YOU NEVER KNOW!
Originally Published the Week of July 7, 2023 in Western Outdoor Publications
Beach and street vendors in Mexico…
If you’ve ever walked down the street in any tourist town and been plagued every five feet with those famous words “Jewelry! Almost free!” Or something similar. T-shirts? Hats? Viagra?
Or you just want some quiet beach time.
But, every 5 minutes someone interrupts your tanning session to asking if you want to buy a hat or sarape or beads…
You know how annoying it can be.
The first one or two. OK.
But, after awhile, you want to put up a sign that just says, “No, Gracias!”
Where we live in La Paz, we don’t have a lot of beach or street vendors. Maybe only a handful. We’re just not that touristy.
After living here a few years, I started to notice the same few guys were the only ones selling things from little suitcases on the waterfront.
Sometimes it was “discounted jewelry.” Of course “One of a kind from the mountains of Puebla!” (wink wink)
Sometimes it was hats, “handmade by Indian women” in small villages in central Mexico. (more wink wink)
Or maybe another day, it was vibrantly-colored beach wraps or sarapes meticulously made in the “historic wooden looms of Toluca!” (even more wink wink).
The price was not “almost free.” But, just for YOU today, Senorita, ‘very cheap!”
I got to recognize and eventually know Marcelo, Luis and and older man, Jose.
I’d see them walking down the beach or working a hotel and we would always greet and smile. Occasionally, I would purchase beach hats to sell at our store or direct clients to them.
They were always fun and always fair. And were great salesmen. Good for a joke and laugh. Folks enjoyed their non-pushy style and big smiles.
I used to watch them stroll the beaches or work on the waterfront. Simple hard-working guys. Every day.
An admirable work ethic to-be-sure.
Baseball hats; sandals; billowy trousers and t-shirts. Goods slung on their backs or carried on racks or in little cases.
I once ran into Luis who was resting in the shade of a beach palapa. I mentioned that I had not seen the older Jose, in a few weeks.
Was he OK?
In Spanish…
“Oh sure. Dad’s fine. He’s taking some time off. He’s on vacation.”
“He’s your dad? All this time, I didn’t know he was your dad.”
“Yes, and Marcelo is my other brother.”
“Wow, after all these years, I never knew that But, it’s good that dad is taking some time off. Is he at home here in La Paz?”
“No, dad is in Puerta Vallarta.”
“Oh, wow. Do you have family in Puerta Vallarta.”
“Yes, and our beach house and warehouse.”
“Wait. You have a beach house and a warehouse?”
He laughed.
“Si, Jonathan. We keep all our inventory in the warehouse of hats, jewelry, clothes, sarapes…everything. That is also where we have our beach house,” he said matter-of-factly.
I was a bit incredulous.
“So, you have a house in the beach in Puerta Vallarta and a warehouse for all our inventory? Do you really sell that much here in La Paz?”
“Oh no no!” he responded with a big grin.
“We are a family business. We have cousins and other family working in Cabo, Loreto, Mazatlan and of course, here in La Paz.”
Like it was no big deal.
I had to stop and think about that for a moment.
I had to wrap my brain around the fact that these simple-looking, hard-working guys had this whole network and business empire going on.
I don’t have a beach house or warehouse! I don’t know many people that do!
He saw me trying to process that with my head cocked and I’m sure my jaw had dropped.
So, he started telling me about shipping logistics; and price breaks; discount percentages ; distribution points and supply chain issues.
The family had been doing this for more than 30 years and employed about 20-30 family members.
I’m sure I had the funniest look on my face. Speechless.
Forget that Harvard business degree or that MBA on your wall.
He added, “I own three houses here in La Paz too!”
He laughed and winked and bid me “buenos tardes” and walked off down the beach to check out some “potential” customers. They had just put down a blanket on the sand and looked in need of some beach hats and jewelry.
He looked back at me once more and grinned “opportunidades!” (Opportunity!) And he put on his game face!
Who knew? A little capitalistic beach dynasty.
You just never know. Just shut my mouth!
That’s my story!
Jonathan
That's My Story 
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