Module 1

I personally don't have much experience with any of these places directly. I did visit Puerto Vallarta when I was in fourth grade, but unfortunately did not get to have much experience with the culture. I mostly did silly tourist things and stayed at the resort. I do remeber going to an island off the coast a little and did get to do some fun stuff like kayaking and snorkeling, and remember the water being amazing. I also remember going to some beaches that were very dirty and unappealing, this probably caused by the massive amounts of tourists that migrate every summer. Which is sad because it seems foreigners are still abusing the land.

When I think of any of these countries I unfortunately think of the poverty that is there. But I also think of how strong family values are and how these cultures do stick together through all the devastation, corruption, and poverty that surrounds them on a daily basis. I also admire the strong culturual beliefs these people have and stick to what has been around for centuries. The art is beautiful and shows strong ties to the imediate culture, something modern America lacks. All we have is ipods and things that distract us from the beauty of life, love, and culture that has been lost through our history of technology and trying to live the "American Dream". The last thing I think of is definately the food! I know we have variations of this in our culture, but when you find that "hole in the wall" mexican place it's nice to be able to get some of the authenticity from those countries. Being from Southern California and spending a lot of time in San Diego these places are a little easier to find and is always fun to go on small day trips to find these places and experience that culture through food.