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00:00:02,459 --> 00:00:04,667
All columnar cacti like 
very hot places.

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Southwest of Guadalajara 
there's a route that

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takes desert travelers 
through some of the finest

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00:00:10,125 --> 00:00:12,959
cactus country anywhere.

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A special sort, thepitayo

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00:00:15,125 --> 00:00:18,083
with large fruits 
calledpitayas, has its

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00:00:18,083 --> 00:00:29,000
own festival complete 
with contests of many sorts.

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Funding for 
The Desert Speaks

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was provided by 
Desert Program Partners,

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representing concerned viewers 
making a financial commitment

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to the education about and 
preservation of deserts.

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And by the 
Stonewall Foundation.

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♪ music

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00:01:20,083 --> 00:01:23,667
In southern Mexico some cacti 
have taken on an importance

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that few people outside of 
Mexico have ever seen.

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The cacti are 
calledpitayos.

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In early summer people 
flock to a certain

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neighborhood in 
Guadalajara to purchase

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a special cactus fruit.

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It's called thepitaya.

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00:01:42,999 --> 00:01:46,083
♪ music

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The fruits come from 
farther south where the

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climate and soil seem to 
favor the biggest plants

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and the best harvests.

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The fruits are so revered 
that a festival in their

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honor is held every year.

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Accompanying me on what 
I callPitaya Highway

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00:02:03,292 --> 00:02:07,209
is Alberto Búrquez whose 
done studies of cacti and

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00:02:07,209 --> 00:02:10,167
their pollinators along the way.

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These are the ones they 
call I think mamayas.

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They're huge.

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The colors are amazing.

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I don't know, these 
red ones look the best.

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00:02:28,999 --> 00:02:31,250
Here, choose one, 
it's paid for.

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00:02:31,250 --> 00:02:32,918
Okay, I will try this one.

36
00:02:32,918 --> 00:02:36,250
Okay, you have 10 seconds 
in which to evaluate it.

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00:02:36,250 --> 00:02:39,626
This freshness that thepitaya 
 has is not for our pleasure.

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00:02:39,626 --> 00:02:44,876
It's because thepitayawants us 
to disperse the little seeds.

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00:02:44,876 --> 00:02:46,999
Oh, they want us to eat 
them and our digestion will

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00:02:46,999 --> 00:02:50,375
remove the seed coat and 
enable them then to germinate.

41
00:02:50,375 --> 00:02:52,999
Yes and deposit 
them somewhere.

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00:02:52,999 --> 00:02:55,417
Boy, I'm 
salivating, Alberto.

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00:02:55,417 --> 00:02:55,999
I can't help it.

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00:02:55,999 --> 00:03:02,250
I melt like wax in the 
flame when I seepitayas.

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00:03:02,250 --> 00:03:04,999
Mm, mm.

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00:03:04,999 --> 00:03:07,000
You know, the people in 
Baja California were able

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00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:12,584
to take these in the 
fruiting time of thepitayas

48
00:03:12,584 --> 00:03:16,209
there and they could go places 
where they could not go

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00:03:16,209 --> 00:03:19,709
other times because they 
could use these for water.

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00:03:19,709 --> 00:03:21,542
Como se llama este color?

51
00:03:21,542 --> 00:03:22,751
Morado.

52
00:03:22,751 --> 00:03:24,250
Y cuanto vale?

53
00:03:24,250 --> 00:03:25,417
Tres pesos.

54
00:03:25,417 --> 00:03:28,584
Color is coded genetically 
in each cactus.

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00:03:28,584 --> 00:03:32,375
So every tree has a 
certain color that will

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00:03:32,375 --> 00:03:34,626
never change 
through their life.

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00:03:34,626 --> 00:03:35,999
That will never 
change, right.

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00:03:35,999 --> 00:03:38,167
So if it's purple now 
it's purple forever.

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00:03:38,167 --> 00:03:38,999
Forever.

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00:03:38,999 --> 00:03:40,999
Birds are very 
partial to red color.

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00:03:40,999 --> 00:03:43,834
They pollinate red flowers 
or like red fruits.

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00:03:43,834 --> 00:03:47,459
And that's why we 
find most commonly.

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00:03:47,459 --> 00:03:48,667
Is the red.

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00:03:48,667 --> 00:03:49,999
.redpitayas.

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00:03:49,999 --> 00:03:53,918
Is there any method for 
eating these with dignity?

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00:03:53,918 --> 00:03:57,083
They are self contained 
and it has a soft skin

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00:03:57,083 --> 00:03:59,459
like bananas for example.

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00:03:59,459 --> 00:04:00,792
That's very true.

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00:04:00,792 --> 00:04:01,459
Yeah.

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00:04:01,459 --> 00:04:03,834
So they are, they 
are easy to carry.

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00:04:03,834 --> 00:04:05,125
And they keep them clean.

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00:04:05,125 --> 00:04:06,375
But they mess your hands.

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00:04:06,375 --> 00:04:08,959
Well, they mess your 
hands and you have about,

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00:04:08,959 --> 00:04:10,542
I think when 
you pick them,

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00:04:10,542 --> 00:04:13,626
you have about 8 hours 
to sell them before

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00:04:13,626 --> 00:04:15,584
they start to go bad.

