On Thursday, March 12, 2015 we joined a small group of 15 visitors to go on a tour of three different businesses in Bucerias. The first stop was at a hammock maker.
Gorgeous hammocks of various sizes including one that will hold an elephant, according to Don Moises. So that would be my size.
The wood for the hammock chairs is being formed and dried in their back yard.
This is the family of Don Moises and Dona Zenaida. They live on the northern edge of Bucerias and are expert hammock makers. Using two vertical sticks and a collection of thin cotton or nylon ropes, they produce some beautiful hammocks or hammock chairs. It's incredible to watch them make their products. Don Moises sells his products on the beach and to local stores. (the young couple on the left were on our tour)
Our second stop was at the Lopez Lopez family who are weavers and toy makers. Martha proudly shows off her beautiful outfit. She is only 21 years old but is the oldest daughter and most fluent Spanish speaker, making her the leader in the family.
Martha and her family of 12 are from an indigenous community in Chiapas, the southernmost state in Mexico. There they raise sheep and work to process the sheep's wool into cloth, which is quite the artisanal process.
Martha, her husband (esposo) and 14 year old sister (Hermana).
Very unique toys made from the wool sheered from their own sheep. They spend 6 months making the products in Chiapas, and then 6 months in Bucerias selling their wares. The colors are fantastic.
Our third and final stop was at Birrieria Ponce.
Don Carmelo is a local restaurant owner who prepares traditional Mexican foods with the help of his family. His specialty is 'birria' (stewed beef) tacos and quesadillas. He is a father of 10 children and shared an amazing story of how he overcame many challenges to provide for his family.
We each got to try our hand in making fresh corn tortillas. (Don's wife)
We were each served one quesadilla and one pelliscadas. And if you were still hungry, you got more. (included in the tour price)
Pellizcadas, which means pinched, is a fat tortilla with some pinches to hold the wonderful 'birria'. These were incredible tasting and incredibly simple. 30 pesos. His restaurant is open from 6am to 11am (closed on Fridays) and is located next to the riverbed and Sunday market. Awesome food.
I highly recommend this tour by Human Connections. Check out their website: humanconnections.org or on facebook. This tour was designed to help local Mexican entrepreneurs grow their own businesses, leading to a stronger, healthier community for all.
No comments:
Post a Comment