"I hadn’t really thought about it, but I’m not sure if I have spent any time with anyone from the United States the entire time I’ve been in Playa del Carmen. My landlord is from Mexico and the other house guest is from Germany. Both of them have been much more active going to the beach, bars and destinations where you may find Americans. They have to be here. Playa is certainly one of Mexico’s Caribbean destinations. I’ve just spent my time painting a mural with mostly Mexicans at DIF instead of doing anything to support the tourism industry and bump into fellow countrymen.
One evening that found the three of us at home, all at the same time, I overheard a very interesting conversation. The German spent her day visiting the Maya ruins in Tulum with a few of her friends and an American couple. The Americans had a car and offered a ride to the other travelers. I thought, “That kind of sounds like something Americans would do.” That generosity didn’t surprise me.
But as the conversation continued, the discussion turned to “those Americans”, completely forgetting the fact that I was in the room. The first thing talked about were overly whitened teeth and other body parts that most certainly had plastic surgery. And then, the couple had his and her tattoos, each bearing forever the name of their spouse. Then, there was chuckling over how prepared “those Americans” were for their time at the beach. The German had never seen foam insulators for canned beverages before, but she was introduced to them by you know who.
The final straw was over alcohol. Not only did the driver like to drink and drive, “those Americans” made sure everyone else had alcohol, even if they didn’t want it. Now, I personally find that offensive. It has nothing to do with being American and everything to do with being considerate of the wishes of others. And, I certainly understood why the German was irritated.
Finally, I had to speak up and say something like, “Yeah, those dang Americans!”
My two housemates both looked at me in shock and a little horrified. They had completely forgotten that there was an American in the room. The German quickly said, “But, you don’t act like an American!” and the Mexican readily agreed.
When I asked for a little clarification, what I received was really loud and clear. The consensus was that while many Americans do travel, they don’t usually get out of their little “American bubble”. They prefer everything to be exactly the way it is back in the good old United States of America. That means everybody else really should speak English and accept payment in U.S. Dollars, even if the sign clearly states, "Payment should only be in Mexican pesos."
My host said that one time had some of “those Americans” as house guests. They could not believe he didn’t have a microwave oven. They made such a fuss about it that he finally went out and bought one. I, on the other hand, would have drawn them a map to Walmart and let them purchase their own oven. This American is not quite as gracious and kind as that Mexican.
And, unfortunately for me, I’ve also traveled with “those Americans”. The last time I went with a group (something I rarely ever do) the leader of the pack was someone who never should have ever left U.S. soil. And, he certainly had no business leading a group. Instead of actively encouraging “those Americans” to experience the culture, nightly conversations initiated by the leader included questions like, “What restaurant is the first one you will go to as soon as you get home?” and “If the plane came early, how quickly could you pack?”
His sidekick referred to himself as "the junk food fairy”. He brought so many snacks that the entire group could not eat them all in ten days. Ten days! We were only out of the country ten days! Anyone can go without that kind of sugar for ten days. It would have been so much healthier to go to the market and find some fruit. And, it would have been a terrific experience.
So, under the circumstances, when these two people said I didn’t act like an American, I could not have been more pleased. If you have to have everything sanitized, in English, just the right temperature and sanitized again, stay at home. You’ll never be satisfied and you’ll most likely tarnish the experience for everyone you come in contact with.
Want more advice? If you’re reading this, I’m going to give it. Stay away from hotels with any stars. Avoid any restaurant that you could eat at in your hometown. Learn to take the bus instead or a taxi. Better yet, walk as much as possible. Learn how to say “hello” and “thank you” in the local language. And, talk to the people you encounter. I find waiters, taxi drivers, small hotel staff and maids to be incredible resources. Their knowledge should be tapped into and appreciated. If you want to know where to shop, what to see, and especially what to eat and where to find it, these people can direct you.