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00:04:15,584 --> 00:04:17,125
Dos por tres pesos?

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00:04:17,125 --> 00:04:18,459
Tres.

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00:04:18,459 --> 00:04:19,209
Five.

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00:04:19,209 --> 00:04:21,292
So I owe him another ten.

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00:04:21,292 --> 00:04:25,959
Otros dias.

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00:04:25,999 --> 00:04:30,918
We sell between 20,000 to 25,000 
pitayafruits every day.

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00:04:30,918 --> 00:04:33,999
Unfortunately the season 
only lasts two months

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00:04:33,999 --> 00:04:35,167
out of the year.

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00:04:35,167 --> 00:04:38,667
This tradition has been 
passed on through the

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00:04:38,667 --> 00:04:41,876
generations by our 
ancestors and hopefully

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00:04:41,876 --> 00:04:44,709
our sons and our 
grandchildren will

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00:04:44,709 --> 00:04:48,459
continue the same course.

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00:04:48,459 --> 00:04:54,209
Pitayas oyga!

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00:04:54,209 --> 00:04:59,459
The town from where these 
pitayascome is having a

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00:04:59,459 --> 00:05:03,999
fair, apitayafair so 
Alberto it strikes me that

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00:05:03,999 --> 00:05:07,209
we would be very well 
advised to go look for

93
00:05:07,209 --> 00:05:10,375
Techaluta, particularly 
if there's a dance there.

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00:05:10,375 --> 00:05:12,584
But anyway, I've never 
been to apitayafair

95
00:05:12,584 --> 00:05:14,709
before so it's 
the place to go.

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00:05:14,709 --> 00:05:16,292
Fortunately for us 
Techalutais only a

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00:05:16,292 --> 00:05:19,000
hundred kilometers down 
the road from Guadalajara.

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00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,999
Along thePitaya Highway 
 at night what I thought

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00:05:21,999 --> 00:05:24,876
were fireflies actually 
turned out to be

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00:05:24,876 --> 00:05:31,292
Techalutasgathering 
pitayasby lamplight.

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00:05:31,292 --> 00:05:39,209
♪ music

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00:05:45,959 --> 00:05:48,000
We harvest at night so 
that the fruit

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00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:51,918
will still be ripe by 
the time it gets to the market.

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00:05:51,918 --> 00:05:56,834
That's why we wake up 
early in the morning to harvest.

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00:05:56,834 --> 00:05:58,626
We harvest with headlamps 
which facilitates

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00:05:58,626 --> 00:06:04,167
identifying which fruits 
are ready to be picked.

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00:06:04,167 --> 00:06:06,000
The majority of people 
around here work

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00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,792
harvesting thepitayas 
 during most of April,

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May and some of 
June when it ends.

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This hook here has barbs 
that we try to wrap around

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00:06:18,083 --> 00:06:21,834
the fruit before we do a 
quick twist detaching

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00:06:21,834 --> 00:06:30,999
the fruit from the cactus.

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00:06:31,667 --> 00:06:34,417
The ripe ones have a shine 
to them that indicates

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00:06:34,417 --> 00:06:37,792
they're ready 
to be harvested.

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00:06:37,792 --> 00:06:39,501
There are several 
families here.

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00:06:39,501 --> 00:06:41,999
The owner of this property 
hires families so that

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00:06:41,999 --> 00:06:43,999
they can be together.

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00:06:43,999 --> 00:06:46,751
There's a certain division 
of labor between the families.

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00:06:46,751 --> 00:06:52,209
Some harvest, others scrape the 
spines off the fruits.

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00:06:52,209 --> 00:06:54,667
If you grab the spiny 
fruit from the top,

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00:06:54,667 --> 00:06:57,375
you're gonna get stuck but 
if you grab it from

122
00:06:57,375 --> 00:07:00,999
the bottom you're okay.

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00:07:00,999 --> 00:07:02,292
A la megiemendas.

124
00:07:02,292 --> 00:07:03,792
Una persona?

125
00:07:03,792 --> 00:07:04,083
Si.

126
00:07:04,083 --> 00:07:07,250
So one person can harvest 1,500 
of these fruits a day.

127
00:07:07,250 --> 00:07:09,918
Es un poco mas fuerte 
 colores desde pitaya.

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00:07:09,918 --> 00:07:13,959
This particular color 
this sort of purplish-rose

129
00:07:13,959 --> 00:07:18,209
color is close to the wild 
variety of color and

130
00:07:18,209 --> 00:07:20,751
this one has been cultivated.

131
00:07:20,751 --> 00:07:22,709
This is a better 
seller on the market.

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00:07:22,709 --> 00:07:25,459
People like to buy this 
color and these are also bigger.

133
00:07:25,459 --> 00:07:28,959
These are, this is from 
a cultivated plant.

134
00:07:28,959 --> 00:07:30,999
They're very elongated 
buds aren't they?

135
00:07:30,999 --> 00:07:33,918
They're like, they're 4 
inches long so that's,

136
00:07:33,918 --> 00:07:35,459
that's 10 centimeters long.

