Meet Marquez, A Souvenir Seller From The Beaches Of Punta Cana (Serie 1/4)

I've spent last summer in Punta Cana, and I noticed a lot of souvenir sellers on the beaches. They sell stuff like fake cigars, sunglasses and hats. Even though they seem to be annoying, I respect the hard work they put in every single day. They literally walk all day through the sand in hot the sun, just to make ends meet. Nevertheless they keep smiling and try to attract your attention with jokes.

Marquez and I saw eachother probably every day at the beach. He tried to sell me his handmade hats at least 5 times a day. I told him I'd buy one if he'd pose for a picture. He agreed :)

When we got talking he'd tell me about his personal life. He told me about his wife and three kids back at home. It's a 10 hour drive from the beach. At the moment he is staying with a relative who lives close to Punta Cana, this way he can sell his hats on the beach. I could see he struggled with the fact his family was far away from him. He hopes to save enough for his kids to get a proper education. He wouldn't want them to sell hats to tourists.