If you only eat what you eat at home and only stay in places like you live in, you just aren’t going to have any kind of cultural experience. Yes, you’ll be like most American travelers, like the kind who only linger around Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen. And, you’ll miss so much about what you should really experience while traveling – the people and the culture of the host country. Get out of that “American bubble”!
I popped mine a long time ago.
One evening that found the three of us at home, all at the same time, I overheard a very interesting conversation. The German spent her day visiting the Maya ruins in Tulum with a few of her friends and an American couple. The Americans had a car and offered a ride to the other travelers. I thought, “That kind of sounds like something Americans would do.” That generosity didn’t surprise me.
But as the conversation continued, the discussion turned to “those Americans”, completely forgetting the fact that I was in the room. The first thing talked about were overly whitened teeth and other body parts that most certainly had plastic surgery. And then, the couple had his and her tattoos, each bearing forever the name of their spouse. Then, there was chuckling over how prepared “those Americans” were for their time at the beach. The German had never seen foam insulators for canned beverages before, but she was introduced to them by you know who.
The final straw was over alcohol. Not only did the driver like to drink and drive, “those Americans” made sure everyone else had alcohol, even if they didn’t want it. Now, I personally find that offensive. It has nothing to do with being American and everything to do with being considerate of the wishes of others. And, I certainly understood why the German was irritated.
Finally, I had to speak up and say something like, “Yeah, those dang Americans!”
My two housemates both looked at me in shock and a little horrified. They had completely forgotten that there was an American in the room. The German quickly said, “But, you don’t act like an American!” and the Mexican readily agreed.
When I asked for a little clarification, what I received was really loud and clear. The consensus was that while many Americans do travel, they don’t usually get out of their little “American bubble”. They prefer everything to be exactly the way it is back in the good old United States of America. That means everybody else really should speak English and accept payment in U.S. Dollars, even if the sign clearly states, "Payment should only be in Mexican pesos."
My host said that one time had some of “those Americans” as house guests. They could not believe he didn’t have a microwave oven. They made such a fuss about it that he finally went out and bought one. I, on the other hand, would have drawn them a map to Walmart and let them purchase their own oven. This American is not quite as gracious and kind as that Mexican.
And, unfortunately for me, I’ve also traveled with “those Americans”. The last time I went with a group (something I rarely ever do) the leader of the pack was someone who never should have ever left U.S. soil. And, he certainly had no business leading a group. Instead of actively encouraging “those Americans” to experience the culture, nightly conversations initiated by the leader included questions like, “What restaurant is the first one you will go to as soon as you get home?” and “If the plane came early, how quickly could you pack?”
His sidekick referred to himself as "the junk food fairy”. He brought so many snacks that the entire group could not eat them all in ten days. Ten days! We were only out of the country ten days! Anyone can go without that kind of sugar for ten days. It would have been so much healthier to go to the market and find some fruit. And, it would have been a terrific experience.
So, under the circumstances, when these two people said I didn’t act like an American, I could not have been more pleased. If you have to have everything sanitized, in English, just the right temperature and sanitized again, stay at home. You’ll never be satisfied and you’ll most likely tarnish the experience for everyone you come in contact with.
Want more advice? If you’re reading this, I’m going to give it. Stay away from hotels with any stars. Avoid any restaurant that you could eat at in your hometown. Learn to take the bus instead or a taxi. Better yet, walk as much as possible. Learn how to say “hello” and “thank you” in the local language. And, talk to the people you encounter. I find waiters, taxi drivers, small hotel staff and maids to be incredible resources. Their knowledge should be tapped into and appreciated. If you want to know where to shop, what to see, and especially what to eat and where to find it, these people can direct you.
If you only eat what you eat at home and only stay in places like you live in, you just aren’t going to have any kind of cultural experience. Yes, you’ll be like most American travelers, like the kind who only linger around Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen. And, you’ll miss so much about what you should really experience while traveling – the people and the culture of the host country. Get out of that “American bubble”!
I popped mine a long time ago.
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