137
00:07:35,459 --> 00:07:38,876
So my bet is that it's 
bat pollinated and

138
00:07:38,876 --> 00:07:41,000
is pollinated by 
long-tongue bats.

139
00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:42,334
Long-tongue bats, huh?

140
00:07:42,334 --> 00:07:44,999
Because of the 
very long flower.

141
00:07:44,999 --> 00:07:47,959
That looks more like 
a pollen robber.

142
00:07:47,959 --> 00:07:49,083
He's stealing.

143
00:07:49,083 --> 00:07:53,000
Stealing the pollen.

144
00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,999
Well, sometime, maybe 
8,000 years ago,

145
00:07:55,999 --> 00:07:59,250
somebody had to find that 
either a piece fell off

146
00:07:59,250 --> 00:08:03,501
and took root or they got 
great fruits from one and

147
00:08:03,501 --> 00:08:05,751
said, "I wonder what 
happens if I throw this on

148
00:08:05,751 --> 00:08:08,918
the ground" and the 
cutting itself took root.

149
00:08:08,918 --> 00:08:11,042
Which happened, 
which one was it?

150
00:08:11,042 --> 00:08:13,250
Well, and then they 
started reproducing that

151
00:08:13,250 --> 00:08:19,375
very good form ofpitayo, the 
big one with very sweet juice.

152
00:08:19,375 --> 00:08:21,876
And they got bigger and 
bigger as more and

153
00:08:21,876 --> 00:08:23,667
more people selected em.

154
00:08:23,667 --> 00:08:26,667
Did you notice that some 
of the plants have fallen

155
00:08:26,667 --> 00:08:29,751
over but even when they 
fall over they

156
00:08:29,751 --> 00:08:31,626
still produce fruits.

157
00:08:31,626 --> 00:08:32,834
That's pretty good.

158
00:08:32,834 --> 00:08:35,959
Columnar cacti are 
resilient plants that can

159
00:08:35,959 --> 00:08:38,999
withstand a lot of damage, 
natural damage and

160
00:08:38,999 --> 00:08:42,167
still produce their fruit.

161
00:08:42,167 --> 00:08:44,375
I guess they really 
want to reproduce.

162
00:08:44,375 --> 00:08:47,999
And apparently the public 
cannot get enoughpitayas.

163
00:08:47,999 --> 00:08:50,250
The market just seems 
endless and so this,

164
00:08:50,250 --> 00:08:52,999
this idea of taking 
cuttings and making new

165
00:08:52,999 --> 00:08:55,542
orchards is expanding 
throughout this whole

166
00:08:55,542 --> 00:08:56,876
valley into the south.

167
00:08:56,876 --> 00:08:59,999
They sell the cuttings at 
much higher price than the

168
00:08:59,999 --> 00:09:04,999
pitayasthemselves and 
they are really valuable things.

169
00:09:04,999 --> 00:09:09,042
You are selling the 
producer that strain that

170
00:09:09,042 --> 00:09:11,334
is coveted by everyone 
in the valley.

171
00:09:11,334 --> 00:09:13,792
I can imagine, if you 
plant an apple tree,

172
00:09:13,792 --> 00:09:16,375
it takes generally 
7 years to produce.

173
00:09:16,375 --> 00:09:17,999
Here, if they 
take a cutting,

174
00:09:17,999 --> 00:09:19,999
put it in the 
ground, 2 years.

175
00:09:19,999 --> 00:09:20,792
That's great.

176
00:09:20,792 --> 00:09:23,250
You know, the plants pretty well 
take care of themselves.

177
00:09:23,250 --> 00:09:23,999
Very much.

178
00:09:23,999 --> 00:09:29,334
And they are producing 
an organic product too.

179
00:09:33,334 --> 00:09:36,459
So half of the work has 
been done in the orchards.

180
00:09:36,459 --> 00:09:37,876
There, yeah, the easy part.

181
00:09:37,876 --> 00:09:40,042
Collected, bring em and 
then some fruits

182
00:09:40,042 --> 00:09:41,999
do not shed their spines.

183
00:09:41,999 --> 00:09:44,501
There has not been 
selection of that.

184
00:09:44,501 --> 00:09:47,000
But they consider them so 
valuable that still they

185
00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:52,542
collect them and remove 
the spines from them.

186
00:09:52,542 --> 00:09:54,375
Cies filamucho?

187
00:09:54,375 --> 00:09:55,626
La salva.

188
00:09:55,626 --> 00:09:57,999
So these spines actually 
have a little venom in em

189
00:09:57,999 --> 00:10:00,292
and they actually, 
they hurt when you,

190
00:10:00,292 --> 00:10:02,209
when you get pricked by 
them and you have to get

191
00:10:02,209 --> 00:10:06,999
those out or man, you'd 
really be in a lot of pain.

192
00:10:06,999 --> 00:10:08,999
Me enseña asi uno?

193
00:10:08,999 --> 00:10:10,999
Des pues.

194
00:10:10,999 --> 00:10:12,334
Des pues.

195
00:10:12,334 --> 00:10:13,876
Ow!

196
00:10:13,876 --> 00:10:16,250
Gee, those things do hurt.

197
00:10:16,250 --> 00:10:18,042
Come on Alberto, no 
making fun of them.

