A Cultural Event
...iftly and precise as any modern machine. Yet, as she looked up from her master piece to acknowledge our presence, her eyes could barely focus on our exact position directly in front of her. Her granddaughter, who couldn’t have been more than four or five years old, quickly showed us some of the work her grandmother had completed, and pointed to the sign that read, “ $15.00”. I bought three scarves that afternoon, not because of how beautiful they were, but because of what the scarf represented to me; A piece of a culture, not so much unlike my own. The elderly lady on the beach was very much like all the other natives we encountered: hardworking, family oriented, crafty, honest, and kind to tourists. In addition to the people in Puerto Vallarta, the city itself was drenched in tradition and religion. We went on a bus tour through the city and saw all of the flee markets, old homes of the rich-and-famous, churches, symbolic statues and monuments, some tequila manufacturers, and even a mystic garden. At each stop the tour guide had a story to tell of either a religious experience that occurred in the place or of a great Spaniard who had created the location from dirt and sand. It was also interesting to see how a lot of the homes just outside of the resort area, though humble, were hand built and painted by its residents. As a matter-of-fact, my husband and I witnessed, what appeared to be, a father and son completing the construction phase of their home. They looked very dedicated and proud of what they had accomplished together. Although many of the residents do not have an abundance of cash flow due to the economy there, the residents appeared to be very happy and close as a family unit. Most of the businesses there were family owned-and-operated with children as little as four and five years old finding their niche in the daily operations. As the bus tour drew to a close, I felt invigorated by all that I had saw and learned about these people and the history of Puerto Vallarta. The back roads of the city I toured that day was not that unlike its humble beginnings. People were still cooking on open fires, washing their clothes by hand, ...