Hope this helps!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/387238_2964991850604_1435873018_33201392_120520476_n.jpgHey Sharkboy, I speak Spanish and when I am in Canada and sometimes hear people speaking Spanish I usually make an attempt to let them know I speak their language and I imagine they are a little freaked out at first and not sure if they can trust me and maybe wondering why I singled them out, but usually they are happy that we talked when we go our separate ways. I can see why this could be scary for someone in a strange place where everybody speaks a different language, so it's probably a defense mechanism which humans have to avoid danger of the unknown.

I noticed during my time in a big Canadian city that the most common way for people to avoid communicating with another human being (not even saying Hi!) is for them to avoid eye contact with everyone while they are in public. The other one is rapidly growing popular, which is for people to pretend to answer their cell phone when they think a situation may bring about random communication or acknowledgment of the existence of a complete stranger. Also I saw something else that was really strange, that neighbors did't know all of their neighbors on their street some knew none! Maybe it's these strange cultural traits of foreigners you're seeing? It probably has something to do with the 'big city' culture and not necesarily the individual people. I suggest you try making conversation with people who look like they are from smaller towns who are also making eye-contact with other people and if the put their hand up to their ear, like to use a cel phone, it might meen they are not wanting to be approached. Also, look for people that have been in Mexico for more than 2 or 3 weeks, chances are they will be happy to talk to you after having some time to get used to the friendly culture here in Mexico.

In your case, Sharkboy, you speak English and I imagine you are a friendly guy... so on top of the above problem you can be classed in a stereotype by the same type of people described above as 'a fast talker' or a 'hustler' and somebody to be wary of (fast talkers are not just in Mexico, respectively). Unfortunately you are also a salesman, which means you have something to sell, in other words, chances are you have an underlying motive, reason or 'need' to be striking up conversations with strangers which people tend to pick up on quickly and usually shy away from once noticed. You DO have a very good reason to have the confidence to speak to strangers in English seeing as you speak English and are a friendly local person and this benefits your chances of making sales and friends easier than those who don't speak English (the majority of Mexicans, con todo respeto) and also greatly benefits the people you talk to with a 'real' experience while vacationing in Mexico. If you realise you may appear to have the word 'salesman' printed on your forehead and try to be original and genuine in your attempt to start up a conversation with someone, it might be a good idea not to mention right away that you are a tour guide, maybe wait for the person to ask what you do for work and you can reply that you are a tour guide in a casual way.

When I am in Canada and hear people speaking Spanish I usually make an effort to let them know I speak their language and I imagine they are a little freaked out at first and not sure if they can trust me and maybe wondering why I singled them out, but usually they are happy that we talked when we go our separate ways. I can see why this could be scary for someone in a strange place where everybody speaks a different language, so it's probably a defense mechanism which humans have to avoid danger of the unknown.

As far as beach/street vendors go... I have witnessed that most of the family and friends that we have invited to experience the area usually make eye contact with the vendors when they are walking by and end up buying stuff off of them at the end of their 2 or 3 week stay in Troncones because they wanted to spend some of their money to help these people who work sooo hard in the hot sun every day. I don't have lots of money or a need for more bowls or necklaces, so I don't buy anything unless it looks tasty, but I will invite them to sit down and rest in the shade for awhile and make sure they don't think every foreigner is rude(which can happen sometimes because of the constant rejection), by engaging them in some chit-chat after I made them understand politely that I wasn't going to buy anything from them today or quite possibly ever. Once they know that I'm not going to buy anything, conversation seems to come quite naturally and not forced because of a potential pending sale. I have given advice in the past to people not to give money to the very young children who work in the streets because of my experience in Mexico City and first hand knowledge of the abuse suffered by some of these poor kids at the hands of their parents (who the money is usually going to) and because I don't think it is a safe or healthy environment for them to be working in to say the least. But then I remember the time I was in a fancy restaurant in Columbia and a local said to me that you have to give money to the people who come in to the restaurant to ask for money because they are so desperate for drugs that they will kill you if they don't get some money. Maybe the guy who told me that was stereotyping and maybe I am stereotyping. Shortly after he told me that, a transvesite drug addict b-lined towards our table of 20 in the fancy restaurant and some brave soul handed her (respectively) some pesos. The moral dilema is, are we hurting more than we are helping by encouraging poor behaviour in order for us to feel better or safer? Here is a really good article for you to read if you want to be confused on the subject even more... http://www.newyorker.com/arts/​critics/atlarge/2010/10/11/​101011crat_atlarge_gourevitch?c​urrentPage=all

I hope this helps you to not be angry at all of us foreigners You should come and check out Troncones sometime!

I used to sell this stuff and actually heard some of my old lines in this video... SO FUNNY!!!