Chiles, very important in Santa Fe

Friday August 6th - Saturday August 14th 1999

Santa Fe is celebrated as the city different, an epithet that is richly deserved. The difference is not just felt in the architecture (although as mentioned, that is wildly different from elsewhere in the US), but in the very atmosphere of the place. Maybe it's the mix of cultures that makes it so special: it's often said that Santa Fe is tricultural - Anglo, Hispanic and Indian. Life moves at an easier pace than in some of the more hectic places we've visited (New York being only the most obvious example), and there's an appealing sense that there's plenty of time. It is the highest state capital in the US at 7000 feet (a bit over 2000 metres), and probably one of the driest (they call it the high desert), and there's a colour that contrasts starkly with the greyness of, for example, Seattle. There's also a slightly wacky, slightly surreal feel about it, very different from my European pre-conceptions of "America".

The Santa Fe "River" - not a drop of water in sight!

Bunches of red chiles are everywhere in Santa Fe, on sale from street vendors and hanging from many homes. They are supposed to bring good fortune to the inhabitants of the house. There's a river which has no water in it for much of the time, but as is common in these parts, it is prone to flash flooding due to rain in the mountains which ring Santa Fe.

Can anyone tell me what a lifestyle boutique and brain spa is?

The Indian contribution to the local culture is very evident, from the Native street vendors lining the arcade in front of the Palace of the Governors (selling of all things "traditional style" golf ball markers!) to the numerous shops selling Kachina dolls, pueblo pottery, dreamcatchers and beautiful rugs, all catering to the tourists which represent one of Santa Fe's main sources of income. The Hispanic influence can be seen in the many Mexican restaurants ranging from fast food burrito joints to upmarket luxury restaurants, almost everything of course coming with a choice of chile. Santa Fe also has an extraordinary number of expensive galleries, out of all proportion to the size of the town. In particular, Canyon Road must have over 50 galleries, with some extremely expensive pieces on sale - we saw one place doing a house clearance with several paintings on sale at around $200,000. It's the sort of place where you wish you'd just won the lottery so that you could blow it all on beautiful objects.

"The Invocation", a life-size sculpture

The other thing I found about Santa Fe was that the people are so friendly and helpful and just, well, nice. We met a number of very interesting characters along the way, largely thanks to our excellent host Elizabeth Connor. We had simply mentioned an interest in Tibet, and almost before we knew it we were having lunch in an Indian restaurant with the private secretary of the Dalai Lama!

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