198
00:10:18,042 --> 00:10:21,999
You are better at teaching 
then at removing the spines,

199
00:10:21,999 --> 00:10:23,292
for sure.

200
00:10:23,292 --> 00:10:26,999
Well, you know, there are some 
talents that we have to develop.

201
00:10:26,999 --> 00:10:28,667
A lot ofpitayas.

202
00:10:28,667 --> 00:10:30,375
I see.

203
00:10:30,375 --> 00:10:34,918
I came to Mexico she says 
just to peel these spines

204
00:10:34,918 --> 00:10:39,209
off thepitayas.

205
00:10:39,209 --> 00:10:41,667
Since I just got 
spined, I'm out of here.

206
00:10:41,667 --> 00:10:42,999
I don't know about you.

207
00:10:42,999 --> 00:10:47,959
Gracias señora.

208
00:10:47,959 --> 00:10:49,792
Okay,gracias.

209
00:10:49,792 --> 00:10:53,375
Muchas gracias.

210
00:11:00,167 --> 00:11:03,999
A part of most festivals 
in western and northern Mexico

211
00:11:03,999 --> 00:11:05,250
are horse races.

212
00:11:05,250 --> 00:11:08,542
They usually take place 
at midday when most

213
00:11:08,542 --> 00:11:12,542
other people are 
taking a siesta.

214
00:11:12,542 --> 00:11:16,042
There is a strong rural 
culture and at the top

215
00:11:16,042 --> 00:11:18,083
of that is horse racing.

216
00:11:18,083 --> 00:11:19,999
You raise horses 
to work in your,

217
00:11:19,999 --> 00:11:23,584
in your ranch but then 
you nurture them to race

218
00:11:23,584 --> 00:11:27,501
against your neighbor, 
against the other town

219
00:11:27,501 --> 00:11:29,999
that is north 
of this town,

220
00:11:29,999 --> 00:11:32,501
against the other 
state and so on.

221
00:11:32,501 --> 00:11:32,999
So there is a.

222
00:11:32,999 --> 00:11:35,999
So it's really the epitome 
ofyo soy mas macho que tu.

223
00:11:35,999 --> 00:11:36,999
Indeed, yes.

224
00:11:36,999 --> 00:11:39,626
They have a special name 
for this sort of paired racing,

225
00:11:39,626 --> 00:11:42,584
just two, one 
horse against another.

226
00:11:42,584 --> 00:11:44,292
They are calledcarreras 
 parejeras.

227
00:11:44,292 --> 00:11:48,209
!Carreras parejerasare these two 
horses that they're racing

228
00:11:48,209 --> 00:11:51,250
against each other and of course 
they represent different

229
00:11:51,250 --> 00:11:57,375
sides of this town or this 
community and this is expressed

230
00:11:57,375 --> 00:12:03,751
throughout this ritualized 
encounter of horse racing.

231
00:12:03,751 --> 00:12:08,667
[cheering]

232
00:12:08,667 --> 00:12:10,959
It's a lot more than 
just a simple horse race, right?

233
00:12:10,959 --> 00:12:13,709
I mean there's a huge 
background cultural scene

234
00:12:13,709 --> 00:12:15,751
that we're watching 
right here.

235
00:12:15,751 --> 00:12:17,999
And this has been 
happening for hundreds of

236
00:12:17,999 --> 00:12:21,042
years after the Spaniards 
came to the Americas

237
00:12:21,042 --> 00:12:22,709
to start the conquest.

238
00:12:22,709 --> 00:12:25,000
I'll tell you what, I'll try to 
mingle in so nobody notices me.

239
00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,959
Yes, I, I bet you will, 
you will mingle easily.

240
00:12:27,959 --> 00:12:30,000
Nah, they won't 
even know it's me.

241
00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:31,999
How much are money 
you prepared to lose?

242
00:12:31,999 --> 00:12:33,876
I'm prepared to 
bet up to 1 peso.

243
00:12:33,876 --> 00:12:36,959
I've seen a lot of similar 
parties in Mexico but I've

244
00:12:36,959 --> 00:12:38,999
never seen them drinking 
tecatesand eating

245
00:12:38,999 --> 00:12:42,959
pitayas, so it's part of the 
pitayafair or festival.

246
00:12:42,959 --> 00:12:49,999
[cheering]

247
00:12:49,999 --> 00:12:52,918
So there are 4 races and 
probably 45 minutes to

248
00:12:52,918 --> 00:12:54,209
an hour between each, so.

249
00:12:54,209 --> 00:12:56,709
You can make the 
race in 30 seconds.

250
00:12:56,709 --> 00:12:59,417
Yeah, but that would lose 
the point of the whole thing.

251
00:12:59,417 --> 00:13:01,999
So you have to create 
expectation to eat

252
00:13:01,999 --> 00:13:04,459
pitayas, to drinktecates, 
to see the horses

253
00:13:04,459 --> 00:13:07,834
going back and forth.

254
00:13:07,834 --> 00:13:11,626
[Spanish speaking]

255
00:13:11,626 --> 00:13:15,417
They will make several 
fake starts so people really.

256
00:13:15,417 --> 00:13:16,999
Yeah, hey, we're starting.

