Street Friends are made.

February 25, 2010

Walking up and down the crowded Mexican streets stopping to look at goods made by street vendors, who knew the adventure it would begin.

We paid them to do hair wraps for us and we got to talking and sat with them for a talk. By the end of the afternoon we had gathered a crowd of about 12-15 people around two tables in a crowded street.

Five Canadians. The rest Mexicans.

We were smiling and laughing and having fun, people wanted to be part of it. We made friends with the waiters, were invited to a beach house for lunch, sat with a young Mexican model, made friends with the street vendors, got invited to a concert, met two homosexual women, which was huge for Mexico because it is not looked upon with light eyes. We shared experiences and stories from home and traditions of our cultures. We exchanged contact information with most of them and perhaps will one day see them again.

We talked about culture and language, they asked why Canadians and Americans have tattoos on their feet.

“Nunca in Mexico,” Juan said.

We laughed.

We were given a card with a picture of a Saint, they said to keep it in our wallet or close to our heart. They warned us not all people in Mexico are friendly and we should be careful. They said the Saint would protect us.

It was refreshing to sit in the sun with a group of people and watch relationships change from strangers to friends. The best way to learn about Mexico is to emerge yourself in the culture, surround yourself with the people and open your soul.

When you do, the possibilities are endless and the experiences will last a life time.