Ciao San Blas

Ok, so I didn't learn how to surf, and I didn't get to go on the jungle boat cruise while in San Blas but I did get to master my hammack skills, and gracefully navigate the back road I lived on and not fall into the pile of rubbish that lined the street.

Even though I was actually in San Blas for two weeks, it seemed like two days. This seems hard to believe since I didn't really do much. But that is the beauty of Mexico, you can easily not do much and the people around you won't wonder why you are such a ¨lazy ass¨. Mexicans work a lot harder than we give them credit for, however they are a lot slower at what they do. Whatever it is that they may be doing. For instance, most of the small towns I have moved into my bike becomes my main mode of transportation. And as I don my ipod on and ride down the street, I feel like I must be traveling about 35 mph. Because in comparison to the Mexicans on bikes, I am. I pass every single one of them. At whipping spéed. Or when sweeping, or shopping, or even eating. All seemed to be done in a hurried panic in comparison to those that live here. Things run on a different time clock. However, in contrast to all of that slowness, Mexicans still drive incredibly fast. If a speed limit is 45 mph, they will drive 70 (providing their car can do so). It seems somewhat ironic that for a culture where time is very loose, you can never trust that when someone says to meet at noon, that they will actually be there at noon, they still drive so fast? And endanger their lives so, I just don't understand it. But my job is not to understand it, just observe and become as they are if I so desire.

So back to San Blas, this town is not for everyone. It has some beautiful attributes and some annoying ones. Like the jejens (pronouncied heyhens). They are small bugs that eat you alive. If one was to see my legs you would understand, I have about 100 bites just on the lower portion of my body. So bug spray is more commonly used than deordant. You put it on morning, noon and night. You put it on to go to sleep. But the beautiful side is that this keeps massive amounts of tourists away, and allows San Blas to remain funky, cheap, and a little more Mexican for a beach town. It is situated near an estuary so you have jungles, and waterways and massive amounts of bananas. Oh, I just had to mention the bananas again...my love of course.
It also has miles of sand and surf. You can drive 15 minutes away to the next little town and sit by yourself on the beach and have beers and ceviche for pennies. You can find restaurants where dinner my cost you 35 pesos - which is what Matt and I paid for a total of 5 enchilada's and 1 fonta. Or you can sit at the counter of a luncherida and pay 20 pesos for a liquada full of yaka, banana, strawberries, and so on.
And the people you meet all seem to have something in common with you. The ability to ignore the bugs, and to openly accept you into their group. Quickly you know people, and they know you. Twice I took my laundry to the launderia, the first time I wrote my name on the huge bag, the second time, the gal said, ¨I´ll see you at 5 Heidi¨. Amazing. I'll miss the friends I made; Matthew, Ginny, Gary, Chris, Dave and Trilby (can't get enough of these people) and so on. And I'll miss the slow waves crashing on the beach...and of course all the good meals made for my both by Ginny and Matt.

But the travels must go on. And so they have.