Some Differences Between Latina America and The United States

One of my favorite things about traveling is being humored by things that seem strange or awkward to me.  I lived in South America for a year and spent 7 years in Mexico.  During that time, I also  traveled extensively through Central and South America and noticed many different customs, products and behaviors that don’t exist in the United States.  Each individual country does have distinct cultural norms when compared to their neighbors, however, we were still able to observe some common weird things across them all.

1. Don’t Throw Toilet Paper in the Toilet

No matter where you are in Central or South America, toilet paper is thrown in the trash can or waste bin.  This is a challenge initially for those traveling from the United States.  Sometimes, subconsciously you inevitably throw it in the toilet, but be aware it can cause a toilet to blow up.  It’s not their practice to dispose of toilet paper this way and their plumbing is not built to handle it.  Every hostel you visit will kindly remind you on the stall door.

2. Liquids are Sold in Plastic Bags

The first time I saw someone with a plastic bag full of water hanging from their mouth I did a double take.  Bottled water is available, but it’s cheaper to buy your fluids in plastic bags.  Street vendors will sell all different types of juices and even full meals of chicken and rice in clear plastic bags.  These bags are similar to those your Mom used to put your lunch sandwiches in.  Yogurt is also usually a liquid and sold in plastic bags.

3. Streets are Named After Dates

This can be very confusing when following a map and conversing about it to your travel partner. “Where do we turn?” “9th of October.” “I asked where do we turn at?”  The dates are usually significant to the region, such as independence day and other holidays.

4. Unfinished Buildings

Iron rods stick out of the flat roofs of many buildings.  To a foreigner it looks like they just never finished the next floor up, however they are planning for the future.  We are more concerned with the appearance of buildings.  They are more concerned with the cost of the building.  It may look ugly, but if they decide to build another story, the cement floor is already complete and the vertical iron rods are ready for cement.

5. Money Changing is Rare & Precious

When using a cash machine, it usually dispenses large bills, however it is nearly impossible to pay with large bills.  This is a common theme in all of Central and South America (It isn’t as bad in Mexico.) While shopping, you will find yourself buying things you don’t really need in order to get smaller bills and change.  I would often end up with a magazine I didn’t want to read or some snacks I didn’t need just to get the change and then use it in a store that says they don’t change large bills. 

6. American School Buses Have a Second Life

American School busses are everywhere.  When I lived in Monterrey, I was surprised to see busses that had “Des Moines Public School District” scrubbed out on the sides.  Some of the public busses had come from where I am living at now.  They looked like they were at least 20 years old.  I saw other busses from various parts of the U.S.  Even some private busses were old school busses.  Perhaps the longest distance I saw a bus travel was a Bangor, Maine School bus that was now roaming the streets of Panama City, Panama.

And the old American school buses are usually decorated up with creative custom add-ons, religious artifacts, stereo systems and local soccer team colors.  These busses are the main mode of transport for the majority of people in Latin American Countries.  They get very crowded and extremely hot and uncomfortable, but they are a necessity. You also don’t need to buy tickets, you justh op on the bus as it passes by (Sometimes they slow but don’t stop) and then a guy sitting next to the driver will come and get your money.  And some of those bus rides are wilder than a roller coaster.  I honestly thought I was going to die numerous times while riding a bus.  They are not for the weak of heart! 

Hungry during a bus ride?  Street vendors will often jump on selling drinks, food and other weird knick knacks.  They stay on for a stop or two and then get off, hopping a bus that is going the other direction back to where they came from.  Some people actually make a living this way. 

7. Paying To Use Bathrooms

Public bathrooms are rarely free.  I usually had to pay a US quarter or 5 pesos to use them and sometimes you have to pay extra for toilet paper.  I remember in Bolivia, I paid for the bathroom and toilet paper and the lady outside the door gave me one square for toilet paper.  ONE SQUARE!!!  I ended up giving her about $1 US and she gave me a whole roll!

And a word of warning, the public toilets are far from clean.  Some of the worst toilets I have ever seen are in India and Latin America.  Disgusting.

8. Security Guards Carrying Shotguns

Security Guards are everywhere.  They stand guard outside banks, hotels, museums, clothing stores, gas stations, fancy restaurants and even some apartment buildings and private homes.  They always carry Huge Machine Guns or shotguns.  It is intimidating at first, but you soon learn they are there to protect you

Security Guard in Colombia

9. Dish Soap is a Paste

I know the majority of the world uses a pasty soap to wash their dishes, but it was weird for me.  I am used to liquid soap.  What you do in Latin America, you buy a powder, mix it with a little water to make it pasty and then use it to wash your dishes (There are very few Dish Washing Machines down there.) 

