Travelers Need to Break Habits

Travelers Need to Break Habits

Travelers Need to Break Habits
My friend Chris is here in Guatemala, I have been enjoying immensely his habit of being friendly and talking to people, then his custom of wanting to pay quickly, easily, and before being asked.

Both of these great habits of a respectable Americans are problems here in Guatemala.

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Panajachel Guatemala
Lago Atitlan - Lake Atitlan
Sunday, May 11, 2008
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When he says hello, the vendors in the tourist area continue to follow and never stop….
Why?
“Because Chris never stops replying to their questions.”

I was allowing a nice girl to torture him yesterday, she followed us maybe four city blocks, and finally he purchased something. This was too funny to me; I was explaining she won the competition. More or less to annoy you until you buy is the idea, hoping there is a 10 percent desire and 90 percent desire to end the game.

I think he understand now, say hello, do not enter into conversations with Vendors.

Next, was funny, he pulls out some money before the we negotiated the price and ended up paying double of what was needed.
I said,
“The minute that girl saw the money, she knew she had you, it is impossible for me to help you, because she know you are a sap.”

I am quite sure Chris does not like me calling him a sap, but, well what can I say, does he want me to lie? Most Americans are saps when it comes to travel, us American never in our lives have to negotiate, play poker, and deal with sly and clever 100 percent selfish people who just want our money, our lives are too easy.

We are soft targets, I really do not care about this, but it is annoying to know the people of Guatemala have no respect for USA people who are not smart at these small normal games on the planet.

There was a party the other day of Foreigners, I explained to Chris, think about it, there was not one Guatemalan person at the party, this is how Americans and Europeans deal with these problems, they just do not have friends from Guatemala, or at least not good enough friends to ask to a party.

I was trying to explain the Ugly European, also known as the Ugly American, however because this insightful book and movie was written by an American, normally said as Ugly American. Europeans and the Americans are the same animal, just American are more polite, and bigger saps. The ugly is the enforces separations, this is indeed an ugly thing.

Chris is modifying some of his habits, it is interesting, I keep trying to encouraging him to just be respectful, nice, and how to stop the vendors in their tracks without being rude. He a little too old for this, he is 59, set in his ways, not able to really think fast on his feet.

I think of Panama, Costa Rica, or Thailand encouraging the older Americans to come and retire, then want the old ones, not the young people. After about age 30 people are so set in their ways they become soft target, easy to screw, the ideal types for all the scams of the planet. I hear people say they are going to retire in other countries, this is too late, they need to make one-two month trips starting in the early twenties or they should stay home before those habits become so ingrained they cannot change.

Too funny in a way, too say in another way.

The tourism industry targets the older people, more disposable incomes, with the brains running at slower speeds, saps, easy to screw and gouge money out of, what a way to make a living.

Travelers Need to Break Habits