257
00:13:16,999 --> 00:13:17,751
No, never mind.

258
00:13:17,751 --> 00:13:21,417
But it's part of the, 
of the whole festive occasion.

259
00:13:21,417 --> 00:13:22,999
Yeah, the ambience.

260
00:13:22,999 --> 00:13:26,375
So this is the end of 
400 meters and look,

261
00:13:26,375 --> 00:13:28,792
this is not a 
low tech race.

262
00:13:28,792 --> 00:13:31,959
They've got a photo finish 
computer in case there's

263
00:13:31,959 --> 00:13:34,999
any questions at all.

264
00:13:34,999 --> 00:13:36,792
There's something 
unfair about this.

265
00:13:36,792 --> 00:13:39,584
Well, I would put a 
bet on the white one.

266
00:13:39,584 --> 00:13:39,999
I see.

267
00:13:39,999 --> 00:13:42,000
The pony seems to have 
a slight advantage here.

268
00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:43,999
This is sort of parade 
in which they display the

269
00:13:43,999 --> 00:13:46,918
quality of their horses 
for people to assess,

270
00:13:46,918 --> 00:13:53,334
then make an educated guess on 
which to put a bet on.

271
00:13:53,334 --> 00:13:55,792
And this is a contender.

272
00:13:55,792 --> 00:13:58,042
Twopesos, 
 senquento centavos.

273
00:13:58,042 --> 00:13:59,542
I'll take your bet.

274
00:13:59,542 --> 00:13:59,959
Okay.

275
00:13:59,959 --> 00:14:01,542
So, you're gonna go with 
the one on the left,

276
00:14:01,542 --> 00:14:03,667
I'm gonna go with 
the one on the right.

277
00:14:03,667 --> 00:14:04,709
Perfect.

278
00:14:04,709 --> 00:14:05,417
All right.

279
00:14:05,417 --> 00:14:07,000
Oh, we have to 
do a handshake?

280
00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:08,125
Oh, yes.

281
00:14:08,125 --> 00:14:09,250
I see, oh, okay.

282
00:14:09,250 --> 00:14:12,626
So remember, in this next 
race there's a mare named

283
00:14:12,626 --> 00:14:14,501
La Golandrina, 
the swallow,

284
00:14:14,501 --> 00:14:17,667
running against a 
horse with no name.

285
00:14:17,667 --> 00:14:19,292
No name.

286
00:14:19,292 --> 00:14:20,375
Look how powerful it is.

287
00:14:20,375 --> 00:14:21,834
Well, there's something 
wrong, though.

288
00:14:21,834 --> 00:14:23,792
I mean, if you've got a 
horse that's anything at

289
00:14:23,792 --> 00:14:24,999
all you give it a name.

290
00:14:24,999 --> 00:14:26,501
I mean even if 
it'snombre, name.

291
00:14:26,501 --> 00:14:29,042
Are you suggesting 
that I'm going to lose?

292
00:14:29,042 --> 00:14:34,626
I think you've put your money in 
a bad place Dr. Búrquez.

293
00:14:34,626 --> 00:14:35,999
Okay, here comes my bet.

294
00:14:35,999 --> 00:14:38,209
This is theLa 
 Golandrina, she's a mare.

295
00:14:38,209 --> 00:14:40,667
Boy, look at the flame 
of desire in those eyes.

296
00:14:40,667 --> 00:14:42,626
Right, and big noses.

297
00:14:42,626 --> 00:14:45,167
And you know what 
golandrinameans, swift.

298
00:14:45,167 --> 00:14:47,167
I think she can 
fly like a swallow.

299
00:14:47,167 --> 00:14:48,626
Uh, mine will get a name.

300
00:14:48,626 --> 00:14:50,834
It will be called 
El Sandio de Techaluta,

301
00:14:50,834 --> 00:14:54,542
meaning that this big 
pitayas, red and tasty.

302
00:14:54,542 --> 00:14:56,459
The red ones, look like 
a watermelon, yeah, yeah.

303
00:14:56,459 --> 00:15:01,542
The watermelon 
pitayaofTechaluta.

304
00:15:01,542 --> 00:15:16,999
[cheering]

305
00:15:16,999 --> 00:15:19,709
With my 2 pesos and 25 
centavos in winnings,

306
00:15:19,709 --> 00:15:23,542
I can buy a small 
pitayaback in town.

307
00:15:23,542 --> 00:15:26,999
The heat of competition 
runs high inTechalutaand

308
00:15:26,999 --> 00:15:30,334
the mayor goaded me into 
doing something I might

309
00:15:30,334 --> 00:15:34,792
not otherwise have done.

310
00:15:34,792 --> 00:15:48,209
♪ music

311
00:16:03,042 --> 00:16:09,125
A la una, a la 
 dos, de las tres!

312
00:16:09,125 --> 00:16:17,000
What speed! See how they know 
how to eat pitayas.

313
00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:23,792
Can't waste anything there's no 
fooling the judge.

314
00:16:23,792 --> 00:16:32,709
One mom has only two 
left.another only one.

315
00:16:32,709 --> 00:16:33,709
Excellent.