10. Tuk-Tuk’s and Motorbikes

Tuk-Tuk’s are a type of motorbike/taxi in Central America and parts of South America.  They are similar to the Auto-Rickshaws of India.  They are all over the place, especially in in the small towns and rural areas.  Motorbikes are also commonly used for deliveries, mail, and just getting around the many traffic jams in big cities. 

And many more!  Please add things that appear strange to you from Latin America in the comments below.

Things I Learned From Traveling The World

I love to travel!  I have traveled throughout South and Central America, the Caribbean, Australia and around a good chunk of Asia.  All in All, I have been to over 40 countries around the globe.   So I kind of consider myself an expert when it comes to traveling.  I kept a journal of all of my travels and have posted short travelogues on this blog of my trips.  I will continue to post those. 

I spent some time over these past few weeks looking over my travel writings and I decided to list some things that I learned while traveling around the world.

1) For the most part,people are generally good.

There are so many people who are afraid to travel due to terrorism, travel schemes and crime.  Many people believe that everyone who lives in another country are murderers, rapists and robbers.  I have to say that I have rarely come across bad people in my travels.  I have been the victim of a mugging and had my bag stolen a couple of times, but I have also been the victim of an assault here in the U.S. and have had my house broken into several times and my car burglarized and vandalized.  Crime happens everywhere.  There are bad people everywhere.  Luckily, there are way more Good People than bad people in the world.  Everywhere I have traveled, I have found many people who were ready to help me, offer me a place to stay, invite me to their homes for a meal, etc.  The majority of people in the world are just like you and me; they are trying to get by and make a living.  Have faith in Humanity!

2) Just because You Don’t hear a Country in the News doesn’t mean it isn’t worth visiting.

On the contrary, many of the countries that you never hear about are probably the safest and some of the most vibrant countries to visit.  I went to Turks and Caicos and also to Laos in my travels.  Each time, people said to me “Where is that?  Why would you want to go there since most people haven’t heard of it?”  My Reply “EXACTLY!”  The problem is that the media likes sensational stories.  Natural disasters, wars, crime, scandals, human rights abuses – they focus on these.  Therefore, many of the countries that are in the news are not necessarily the places one would want to visit.  Libya, Yemen, Chechnya, Egypt – Probably not the safest countries to visit but that is all you hear in the news. That doesn’t mean the other countries are boring, just normal.  

3) People don’t hate Americans.

I rarely have encountered any anti-Americanism in my travels.  Sure, there are a few jokes or “What the hell is up with your government?” but no outright aggressive attacks.  The only time I felt threatened was by a taxi driver in Mexico who happened to be drunk.  I truly believe there are more anti-American sentiment here in the United States than in other parts of the world.  Once again, the media plays a big part in this.  There might be a small demonstration with 100 people in Lahore, Pakistan and the media makes it sound like the whole country is pissed off at Americans.  And yes, I have traveled to some countries that the media say is full of anti-American sentiment.  I have been to Pakistan, Bolivia, Venezuela and Afghanistan and I never came across people who were openly anti-American.  Many of them are against what our government stands for, but they are not against the people

4) Americans don’t like to travel outside of the U.S.

Unfortunately, this stereotype seems to be true. Americans don’t travel overseas as much as Brits, Dutch, Germans, Canadians, Aussies or Scandinavians. In Asia and South America, I would go days without encountering another American, but I would meet 3 or 4 Aussies, Italians and Germans a day.  Canadians are out in force too.  I would say that Canadians, Aussies and Germans are the three countries that travel the most.  I understand that there are some reasons for this; Americans usually only have a week off for vacation, there is a lot to see in the USA, and fear and ignorance prevents them from traveling abroad. 

5) Contrary to popular belief, the rest of the world isn’t full of deadly germs! 

I have seen many people travel with their own supply of bottled water, brought from the states.  I have seen people pack a liter size bottle of hand sanitizer that they lug around everywhere they go.  I have never used hand sanitizer unless it happened to be in the bathroom where I was at and I don’t go out of my to avoid germs.  In foreign countries, I pretty much act the same way I do back home.  If I am in a place where people advise me to drink bottled water, I will do it, but I have drank the tap water in many places and been just fine.  Yes, I have gotten sick in many different countries but I also have gotten food poisoning several times here in the states.  I have gotten salmonella three times here and only twice while traveling.  I have gotten diarrhea many times on the road, but I also get it from time to time when I am home. 

6) Don’t pack a lot of stuff

Take the basics.  I see travelers with two huge suitcases for monthlong journeys.  WHY?  I always take 4 or 5 changes of clothes, one extra pair of shoes, a sweater or jacket, some extra undies and socks and that is about it.  You can do your laundry as you go.  It is cheap and sure makes traveling a lot easier.  I usually travel with one duffel bag or large backpack, that’s it.  And watch out what you buy cause you are either gonna have to carry it around with you or pay a ton of money to ship it back home.

