O.k., so it only took me a day before I started to see the darker side of this place. Santa Fe is beautiful beyond most of the places I've ever visited yet something is terribly wrong here. The whole Canyon rd. art scene is really more about money and less about art in my opinion. True there is some incredible stuff here but the scene is so stuffy and in my opinion classist and racist, that it's really no fun at all. I much prefer our Portland art scene which I find to be more organic, inclusive and less contrived than this place.
In addition to the troubling art scene, I've found the treatment of the areas native peoples to be repulsive. In the market today I witnessed several people trying to haggle the price of items being sold by natives on their out stretched blankets. The clothes and jewelry these tourists were wearing probably cost more than most of these people earn in an entire year. Jose and I were talking with a local New Mexican who owns a small jewelry store in the Plaza area and he says people are always trying to barter with him for a lower price. I'm sure this doesn't happen at the up-scale stores just down the street from his. Because his skin is brown and his store is small tourists think they are going to find a deal. Anyway, I think I need to stay away from these places and try to stick to the natural beauty of this place. The cricket are chirping, the moon is full and I'm going to take a warm soak with my honey in the hot tub. Love to you all. Especially my Nana! -Lisa
2 comments:
That's too bad about the mistreatment of the local merchants. I hope you are having a better time of it now. What else is up?
Cool Movie, I miss Maya and Alma!
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