After arriving in the small town of San Blas, we began exploring right away. The picture above was a neat installation near the ocean: a whale made up of trash found along the beach.
Later, we started walking up and down the streets. Maddie's backpack needed some mending to fix one of the straps that was almost literally hanging on by a thread. We happened upon this market of hand-made "artesanias." One lady there was doing some sewing, so we asked her if she'd be able to mend the backpack.
We offered to give her 10 pesos for the work, but she brushed off that offer saying she wouldn't accept our money, and then got to work fixing it for free. She finished up in about 5 minutes and did an amazing job! We insisted that she take the 10 pesos, but again she refused.
What can we do so she will accept these pesos?!
We had some nice conversation with her in Spanish. Well...as nice as a conversation can be given our limited Spanish skills. And then, in addition to fixing the backpack, she wanted to give us a small bar of handmade soap for free! We were even more speechless than before but adamant that this kind woman deserved the mere 10 pesos. We reasoned that at least we needed to pay for the soap, and she finally obliged.
This short exchange perfectly sums up our experiences in this magical little jungle town.
If you're thinking about visiting San Blas (which you totally should), watch this video before you pack your bags and make the trip!
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@sharingeverybite (Maddie)
@shenanigator (Jordan)
(and Laska the Siberian Husky)
Looks like you are still moving on in Mexico....glad for your travel adventure.
Enjoy and Be Free Always.
Thanks @hanamana! We're still making our way through. In a few days, it's off to Guadalajara!
Enjoy what you may discover today in Mexico,,,,,,Viva Mexico!
Tütkiyeden selam. Bizim ülkede gezilecek güzel yerler yok. Hep uzaklara hasret kalıyorum
Hey @tufi. I'm sorry to hear that there aren't any beautiful places to visit in Turkey. I hope that before long, you get the chance to see more of the world :)
Tütkiyeden selam Bizim ülkede gezilecek güzel yerler yok Hep uzaklara hasret kalıyorum:;;;
there is no better experience than travelling around countries meeting new people new cultures and environments
We couldn't agree with you more! And the culture and people of Mexico have proved to be nothing short of amazing. :)
Those bites are not nice. Wow. I can imagine the itching and the pain. Sorry. I hope you have used something on them? From the few movies i have watched, i knew Mexico love bikes hahaha. They love all these noise making bikes. You stopped at 10? Okay, let me give you a #11, San Blas people are kind. That is depicted with that woman that helped Maddie fix her strap. So kind of her. I am glad you are enjoying your journey, except for the big spiders and the bugs hahaha. Sorry.
These bits are perhaps the worst we've ever experienced! Who knew that such a tiny insect could incur such a painful and itchy aftermath. Luckily, we brought essential oils with us and those are helping a LOT.
You are absolutely right! We forgot to mention how generous and kind the people of San Blas are. Hopefully we did that point justice (at least party) by including the story of the nice woman who fixed my backpack.
As for the bugs...we'll be glad to move on to another city with a bit less of them. ;)
Hahahaha anyone who days little things doesn't matter, clearly hasn't been in bed with mosquitoes and those tiny insects. Glad the oil is helping and i hope the next location is better, with little or less of them.
You guys have an amazing heart, so it is only normal for you to draw the attention of nice people. Well done guys. Always rooting for you from here.
You are always filled with the sweetest words @olawalium! That really brought a smile to our faces. Thanks for taking the time to write such lovely comments all the time. It almost feels like you're right here along for the journey!
P.S. We were just reading one of your posts together today (unfortunately not logged in on mobile to comment). It was beautifully written and we learned some cool things about you! For instance, your love of and ease of writing. I too find that it comes easily for me and until later in life, didn't "get" why other people struggled with it. Interesting how similar we are!
-Maddie
I am smiling even before typing my reply. I so much enjoy seeing what you guys do. I am glad to always hear from you and your appreciation always warm my heart.
Wow! Thank you so much for creating time to go through my blog. That makes me truly happy. It's such a huge honour to have similar trait with you. singing "i feeeelllll goood". Hahaha.
Thank you so much for your kindness. Indeed, what comes from the heart always touch the heart. I look forward to your posts again and again. Many thanks.
The kindness of local folks are always very warm to the heart....
Absolutely! It's been especially abundant here in San Blas and we hope to return the favor whenever we have the opportunity.
This is awesome ! Thank you for sharing :D
nice post
We have an 8 minute and 30 second video in the post and you commented "nice post" just 30 seconds after posting. You sure could use a lesson in spamming. Let me see if I can help you out...
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Mexico is amazing. They have a saying there than Mexicans would die to accomodate and please any foreigners but that they are not so this way between themselves. I don't know if ii is true or not but I do know that I was helped out many times by some who had nothing. It made me feel very welcome.
I also learnt that whereas it was fair for me to insist on paying them for their kindness, money is not always the best way to thank someone. There were still quite a few parts I have been to in Mexico that were not too money driven and I hope it stays that way.
We have definitely felt the overwhelming hospitality and generosity of people in Mexico. And you're exactly right, sometimes it comes from people who have almost nothing. Coming from the US where that almost never happens (even from people with lots of money) it's really strange and makes us feel like we need to pay/gift something for how kind the people always are. What was your experience thanking someone with ways other than cash? Did you find people appreciated a certain thing the most or did it vary based on the circumstances?
We hope so too! "Love languages" are always something to keep in mind. For me, I appreciate "quality time" more than physical items. Jordan likes "physical touch" (i.e. hugs, a shoulder massage, etc.) and "words of appreciation" over gifts as well.
They are all good ways. I function a lot with my belief in Karma and service for a service. If I see the person who is helping me can do with some kind of help in return then I do what I can to help them. If I cannot find anything they could need or don't have the time to figure out what would be best to give, I show them my gratitude and engage with them as much as I can, hoping and knowing that their kindness will be rewarded. I show kindness to the next person as well, to spread the joy. That is, to be honest, what I intend to do at least. Surely sometimes I am not the kindest but I have found that being more kind brought more kindness in my life so I am trying to stick to it. :)