A Mask from Sandra’s Market Panajachel

A Mask from Sandra’s Market Panajachel

No this is not another post about wear a mask, social distance, sanitize and now vaccines. This mask was a pure act of kindness by Sandra the owner of the market, I asked a few weeks ago did she have a mask with her logo like all her staff wears, I would like to buy one, no she only had masks for her staff.

The nine-month closure of our borders due to COVID 17 was devastating for the economy around Lake Atitlan. I prefer to shop at local markets and shops, over the months of our closure, I noticed the normally fully stocked store I was used to seeing showed signs of pressure. Some days the normally kind and happy staff, showed signs of suffering through our Covid lockdown.

Now we have other economic enemies entering Pana, Claro is offering cheap Internet and other services, now a Domino’s Pizza, please Circus Bar is some of the best Italian food I have tasted, part of the Pana community for over 37 years. I sit on the man street of Pana at a local Pizza place that has been part of the community forever.

Today I stopped into Sandra’s as I do many times a week, always greeted with a smile by their staff, Temperature check, and sanitizer. When I reached the counter Sandra had this huge smile and presented me with their Mask, which I will wear proudly as I wander the streets of Panajachel and no charge.

If I have a point to all this, support your local business community, the Big Box stores, Franchises are not part of this community they only exist to earn money, gone forever from your community. We also lose jobs and more young people leave our community.