The honest people of Zihuatanejo

A few nights ago, we went to downtown Zihuatanejo to have dinner and our usual post-prandial gelato treats at Fragolino on Calle Juan Alvarez. On the way to get the gelato, we stopped to buy a bottle of white wine (Mexican, of course!) at a nearby shop. I carefully put it in my favourite little cloth shopping bag to protect it from breakage. The gelato was delicious (as always), and we flagged a taxi to take us home.

The next morning, my husband said, “Did you put the wine in the fridge?” I responded with a blank look and the gradual realization that I did not arrive home with the wine. We assumed it had been left in the taxi, and it would be almost impossible to trace without knowing the taxi’s permit number. I mourned the loss of my shopping bag and began to look for a replacement on the Internet, only to find it’s been discontinued. Lesson learned: Be more vigilant when shopping after a dinner accompanied by a strong piña colada and half a bottle of wine!

Last night, we again went to downtown Zihuatanejo for dinner and then proceeded to the gelato shop for our usual treats. Elisabeth, our regular server, broke out in a big smile, jumped up and dashed to the back of the store. She returned with the shopping bag AND the bottle of wine! It turned out that I had left it beside my chair when we had departed for the taxi. Not only were the next patrons, who sat there and discovered the left-behind shopping bag, honest and helpful by turning the bag over to Elisabeth, Elisabeth herself was equally honest and helpful by keeping an eye out for us and our hoped-for return visit. We, of course, insisted that she accept a nice gratuity for her troubles, even though she repeatedly said it wasn’t necessary.

We have heard several stories of this type where restaurant staff, taxi drivers and other local people have gone the extra mile to return lost items, and it’s a wonderful feeling to have experienced it ourselves!