Taos, a place you will never forget ;)

As you may remember, we caught the very last shuttle bus at Bandelier National Monument (click here if you want to refresh your memory - Bandelier National Monument) and drove back to Taos, where we planned to spend the night. The next morning we woke up full of energy and ideas about what we wanted to see...

 

We started exploring with a visit to the Nuestra Senora de Dolores church. The traditional adobe building was still closed (yep, we arrived a bit too early) and we took just a couple of pictures and moved to Taos Plaza. 

The morning was really chilly and we needed something warm to drink. We had a cup of coffee at one of the oldest Taos inn - La Fonda Hotel. This hotel is about 200 years old and is a really good place to get some good coffee if you need a cup.

Widely awakened and recharged, we walked around Taos Plaza... just for a few minutes, eager to learn about the history of this place... And we discovered that the tiniest details can tell you a lot! These elements remember three or four generations of people who used to live and trade there and have some stories to tell if you're willing to listen ;)

We then moved to La Hacienda de los Martinez. This place is more than just an old-fashioned house. From the outside it looks like a regular barn and has no windows there... If you walk around you will find that there are only two doors and nothing else...

 

All life in such places happened inside the walls and was hidden from the outside world. Inside the walls are two perfect courtyards and plenty of space. Now a museum, so feel free to stop by and learn more about the life of the early settlers...

We wandered around a bit and moved on to our next destination - La Loma Plaza. This is a very interesting and unusual place. All buildings are approximately the same age (about 100 years old or so) and most of them are kept in a very good shape. 

There are many trees around that hide the houses really well. All you can clearly see are gates and doors. Richly decorated and intricately carved, they are a true marvel of the plaza. They are works of art and worth stopping by and being looked at.

Before entering the square, you need to pass the guards - a 150-year-old church, simple and clean, and definitely the heart of the community...

At this point we had already spent half a day in Taos and mostly away from Taos Plaza, the usual place where people hang out ;) But, honestly, the main plaza is a great place, but not the only place to explore in this town, especially if you are interested in some gems, hidden and known only by locals...

To be continued...

Pictures were taken on October 07, 2012.