Mexico
Recently I’ve returned home from a trip to mexico. It wasn’t so much a photographic essay rather it was a chance to meet my girlfriends family, explore the Yucatan, Quintana Roo and relax. Given the chance to be in such a foreign place I took every opportunity to take candid photos I’m really proud of.
My experince was different compaired to the average american tourist, I didn’t remain in Cancun, Playa del carmen or any other place where tourists hang out. I spent most of my time with friends of my girlfriends family, In Valladolid. If you want to find Valladolid just look at a map of the Yucatan and its basicly right at the the top, in the middle.
Mexico is nothing like I expected. I was expecting poor, but this is poor like no american has every seen. I took a second class bus to Valladolid, which doesn’t take the toll highway. My first impression was: ” this is comfortable, it’s nicer then the bus’s in the USA.” Shortly there after I realized that it wasn’t the bus model that made it second class, it was the route. Random stops so vendors could sell their food in the bus, The highway we took looked as though people just randomly set up towns along side it; with most of them looking like bombs blew up in their newly placed domiciles. It made me feel like a stupid, whiny, american. We have nothing to complain about, sure the USA isn’t the best run country in the world, but at least most of us have money to buy shoes.
Walking through millitary base (Where I stayed, the husband was a captain) I left my shoes at the house, I didn’t feel like going back and getting them so I decided to walk the streets shoeless. Most people were very confused to see a gringo without shoes, They kept asking me: “why don’t you have shoes, do you have any money?” After some confustion I realized that being shoeless is associated with being penniless, poor people in mexico are very clear in their shoe less feature.
Among many other things, one thing that stuck in my mind was how many stray dogs are found all around mexico. Think whatever reason there may be for the stray dogs whatever it may be. It just made me feel sad. I didn’t feel as bad when I realized that the dogs in mexico where very street smart, but scared of humans; they don’t trust us, With good cause.
While I have a lot of negatives to stay about mexico, there’s more positive. The people were so friendly and inviting despite not having as much they still were always willing to give whatever they could. The natural wonders are really beautiful along with their history. There culture is so alive, always things to do places to see and food to eat. It was a really great experience for me despite the short comings I didn’t want to leave, I was so enriched with culture I was never bored, never ate poorly and never felt like I was a burden.
Enjoy the pictures, they’re unedited I will spruce them up once I upload them to my pictures section.
Dan
