what am I?

I can already tell today is going to be a hot one. The sun has been up for hours, warming my back as I stand there proudly and upright. For miles, I can see a plethora of majestic rocky formations sprawled across the terrain on all sides of me. The various shades of brown contrast against the clear blue sky and I smile knowing what a spectacular view this must be. Many of us are perfect, unblemished, and without a single scratch. But other, like myself, have been chiseled away to the very center of our hearts and exposed for the world to see.

The tourists are beginning to trickle in - the same old American, Chinese, and Spanish travelers who come to "Ooo" and "Ahh" over this natural phenomenon and unique configuration they say we are. In drives a bus load of sleepy-eyed students who proceed to scramble out in a single file line, talking and laughing. They snap photographs by the hundreds as they run up and down the many jagged structures. As they come closer I can hear them remarking on how incredible this place really is. They talk fast, using big adjectives and fancy words, and I am unable to catch everything they say. A couple of them comment that I resemble something called Death Valley and California. I am unsure of what they mean and whether or not I should be offended. There is a blonde, white girl in the group who is limping behind the rest, but I can see the fascination in her eyes. She says she would love to live here. I smile in content.

We were once a source of protection, providing refuge against the extremities of mother nature. We no longer have such responsibilities. Instead, we now serve a new purpose: providing an interactive way for the present to experience the past.