Travel blog by Päivi & Santeri Kannisto

Being in Belize, for us, was like a short trip back to Jamaica. In both countries, English and patois are spoken, reggae is played everywhere, people are laid-back, many of them smoking marijuana, the Chinese run all the supermarkets, and the local street vendors have a hit-and-miss selection of fruits and vegetables.

We went to Mexico thinking we would just pass through the vast country on our way to Central America, but we ended up staying two months—thanks to the wonderfully welcoming and hospitable Mexicans and expatriates residing there. Hospitality exchange works like a dream in Mexico. It proved to be a complete opposite to the United States where we could not find a single host. Particularly big cities in Mexico have an active network of members who both host and organise various weekly activities. Finding hosts was easy, and we enjoyed every second of our stay with them.