SUN AND DUST

foreign with their manifold skills [Music] people with hands Deft and sure that fashion and shape articles of beauty both for barter and exchange or for sale as a means of livelihood in a simple and uncomplicated way of life people with gay and colorful dress along the country road or on the city walks and do you notice that timid Smiles lighting shy friendly faces for example here is Pedro Lopez oh Pedro we affectionately called him perhaps we will never see this charming little man again but here are two constant reminders of an unforgettable personality a warm smile and the old man's Sunday shoes symbols of vital elements in his daily existence sun and dust many roads lead to the fabulous land of sun and dust but three great arteries carry the majority of American visitors into the country our Venture begins as we cross the Rio Grande river at Laredo a final inspection Reveals All the essentials including our tourist card the only document needed for a safe and pleasant journey our Spirits High a Rolling Road invites us toward a distant Horizon and our immediate destination Monterey have you ever looked carefully at the national flag of Mexico in the center is a symbol of a Nopal cactus for cactus occupies an important place in the history and economy of the country we don't travel far until sites of cat disappear some straight and rigid silent Sentinels of the desert some grotesque and bizarre bristling like porcupines with sharp defiant quilts others colorful with brilliant flowers odd shapes and all sizes for there are 500 or more species identified with Mexico Cactus everywhere planned and planted by the hand of a kindly and benevolent Creator who foresaw that human life could not long exist on these Sandy Sun part stretches without just such a Wonder plan wonderful because Cactus is capable of supplying man's daily Necessities food clothing water and other useful items every Cactus has some practical purpose for example look at that sturdy fellow serving nicely as storage no need for corn cribs here most prominent among the cactus is magay a source of rope it is often processed right along the Busy Highway the giant green leaves of this Cactus are first cut and split to a workable size the blades are then beaten to loosen the foam [Music] the bruised Leaf is calm often with a crude nail studded board to remove the moist clinging pole leaving tough resilient strands to be flung on lines to dry in the hot Mexican Sun thoroughly dried the stringy material is then skillfully spun into serviceable strands later to be twisted into many thicknesses making cord rope and even thread for hand sewing much of which is done by older men as they pass the time of day on Sunny Pleasant streets toil worn fingers fashioning useful household articles the thin skin of the magay is also used to manufacture a kind of parchment paper some Cactus is not so beneficial or the earliest history of cactus is said to be associated with one of man's oldest spices intoxicating Liquors and beverages one intoxicating liquor called tequila is made from the living hearts of the tequila cactus cactus harvested from the fields is brought into processing plants the great cores are chopped into smaller blocks and roasted in huge ovens the juice is later extracted to make a powerful drink vinegar and even molasses is made from these hearty desert plants before we realize it Monterey breaks into view [Music] it's great commercial center is the industrial heart of Mexico [Music] much of the colonial aspect of the city has disappeared with The Changing Times but the city Blends Charming Mexican characteristics with comfortable American improvements the surrounding country invites exploration for example there is Horsetail Falls High in nearby mountains automobiles must be discarded in favor of the Horsetail Falls Express all aboard and now if the express will just wait long enough for passengers to get aboard we'll be on our way [Music] a little rough but it beats walking it won't be long until the Falls heard long before they are seen will be in view [Music] [Music] foreign season dust filters upward from busy plows delicately veiling the Mountainside with the gospel Haze west of Monterey is wasteca Canyon famous for its rocked rib gorgeous and fantastic rock formations sharing sharply up dwarfing all else in sight to the Southwest a high road clings to the Stoney Ridge of the Sierra Madres twisting curving descending to the city of orchids to the Seacoast town of papuntler hot low tropical do you know the species of orchids they are by far the most exotic blossoms of the human jungle land orchids are often called parasites this is not so actually they are true air plants that is they Thrive best by simply clinging to a single stem or to the limb of a neighboring tree and do you know that one variety is edible and used almost every day in your home commercial flower is found in only two places in the world on the far away island of Madagascar and here in the region around papatla the blossoms produce long aromatic beans called sticks and when ripened sufficiently are harvested and hauled into busy processing plants the sticks are seasoned three days in drying kills under evenly controlled temperatures they are then transferred to stromats outside to finish drying in the warm brilliant sunshine to prevent molding in the moist Sea Air they must be taken in every night to produce profitably the orchids must be pollinated by hand a careful painstaking job each Indian tribe is noted for some particular craft contributing to the economy of an agricultural people the commercial Orchid