Ra Paulette, a 67-year-old sculptor by trade, has an unusual hobby: he digs caves in New Mexico’s sandstone cliffs using only a pickaxe and a wheelbarrow. He never quite got around to finishing college and spent many years drifting as a hitchhiker across America, after being discharged from the U.S. Navy. Ra learned the art of digging in the summer of 1985, when he worked in Dixon as an excavator. He started out digging outhouses and building wells, which eventually lead to these beautiful caves. Continue reading for a video and more information.
Oddity Central says that “he sculpted his first cave, the ‘Heart Chamber’ in 1987. It was made on public land in Arroyo Seco and soon became a public shrine of sorts. In fact, it became so crowded with visitors that Ra had to fill it in after a few years. ‘There were so many people going to it and it was detrimental to the area, and there were safety issues,’ he said.
[Source]