316
00:16:33,709 --> 00:16:37,667
Come on mom.eat, eat! When 
you're done raise your hand.

317
00:16:37,667 --> 00:16:41,042
OK we have a winning mom.

318
00:16:41,042 --> 00:16:44,834
David is still enjoying the 
exquisite taste of pitayas.

319
00:16:44,834 --> 00:16:52,999
He's following the rules. He can 
do it! He can do it!

320
00:16:52,999 --> 00:17:03,792
A big hand for David in the 
pitaya eating contest!

321
00:17:03,792 --> 00:17:07,209
Elsewhere on thePitaya 
 Highway!■pitayasare harvested

322
00:17:07,209 --> 00:17:11,209
from wild plants that are just 
as important to the native

323
00:17:11,209 --> 00:17:14,999
peoples as the domesticated 
plants are up north.

324
00:17:14,999 --> 00:17:17,834
They grow in a place 
appropriately named

325
00:17:17,834 --> 00:17:20,999
Enfernio, Little Hell.

326
00:17:20,999 --> 00:17:24,417
We know that columnar 
cacti like dry places and

327
00:17:24,417 --> 00:17:31,334
also columnar cacti like 
very hot places andEl Enfernio

328
00:17:31,334 --> 00:17:35,083
seems appropriate place to be 
for a columnar cacti.

329
00:17:35,083 --> 00:17:36,751
It's dry and hot.

330
00:17:36,751 --> 00:17:39,000
One neat thing I found 
about here is that a lot

331
00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,209
of these cacti have 
retained their,

332
00:17:41,209 --> 00:17:42,918
their native names.

333
00:17:42,918 --> 00:17:45,751
So we've got 
piteres, pochones,

334
00:17:45,751 --> 00:17:48,751
teponchesandtepamos.

335
00:17:48,751 --> 00:17:50,334
Wow.

336
00:17:50,334 --> 00:17:53,000
So let's, let's go 
down and we'll get down in

337
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,999
the cactus forest 
a little bit more.

338
00:17:55,999 --> 00:17:58,375
Oh, oh, oh, oh, 
stop, stop, wait.

339
00:17:58,375 --> 00:17:58,999
Okay.

340
00:17:58,999 --> 00:18:01,459
Everywhere where there 
arepitayasyou will find

341
00:18:01,459 --> 00:18:05,999
people collecting them.

342
00:18:05,999 --> 00:18:11,042
These fruits will be available 
for a couple of months here,

343
00:18:11,042 --> 00:18:13,999
which is longer 
than in some other places.

344
00:18:13,999 --> 00:18:17,834
So till the end of June, 
first of May to the end of

345
00:18:17,834 --> 00:18:19,999
June, they'll be lucky 
enough to havepitires

346
00:18:19,999 --> 00:18:22,417
and I'm lucky 
enough because this is the

347
00:18:22,417 --> 00:18:24,999
first time I've ever 
tastedpitirefruits.

348
00:18:24,999 --> 00:18:26,417
It's almost like melon.

349
00:18:26,417 --> 00:18:29,501
Oh, the fruit, 
taste it, taste it.

350
00:18:29,501 --> 00:18:31,501
It's got a perfume in it.

351
00:18:31,501 --> 00:18:31,999
Mmm.

352
00:18:31,999 --> 00:18:36,501
It's unlike ourpitayas, 
 it's not like themamayas.

353
00:18:36,501 --> 00:18:39,709
It's perfumed.

354
00:18:39,709 --> 00:18:41,667
It has a perfume to it.

355
00:18:41,667 --> 00:18:42,999
That has never 
happened before.

356
00:18:42,999 --> 00:18:44,501
How can you have a cactus 
fruit with a perfume?

357
00:18:44,501 --> 00:18:47,751
This really makes me 
think about dispersal syndromes.

358
00:18:47,751 --> 00:18:48,375
Yeah.

359
00:18:48,375 --> 00:18:51,083
While mammals have a 
very keen sense of smell,

360
00:18:51,083 --> 00:18:53,918
bats disperse 
fruits ofpitaya.

361
00:18:53,918 --> 00:18:54,250
Yeah.

362
00:18:54,250 --> 00:18:57,459
So this, the perfume on 
this fruit is telling me

363
00:18:57,459 --> 00:19:01,876
that birds apparently do 
not play a major role in

364
00:19:01,876 --> 00:19:06,999
dispersing the fruits 
ofpitireor any otherpitaya.

365
00:19:06,999 --> 00:19:08,999
Y quanto hijos tienes?

366
00:19:08,999 --> 00:19:10,000
Tres.

367
00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:11,626
Muy hoven.

368
00:19:11,626 --> 00:19:15,584
Ana Lilia has three 
young children, which is

369
00:19:15,584 --> 00:19:20,375
quite a responsibility in a 
wild place like this.

370
00:19:20,375 --> 00:19:23,375
She's able to make enough 
money collecting and

371
00:19:23,375 --> 00:19:29,918
selling thesepitiyasto 
make it worth her while.

372
00:19:29,918 --> 00:19:33,501
In total she gets 2 
buckets of 20 liters each

373
00:19:33,501 --> 00:19:39,751
every day through the 
whole fruiting season.