process belongs to the totanakan Indians the seasoned Orchid sticks are finally brought into inspection sheds tiny bitter stem ends are clipped and the imperfect beans discarded secured sticks are bundled packaged and exported to the United States to debate into America's most popular flavor if the cooks in your family use pure vanilla extract their cooking cooking with the orchids of the fondling besides the edible flower an infinite variety of orchids abound throughout this warm sun-drenched land unusual foliage lifting Lacy fingers upward weave unfamiliar patterns against the faultless blue of Summer Skies there are countless blossoming plants in Mexico for this land has no dormant season here the familiar VI with the unusual ones that flourish only in traffic climbs gay and gaudy plants add splashes of color everywhere for the Mexican cultivates and cherishes the beauty that is found on every hand in his native land the Mountain Village of 14 is noted for giant gardenias the Ruiz colindo hotel is world famous for its gardenia pool every morning large hampers of sweet scented gardenias are gathered from local Gardens and poured into the shimmering Waters of the pool quite a bit different than the old swimming hole back home isn't it but the splash is the same [Music] say gardenias are not all that add to the Beauty and the inviting Waters of the gardenia pool in the midst of this nice country lies the Charming little city of Palapa called The Flower garden of Mexico cranberries no chances are that you drank a brew made from the cured and roasted beans this very morning coffee strangely enough is a member of the Evergreen family the plants do not bear well in the glare of the hot sun therefore they are planted in the shade of other trees coffee thrives best in Rich sandy soil on Highlands for the yearly temperature remains between 60 and 90 degrees the blooms which cluster closely to the stem are waxy white blossoms that fill the air with a sweet heady fragrance the plants are often in flower and fruit at the same time the trees start bearing when they are three years old some of them will continue producing for a hundred years to ensure the best flavor the fruit must be picked at just the right time the processing plant is usually located right on the plantation when the berries arrive they are washed through many sluices to remove the leaves twigs and the leg the berries then go into great hollers where they lose their bright cherry red coats the fruit is further processed to separate the twin seeds from the pump juicy Berry the free coffee beans are channeled into fermenting bats to cure for a time then brought out and spread on immense cement platforms where they remain many days in the dry air constantly turned and raped you might say they are Untouched by human hands each Bean receives sufficient air and sun to ensure a well-seasoned crop the dried seeds are covered with a thin parchment-like outer coat which must be removed before roasting the harvested beans are now ready for shipment abroad Mexican berries are sought for their delicate aromatic flavor the United States consumes more than one half of all the coffee in the world and every year our demand increases the highest most spectacular Terrain in the country rises in the region around halapa and Puebla some of the world's tallest volcanoes thrust their snowy cones up into the clouds the continent's most symmetrical volcano Orizaba is over eighteen thousand feet high aurizaba is higher than our Giant Mount Whitney in California what do you do when you're out of gas and filling stations are out too start shopping stores carry it in barrels a few impurities maybe but that old felt hat is a wonderful strainer [Music] everywhere rugged Peaks and Rocky Craigs jet up into the sky Chris often draped in trailing clouds of mist [Music] he rode inches along steep inclines then plunges sharply into broad valleys below twisting and turning in a series of cutbacks and hairpin curves the highway stretches off into the distance as far as the eye can see [Music] Puebla situated in a broad gland is one of the great spanish-built cities of the Republic Puebla has done much to Foster and preserve her early arts and traditions the first Continental enclosed Market is still in use serving now as art studios plays are still presented in the oldest theater constructed in the New World lovely Senoritas still occupy this balcony the first ever granted permission to be built in the Americas to people of a modern age whoever means the home of brilliant finally Indians learn this art well from Thai immoral they were highly skilled clay workers the Spaniards quick to see commercial possibilities imported highly experienced European Potters to teach the native Artisans The Secret of making glistening Talavera tile and mosaics doesn't this look like a simple easy operation remember however this man has been plying his trade from childhood as did his father and his father's father for many preceding Generations the artist Swift and sure quickly fills in the rough outline of some chosen design the colors may seem drab and dull as they come from the paint pots but later the tiles come to life with vibrant color as they emerge from the intense heat of the Kilns the diggers the grave May expose a perfectly preserved body the strange phenomena is due it is said to the high dry climate and also perhaps to The Peculiar minorities of the soil gotten sight bodies stand strangely inanimate along a dark Subterranean passage as if patiently awaiting entrance to another world the Mexican Union abounds in a great number of excellent spas and