The monastery is located about 50 miles south of Chama, or 75 miles north of Santa Fe, and you have to drive 15 miles down a semi-maintained rock road off the highway to get there. It is located in the Chama River Valley within the Santa Fe National Forest. As I arrived it was quickly realized that down in the valley the temperatures are a lot higher. Although it was 27 degrees in Chama this morning, it was 82 at the monastery, so layers of clothing came off quickly as I stepped out of my very dirty rental car.
You have to park down the road a bit and hike to the chapel and gift shop area. You can walk the main road, but I decided to walk the lovely and well maintained path where you encounter the Stations of the Cross. Each station has a wooden cross of a different design as well as a wooden placard with various scriptures all written in Latin. The path leads you to the main chapel, which is basically round in shape with seating on three sides, with the pulpit being in the middle of the room. Above, and all around, are large windows where one can gaze at the beautiful mountains very close by. I was alone, and it was very quiet and peaceful. Prayer candles were burning nearby. I sneezed in the chapel and said aloud "excuse me" in case anyone was listening. The desert is in full bloom and my allergies were in full attack mode causing me to sneeze and have watery eyes the whole time I was there. I'm sure the people walking by thought I was overwhelmed with emotion of the experience, but I didn't try to explain it was only allergies. I continued to the gift shop, which is located in an adjacent building to the chapel separated by a prayer garden. There are also offices and conference rooms in this building, and I soon came across a group of people walking out of one room and I could hear the monks doing their Gregorian-style chants of prayer, which was beautiful. I also noticed that all of the people exiting were wearing leather medallions around their neck. I tried to ask a couple of ladies how I could get in to hear the chants, and they smiled, said nothing, and held up their medallions towards me. After reading some literature nearby I quickly realized that they weren't being rude, but were observing a day of silence, which is customary at this monastery. Those wearing the medallions are asking others not to speak to them. Oops. Speaking is only allowed in common rooms and at meals offering prayers, and of course during mass. I perused the gift shop for a few minutes but didn't purchase anything. I could have bought the Monastery of Christ in the Desert cooking apron, but there would be too many questions asked whenever I wore it.
Although they have electricity, it's not from the power company. This monastery has its own, and very elaborate solar power system spread out all over the complex. They have guest houses for those that want to stay and interact with the monks, and each facility had its own solar power array. Very impressive.
The monks here also produce their own beer. As the literature explained, the brewery sales are under a for-profit LLC which helps support the non-profit monastery. I'm not sure how that all works, but I didn't dare ask anyone. I might have been assaulted with medallions again.
A 30-minute drive on the rock road and I'm back to the paved highway. I turned north towards Chama and one mile down the road I see something called the Echo Amphitheater, which is maintained by the US Forest Service. I pulled in, paid my $2 fee, and was immediately awestruck at this perfectly shaped, and quite beautiful, natural rock amphitheater. Nature sculpted this amazing place over millions of years, and as I approached the small staging area inside the amphitheater, I heard a young man playing Indian songs on a flute. It echoed beautifully all around the area and I found it quite moving. When he finished, a woman walked to the front, stretched her arms out towards the high cliffs that formed the amphitheater, and started to chant in what she called "toning". She just sang various pitches of tone with a lovely slow vibrato, and with perfect pitch. Wow. As anyone who knows me knows I am not a religious person, but I do consider myself spiritual, and there is a big difference. As I heard these random and beautiful sounds echoing off this amazing structure, I felt my soul stirred, my being confirmed, my life energized and more at one with everything than I did, or ever would, at a monastery, or any other man-made structure. This is the truth. This is the reality. This is what I have faith in. With no offense to my religious friends, this is what it's all about to me. Man didn't build this, the earth did. I have tried to express my feelings about spirituality to others, and it's difficult to do as I don't like to be pegged in any certain category. I have just described those feelings because of this place. No need to ask again, the questions have been answered. Not by me, but for me.
Back in Chama, our group that will ride the Chama steam train tomorrow are gathering in the parking lot of the motel at 6:30pm. The pizza has been ordered, the cocktails and being served, and the stories are getting interesting. I haven't seen most of these people in four years, but somehow they all seem to remember me. That seems to happen wherever I go, and I often wonder why.
The pizza is gone, the mess is cleaned up, and I need to do a load of laundry. Tomorrow is the big group trip on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad that runs between Chama, NM and Antonito, CO, and it's a rolling party. I've been waiting four years for this event, and it's finally here!
Information: http://www.christdesert.org
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