374
00:19:39,751 --> 00:19:49,667
♪ music

375
00:19:49,667 --> 00:19:51,584
Do you ever feel like 
you're eating your

376
00:19:51,584 --> 00:19:55,459
way throughMichoacán?

377
00:19:55,459 --> 00:19:56,999
Buenos dias.

378
00:19:56,999 --> 00:19:58,751
Ay pachones.

379
00:19:58,751 --> 00:20:00,417
A dos.

380
00:20:00,417 --> 00:20:03,501
A dos cada uno.

381
00:20:03,501 --> 00:20:06,667
So these are 2 pesos 
apiece and the bigpachones

382
00:20:06,667 --> 00:20:11,167
as they call em are 5, but 
they're really big.

383
00:20:11,167 --> 00:20:14,042
In many ways I would 
say here we are far into

384
00:20:14,042 --> 00:20:20,751
southern Mexico looking for the 
origins of the Sonoran Desert.

385
00:20:20,751 --> 00:20:22,584
If we were to look for 
what the Sonoran Desert

386
00:20:22,584 --> 00:20:25,709
looked like in its infancy 
a million years or so ago

387
00:20:25,709 --> 00:20:29,792
we could have come here 
and gotten an idea.

388
00:20:29,792 --> 00:20:32,667
I want to stop here and 
find out where this guy

389
00:20:32,667 --> 00:20:37,167
lives who makes 
chairs of, of wood.

390
00:20:37,167 --> 00:20:39,667
Buenos dias, señora.

391
00:20:39,667 --> 00:20:41,125
Vive alla?

392
00:20:41,125 --> 00:20:43,125
Bueno.

393
00:20:43,125 --> 00:20:46,083
Yeah, just like I can't 
imagine what a chair is

394
00:20:46,083 --> 00:20:50,209
gonna look like made 
out of cactus wood.

395
00:20:50,209 --> 00:20:52,584
çSpanish SpeakingÑ

396
00:20:52,584 --> 00:20:55,959
The basic form, it is made 
out of thepitirecactus,

397
00:20:55,959 --> 00:20:57,999
which also has great fruits.

398
00:20:57,999 --> 00:21:02,042
These slats are made out 
of a different plant they

399
00:21:02,042 --> 00:21:07,459
callotateand, do you 
suppose I ought to try it,

400
00:21:07,459 --> 00:21:09,999
Alberto, or should I just 
stand here looking at it?

401
00:21:09,999 --> 00:21:11,375
It has a great smooth feel.

402
00:21:11,375 --> 00:21:13,999
Feel how smooth and 
hard that wood is.

403
00:21:13,999 --> 00:21:14,999
Wow.

404
00:21:14,999 --> 00:21:16,584
I wouldn't expect it.

405
00:21:16,584 --> 00:21:18,000
And light.

406
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:19,083
Yeah.

407
00:21:19,083 --> 00:21:20,417
All right.

408
00:21:20,417 --> 00:21:23,459
God, I'll take 4.

409
00:21:23,459 --> 00:21:26,209
It takes me about a 
whole day to make chair.

410
00:21:26,209 --> 00:21:29,083
You've gotta start with a 
base and then build some

411
00:21:29,083 --> 00:21:30,876
slats for the seat.

412
00:21:30,876 --> 00:21:34,083
So it takes more or less 
a day to make one chair.

413
00:21:34,083 --> 00:21:37,959
You would not expect to, 
to have a chair off

414
00:21:37,959 --> 00:21:41,375
of cactus, cactus wood.

415
00:21:41,375 --> 00:21:42,834
Yeah, absolutely not.

416
00:21:42,834 --> 00:21:43,667
And here we are.

417
00:21:43,667 --> 00:21:45,999
So he's, he actually, 
you can plane down real,

418
00:21:45,999 --> 00:21:48,959
real easily, smooth down.

419
00:21:48,959 --> 00:21:50,876
La Madera, como 
 es la Madera.

420
00:21:50,876 --> 00:21:55,375
Come see the wood that I 
use to make furniture.

421
00:21:55,375 --> 00:21:57,918
Only in a few places 
I've seen objects made

422
00:21:57,918 --> 00:22:00,209
of columnar cacti wood.

423
00:22:00,209 --> 00:22:07,083
One cactus trunk will 
make up to 6 chairs.

424
00:22:07,083 --> 00:22:10,999
Look, this is part of the 
trunk that he's cut apart.

425
00:22:10,999 --> 00:22:16,000
This is, this is 
cactus wood, right?

426
00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,999
Oh, that thing is heavy.

427
00:22:18,999 --> 00:22:23,083
So this whole piece must 
weigh 50 pounds, 50, 60 pounds.

428
00:22:23,083 --> 00:22:27,999
I would say this is 
sort of hard pine wood.

429
00:22:27,999 --> 00:22:34,751
Not as hard as some hard woods 
but for sure strong and heavy.

430
00:22:34,751 --> 00:22:36,459
Todos estos pitire.

431
00:22:36,459 --> 00:22:38,999
Es pitire.

432
00:22:38,999 --> 00:22:42,709
It's hard.

433
00:22:42,709 --> 00:22:46,584
In this region there 
are a lot ofejetos.

