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A Note from Phil Weigand:
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Archaeology is a proven economical resource the world over, and offers a dignified cultural image for those regions which sponsor and support it. The only requisite is that there are archaeological sites that would interest culturally-oriented tourists.
Jalisco certainly has those resources, though they have been ignored and officially down-played. Jalisco is known as a tourist destination for diversion: tequila, mariachis, beaches and bikinis-- nothing wrong with any of that, except, of course, that it doesnt provide a lasting and dignified image for the state.
Cultural tourism provides for such an image, and Jalisco, with a little more imagination at the political level, could easily engage in that type of enterprize. The archaeological and cultural resources certainly are here- within an hours drive from Guadalajara are the Guachimontones de Teuchitlan; the magnificent 18th century Hacienda del Carmen, with its spa and hotel facilities; the geological site at Piedras Bolas; and the good restaurants near Teuchitlan itself.
Cultural tourism provides economic opportunities for the general population as well, and given the collapsing agricultural economy of this zone, no legitimate resource should be ignored. Jalisco could use a bettering of its image, and the great ruin at the Guachimontones could certainaly help that process. O
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