Crazy Horse Memorial

18.8. And that's exactly right: the amount of collected raspberries really jazzes up our porridge! We use our energy for morning strength training and yoga by the lake. We really like going around Sylvan Lake. The ending of the movie 'National Treasure' was filmed here. (Nicholas Cage in a treasure hunt for the 'Constitution'). We head towards Jewel Cave. The tours are quickly booked, but like with the Wind Caves, we're not so eager to go inside since the caves don't show any formations and walking through some cave with other tourists isn't really our thing. Back in the town of Custer, which left us with a typical Western impression when we drove through, we check out the Main Street, where there are mainly souvenir shops and restaurants. Once again, we encounter the 'Pro Trump' attitude mostly in the T-shirt shops, with his face grinning at us from everywhere. To escape conservative America, we visit the 'Crazy Horse Memorial' as a counterpoint, which was commissioned by Native Americans during the final phase of Mount Rushmore. It is meant to express the influence of the indigenous people on the land and the local area. Crazy Horse was a leader against the white overpower. Even the future mane of Crazy Horse easily swallows all four presidential heads - just to illustrate the dimensions. His upper body, along with the horse, will also be carved out of the stone there. According to estimates, the monument will be completed in 2050 and will also house a university and a hospital on the grounds. The museum of the different indigenous peoples and their customs is comprehensive and fascinating. A Lakota dancer and her male counterpart from Arizona amaze us with their original and creative choreographies (Fancy Dance and Hoop Dance). We have the impression that there is still a lot of education needed for white Americans (and us) to make them understand the way of life of today's indigenous tribes.

We drive through an old mining town for about three hours to Devil's Tower, a huge rock made of basalt, a so-called 'National Landmark'. In its vicinity, we cook our dinner undisturbed and watch a few deer grazing. The rain doesn't take long to come afterwards.