From heaven to hell and back

After dropping off Sioux Nation donations 2 the Navajo people, we continue south in the far eastern side of Arizona, on 191, a south/north route that traverses the u.s. from Mexico to Canada thru the most stunningly beautiful high desert terrain & mountains that words nor photos can do justice - truly a huge slice of heaven - one breath-taking view after another and another. Roads that begin 55mph with 25 mile curves, then morph  into 25mph with 10 mile curves and then to 10mph with hairpin curves. Mountain ranges that become more and more glorious and stunning, sometimes seeing far off to other states (I'm sure), sometimes surrounded by tall cliffs and wooded forests.

We can't stop gasping with wonder and awe.

Then, in true "anerikkkan" nature, we hit the hell we've created: the morceni open pit mine.

No words or photos can describe the length or breadth of that hell nor the resulting pain & shock & sickness flooding both Liz & myself.

We feel wounded to our cores, desperate with grief and horror. Miles and miles and miles of total destruction of the most beautiful land you can imagine. Huge mountains transformed from wondrous terrain to gigantic piles of rubble; valleys stripped of all life and transformed into flat dusty plains miles deep. We feel like we've fallen off the Mother Earth and have landed on some distant planet.

Then we come to the science fiction part of the mine where huge machines and conveyor belts crawl around as the brightest lights outline straight rows of buildings and towers and immense machinery.

We speed through this devastation as quickly as we can and still it takes almost an hour. Finally we're on our way to I10 where we find the limp to the rest area at Texas Canyon, seeking healing and forgiveness and respite.