It all started with a innocent trip to the mercado in Zihuatanejo. I needed to pick up provisions for the next week as we were staying in a home in Troncones where at the time there was nothing to buy. The beer truck came by on Tuesdays, the Coca Cola truck on Thursdays. Other than that you had to take the 3 beer drive into Z town for everything else. By the time I realized that I had too much stuff to carry in the small bags being handed to me, it was too late. I chose the largest bolsa I could find and started packing stuff in there. It wasn't long before I could not carry the thing. Finally a nice joven came to my rescue and I paid him well. I fell more in love with Mexico that day and started my obsession with the colorful bolsas.
This is our road bolsa. It has all the necessities when we are driving to Mexico. It stays loaded and ready at all time. It has maps, a binder with helpful information, insurance binders, registrations numerous copies of everything, toilet paper, first aid, spare glasses. A cornucopia of travel related items. She is not lovely, but sturdy and practical.
Ah, where it all started. This is my 19 year old Zihuatanejo bag. She has been to many places both south and north of the border. She is a huge bag and very colorful. She has much more life in her.
JUMBO boy bag. Unless you need a bag to carry enough popped corn to feed everyone on a jetliner, this bag is way to large to fill and be able to carry. I have no idea where or when I got this bag, so he must have arrived with beer or what ever else I sent Keith to the store to get.
Petite mini bag. This bag is too small, but she was part of a matching set that I could not pass up. One of my girlfriends talked me into giving her the practical size matching bolsa, so I have used this little cutie to take a few small items with me if I was going to the shower or to separate stuff in the larger beach bolsa.Below is the perfect bag. She is very beautiful in color, has a nice shaped bottom and holds most all you need to make a nice dinner for 4-6 in Mexico. She was my most expensive bolsa as well. We were in Nogales getting one of Keith's crowns and doing a bit of window shopping when it started to pour down rain. I had just purchases a nice decorative talavera piece and we had a HUGE line to wait in to walk back over the border. I didn't want to waste time bargaining and when the guy finally arrived with a bolsa that fit my description, I gladly handed him 10 bucks (US dollars) and dashed out to stand 40 minutes in the rain. Considering that I had only paid 15 pesos for my Zihuatanejo bag either the price of plastics have gone way up, or I just paid the price of convenience. Oh well. Reason 76 that I love Mexico. Cheap (mostly), colorful and practical bags.
Perfect medium sized square bottom bag.
Perfect medium sized square bottom bag.
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I think you got the gringo surcharge on that bag in Nogales.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is a rainbow-stripe bag, I liked it so much I bought two of them. But beware the zipper ones, the zipper doesn't work for long.
Ya, I did take a beating on the Nogales bag. I knew it at the time, but was in a big hurry. No bother. Plus, I had sent the shop keeper out looking for one. The Big Boy Bolsa is the only one I have with a zipper and I have not had a reason to try it out. Zipper would come in handy on the boat I would think.
ReplyDeleteI love your bolsa's. I too have quite a collection. I have them for everyday use, beach use and then a thermal one that is good for when we go into Merida and buy meats and ice cream.
ReplyDeleteI always keep a bolsa or two in the trunk of my car folded up into about an 8 X 8 inch square with a rubber band around them to keep them folded and with the handles sticking out. When we go on walkabouts we always take them along because they are easy to carry and if you buy a bunch of little stuff it is always easier to carry it around in a woven plastic bolsa than it is in those individual little flimsy plastic film bags. I guess it may not look too cool for a guy to carry a colorful bolsa but at this stage of my life I am way beyond looking cool :)
ReplyDeleteHey, great idea Bob. Keith does not seem to worry about the coolness factor either. well, he does with something, just not the bolsas.
ReplyDeleteI too have a collection of bolsas. I first discovered them in Guadalajara and I couldn't believe how wonderful they were. Bruce was stunned at the number o bolsas that we had collected over the years. I love the photos and the way you staged them. It shows that you personalized them. I do that with everything too!
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