resorts each possesses individual charm and distinction the mineral-laden mountains agitated by deeply internal disturbances have produced numerous Hot Springs rich in certain mineral deposits that are both stimulating and healthful to man the Indians themselves for countless centuries before white man's arrival knew and use these thermal Springs to Advantage perhaps San Jose De Peru is the best known of these Resorts they are famous for the radioactive Waters and the rejuvenating properties of its saffron colored mud packs the ladies eager to discover the secret of Eternal youth plaster themselves with the yellow clay another resort colemania near Guanajuato supports no less than 42 Boiling Springs first the perfect spot for a roadside lunch prepared without fuss is outdoor cook stove a three-minute egg in two minutes time careful there mister that's hot other Springs the swimming pools in fact all the hot water used in this area is supplied by these Berry Springs Beyond Guanajuato on top of one of the highest mountains in the exact geographical center of Mexico a modern Stone Shrine has been erected from this provenance the rolling fertile lands of four states can be seen melting into the Horizon far away the massive symmetrical Dome of the church is crowned with a heroic figure of el Cristo Rey Christ the King the bronze statue with benevolent arms outstretched Rises 65 feet above the Dome many Indians make pilgrimages to this shrine Mexican Indians in general are intensely religious the concepts of their faith often coloring every phase of their lives pilgrimages attract the faithful at various times of the year to many churches over the land some of these Journeys like the holy trick to San Juan De Los Lagos track six seven thousand prints at once to pay travel expenses The Devout Travelers make and sell odd pieces of handwork or carry produce which they hope to sell coinciding with the pilgrimages enterprising Merchants conduct annual fares resulting in a time of excitement that eases for a few days the cares of life in fiesta did you ever see a house made of mud this one is a special variety of clay abundant throughout the country formed into Adobe the bricks are used to construct buildings for the wealthy as well as countless homes for the poor Adobe is frequently employed as a material for stores and public buildings too the Earth is dug up and mixed with straw the straw acting as a binder sufficient water is added to make a stiff doughy Mass when the mixture is of the proper consistency it is shoveled into wood holes for shaping the bricks left to dry and bake in the hot Mexican sun will be stacked later on so that air can circulate freely around them it is customary to coat Adobe buildings with a protective covering of plaster with the plaster coating Adobe is protected from the rains and the weather and will last four years Guadalajara is the second largest city in the country and continues to expand as an important Commercial Center this native carrier is on his way to Market with a product that attracts thousands of tourists every year the Indians use great quantities of the plain unadorned vessels for cooking and these can withstand high temperatures but are otherwise fragile and easily broken however they are quite as useful and practical as the metal pots and pans used in modern kitchens The Guadalajara region is especially noted for the decorative types of Park beautifully shaped urns and bases are shipped each year in great numbers to the United States the totala Indians belong the Mastery of producing and painting these fine pieces Guadalajara Pottery is finer than most Mexican wear [Music] nearly every Indian Pueblo supports its own pottery the most suitable Clay is slightly sweet the women test it by tasting the soil [Music] when the proper clay has been chosen the job of drying is taken care of nicely by the Mexican Sun [Music] together with bits of broken pottery the dried Clay is then ground into a powder later water will be added to form the moist clay to The Potter's needs size shape and Beauty determined entirely by the Potter and his wheel spinning as we watched it seemed both a product of beauty and a lesson for life a homely wheel spinning turning a lump of clay shapeless broken two skilled hands both sure and certain the wheels spins swiftly the clay lays blind the hands work definitely forming and fastening to a design a vessel of beauty or useful pre-shaped in The Potter's mind how like our lives encased in play a dwelling of beauty Eternal when shaped The Potter's way Pottery the symbol of man's handwork in Mexican Village and City El Salto Falls a symbol of the Creator's hand to work on the Mexican Countryside El Salto but one of many cataracts hidden from the site of the castle Trapper whose Waters Gather in streams at Great Heights joining Rivers racing through Hollow Canyons pouring over Rocky Ledges On A hurried race downward to the Sea Swift graceful green and magical too or where Sweetwater is scarce the Thirsty soil seems nourished by the very swept of our native Sons but where life-giving Waters Flow Barren land is transformed as if by Magic into fields and meadows Fair green and fruitful little-known El Salto is off the beaten path not too distant from Monterey can you imagine a more delightful place to reflect on the sights and experiences of the last few weeks hair raising Adventures of our early storybook friends El Salto a pleasant stopping place to rest before the final drive home home to Vivid memories friendly faces Pleasant reminders of a never to be forgotten visit to that wonderful land sun and dust [Music]