434
00:22:46,584 --> 00:22:48,999
The majority of 
individuals have their own

435
00:22:48,999 --> 00:22:51,999
little piece of land and 
it's their right to do

436
00:22:51,999 --> 00:22:54,999
what they want with it.

437
00:22:54,999 --> 00:22:57,999
Well, it's sort of sad 
but more wood is available

438
00:22:57,999 --> 00:23:02,083
because some of the 
pitiresare dying from

439
00:23:02,083 --> 00:23:03,501
a long time drought.

440
00:23:03,501 --> 00:23:05,999
He says it's been going 
on for several years.

441
00:23:05,999 --> 00:23:11,542
I was here 2 years ago, it 
hasn't rained much since then.

442
00:23:11,542 --> 00:23:19,999
çSpanish speakingÑ

443
00:23:19,999 --> 00:23:23,918
So we're gonna get a 
bed made out of this.

444
00:23:23,918 --> 00:23:25,542
Now that's smooth.

445
00:23:25,542 --> 00:23:27,125
It's heavy.

446
00:23:27,125 --> 00:23:28,584
Feel it.

447
00:23:28,584 --> 00:23:30,918
This one is really heavy.

448
00:23:30,918 --> 00:23:32,876
If I work really 
hard it'll take me

449
00:23:32,876 --> 00:23:37,999
about 3 days to 
make this bed frame.

450
00:23:37,999 --> 00:23:42,000
It's very comfortable 
to sleep on these beds

451
00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:48,292
because there's good air 
flow coming from below.

452
00:23:48,292 --> 00:23:51,626
So this bed is made out of 
pachonewood andpachone

453
00:23:51,626 --> 00:23:53,999
is a cactus that 
grows only around, around

454
00:23:53,999 --> 00:23:57,709
this area, perhaps a radius 
of 40 miles and that's it.

455
00:23:57,709 --> 00:24:02,542
That's the only place 
they are in the world.

456
00:24:02,542 --> 00:24:05,751
çSpanish speakingÑ

457
00:24:05,751 --> 00:24:07,417
Oh, so this is woven

458
00:24:07,417 --> 00:24:11,083
of palm and that's 
the extent of the bed.

459
00:24:11,083 --> 00:24:12,751
Let's, let's try it.

460
00:24:12,751 --> 00:24:13,834
You are right.

461
00:24:13,834 --> 00:24:15,125
It isn't, isn't 
that great?

462
00:24:15,125 --> 00:24:17,999
Go and get somepitires 
 for me, could you?

463
00:24:17,999 --> 00:24:19,667
Oh, yes, well, and a fan.

464
00:24:19,667 --> 00:24:22,292
I'll, I'll get somebody 
to come fan you.

465
00:24:22,292 --> 00:24:23,459
Isn't that great?

466
00:24:23,459 --> 00:24:25,542
Well, we better 
head on up the road.

467
00:24:25,542 --> 00:24:27,918
This is just too much fun.

468
00:24:27,918 --> 00:24:35,667
♪ music

469
00:24:35,667 --> 00:24:37,999
Both cacti and agaves 
are native to the Western

470
00:24:37,999 --> 00:24:40,834
Hemisphere and have become 
a commercial success

471
00:24:40,834 --> 00:24:42,626
in their native habitats.

472
00:24:42,626 --> 00:24:46,000
So far,pitayashave only 
expanded into abandoned

473
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,083
agricultural lands and 
waste places and their

474
00:24:49,083 --> 00:24:54,334
planters have maintained a broad 
array of genetic diversity.

475
00:24:54,334 --> 00:24:58,000
Cacti are quite at home in 
arid and semi-arid lands

476
00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:04,792
and any commercial success 
with them is a desert bonus.

477
00:25:05,876 --> 00:25:07,959
So there are all sorts 
of stuff that work here.

478
00:25:07,959 --> 00:25:09,459
Well, the rough 
topography of the region.

479
00:25:09,459 --> 00:25:12,167
Michuacánin southern 
Mexico is known for its

480
00:25:12,167 --> 00:25:17,834
rugged coast, 
varied habitats,

481
00:25:17,834 --> 00:25:22,751
tropical fruits and 
believe it or not a town

482
00:25:22,751 --> 00:25:26,834
where the craftsmen 
continue a centuries old

483
00:25:26,834 --> 00:25:31,292
instrumental tradition.

484
00:25:31,292 --> 00:25:34,999
Next time onThe 
Desert Speaks.

485
00:25:37,125 --> 00:25:56,918
çSpanish speakingÑ

486
00:26:02,292 --> 00:26:06,999
FUNDING FOR THE DESERT 
SPEAKS IS PROVIDED BY

487
00:26:06,999 --> 00:26:08,792
DESERT PROGRAM PARTNERS.

488
00:26:08,792 --> 00:26:11,542
REPRESENTING CONCERNED VIEWERS 
MAKING A FINANCIAL COMMITTMENT

489
00:26:11,542 --> 00:26:16,417
TO THE EDUCATION ABOUT AND 
PRESERVATION OF DESERTS

490
00:26:16,417 --> 00:26:19,999
AND BY THE STONEWALL FOUNDATION.