if he could sing their tribes song in the last hall. It was amazing. Once we got back to the surface we went to talk with the tribe members and once they found out we were on a road trip, the man who sang in the cave wanted to sing us a blessing for our journey.
The day was long which we ended with a big dinner and of course ice cream.
Today we got to continue exploring the nature of the United States and to see new attractions. Our first site of the day Crazy Horse memorial. The carving of this monument was started in 1948 and is still going on. The work was started by Korczak Ziolkowski when local Native Americans asked him to build a monument for them. The work is being continued by his children and by a non-profit foundation. When we left the monument we were not sure if it was a good thing to carve a huge sculpture in the middle of beautiful nature. On the other hand the monument brings work to the locals and because of it there is a Native American museum and a Native American college in the area.
The second site of the day Mt Rushmore. Before we arrived there we were not sure what to think about a sculpture of four presidents (Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt sekä Lincoln), but we have to say it was impressive. From the monument we continued to Custer State Parkin Wildlife loop where we saw bisons, deer and prairie dogs.
Our third attraction of the day was Wind Cave National park. The park is devided into two parts: the park above the surface and the caves under the surface. Our target was the caves. We reserved tickets to a 1,5 hour Fairgrounds tour, where we got to see fantastic boxwork sculptures and cave halls. At the end of the tour a member of the Lakota tribe asked permission from the park ranger if he could sing their tribes song in the last hall. It was amazing. Once we got back to the surface we went to talk with the tribe members and once they found out we were on a road trip, the man who sang in the cave wanted to sing us a blessing for our journey.
The day was long which we ended with a big dinner and of course ice cream.
Ei kommentteja:
Lähetä kommentti