Day 4: Recreational Day

Today was recreational day. We had the entire day to spend doing activities as a group as well as some individual time to do whatever we wanted. We started the day off with a delicious breakfast. It was especially delicious because I helped cooked it! They were breakfast burritos served with sides of meat, eggs, cheese, salsa, green onions, and sour cream. I just had my basic egg and cheese burrito, but it was still very good! I made most of the scrambled eggs because I was up really early today and decided to head over and help cook. After breakfast we took the bus to San Francísco Asís Church. It was the center of the Ranchos de Taos Plaza and used as protection against Comanche attackers. It also became known as a National Historic Landmark. We weren't able to take any pictures inside because the church is considered sacred, but we were able to take some outside. Once we went inside we weren't able to talk, just admire. We stayed for a bit and looked at different paintings in the church then headed back on the bus. We arrived at the Rio Grande Grorge Bridge around 11am and had an hour to explore. I hiked down the trail, which was over 800ft of elevation. The view was breathtaking from top to bottom. Once I hiked back up to the top I was able to stand out on a rock over the ledge and take a few beautiful pictures. I wish we would've had a little more time there but it was almost lunchtime. We went back to the church and everyone was able to do what they wanted until supper, which wasn't until 4:30pm. It was already 1pm so I went out to seek for food. I didn't have to walk too far until I found a cute local diner in Taos. After I ate my burger with a side of fries I was ready to go out and explore. I went to a few different shops and bought a t-shirt in one. It's based off Wheeler Peak, which is the highest mountain here in Taos. It's elevation is at 13,161ft. I'm currently at around 7,000ft above sea level. That must be why people around here get out of breath so quickly; there's a lot less oxygen up here. Either way, I've walked several miles the last few days because there's a lot more to do in the outskirts of town. Once I arrived back at the church I took a quick power nap and skipped dinner because I was still full from my late lunch. Then around 5 pm our group loaded on the bus and traveled to Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs & Spa Resort about an hour and a half away from Taos. It was incredible there. They had several different natural hot springs that we could sit in and also a couple saunas. We stayed for almost three hours before we all had to get back on the bus and head back to Taos. I'm currently on the bus right now feeling totally relaxed and ready for bed. Those hot springs did wonders for me. It was really peaceful there and we weren't allowed to talk or take pictures, so I just simply enjoyed the moment and the experience. Tomorrow we'll be back to work and hopefully finishing up the house. I saw Adriana, the future homeowner, working at Albertson's grocery store today and she said she's very excited and blessed to finally have a place to call home. Her kids have been waiting for this day as long as they've been living in a trailer - nearly eight years. It's going to be so nice for them to have a yard to play in and a safe roof over their heads. Hopefully they will all be at the build site when we finish up so I can say my farewells and good lucks. That would certainly be a moment for me to cherish and remember forever.