 

7) Traveling is not as expensive as you think it is.

People always ask me “Where did you get the money to travel?”  If you stay in resorts and luxury hotels, you are going to spend up to or over $100 a day.  But if you stay at hostels and small hotels, travel can be cheap.  In Bolivia, I was living on about $15 per day (Including hotel, food and transportation.)  In India, I found a very nice hotel in Goa with a private bathroom for only $5 a night.  There are a lot of bargains out there, you just have to keep an eye out for them. I also earned money during some of my travels by teaching English. 

8) Don’t Blow off a Culture.

Part of the joy of traveling is to experience the other country’s culture.  That means eating their food, visiting their museums, getting to know the people, etc.  Unfortunately, I have seen way too many people whole up in a 5-star luxury hotel, eat in American Restaurants, take only group tours, etc.  These people are missing out!  Eat the local food, travel by bus with the locals, attend a festival, etc.  Why go to China to just eat McDonalds and go on tours with other foreigners?  Get immersed in the culture! 

9)  America and Canada share a common culture.

I am sure that this is going to piss off many Canadians, but we really do share a common North American culture. If you meet someone overseas, it is almost impossible to tell if they are American or Canadian unless they have a particularly strong accent (could be southern, New Yorkish, or French Canadian.)  Honestly, it is easier for me to tell what part of Great Britain someone is from rather than trying to figure out if a guy is from St. Louis or Edmonton.  That is why I like to use the term “North American” culture rather than just “American” culture. 

10) You can find the internet almost everywhere.

I don’t think I have ever been far from the internet during my travels.  Whether it is an internet café, a restaurant, hotel or a public wifi spot, they are just about everywhere.  I have been to remote villages in the Amazon and they even had one building that had satellite internet.  I have been to remote parts of the Himalaya and found internet access in a town square (in fact, there were a total of 6 open wifi signals there!)  We truly live in a wired world.

11) In developing countries, government is usually the problem.

Unfortunately, corruption seems to be the norm in the majority of developing countries.  Why is that?  Most of these countries are democracies.  Think about it; most of the nations have an elected government of elite, wealthy power players in the country since they are the only ones that can afford to campaign.  They govern the country in order to keep themselves and their friends wealthy and in power.  Bribes, Political assassinations, extortion, and illegal arrests are the norm in these places as the balance of power is very tedious.  I liken the governments of many countries to the Mafia and organized crime.  They can get away with it since they have the power and control the police force and military.  I was shocked at the corruption I have seen in “Democratic” countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia, the Philippines and India.  And it starts at the top and works its way all the way down to the “Foot Soldiers.”  Many cops in these countries are corrupt and will stop you and demand a few dollars because they think you have jaywalked or something.  The problem is, many locals have learned to live with it.  Don’t let it get you down.  If you stand your ground, most times you will be on your way with only a slight time delay. 

12) English is becoming universal.

I am not sure that this is a good thing.  Almost everywhere I have traveled, I have found somebody that speaks English within minutes.  This is helpful for traveling but I fear that many languages are slowly being lost.  Many of the local dialects are disappearing forever.  Native groups in Mexico, Central and South America are learning Spanish and English, but not even bothering to learn their native tongue.

13) Everyone should travel.

You Must Travel!  At some point during your lifetime, whether it is a gap year after college, a month between jobs or when you retire, everybody should take a long trip outside of your native country and experience a foreign culture.  Experience the World and you will be glad you did! 

Free Advice Fridays - Body Language Here and Abroad

FYI for all of those who will be traveling abroad some day.   Not sure where I found this - I have had it on my computer for awhile.  Thought I would share it.  There are certain types of Body language that's harmless at home but may be outright insulting abroad. Here are five gestures to avoid.

GREECE

DON'T: Thrust your palm, fingers extended, toward someone in a downward swat.

THE MESSAGE: Called the moutza, this crude hand signal is a holdover from the Byzantine era, when judges ridiculed guilty people by wiping ash on their faces. Nowadays, it means "Screw off!" or "That's ridiculous!" The message comes across as serious and offensive, not playful.

DANGER ZONE: You may instinctively make this gesture when refusing something, such as a shot of ouzo in a bar.

WORK-AROUND: Say óchi ("no") and efharistó ("thank you") or make a blocking motion instead. If you are declining the offer of a drink, for instance, cover your glass with a hand. And if you're really trying to make friends, just accept the drink.

SOUTHERN ITALY

DON'T: Point your two hands toward the ground as if you're holding two pistols, with the back of your hands visible to the other person.

THE MESSAGE: You're threatening to beat the person up -- or saying you could beat them up if you wanted to.

DANGER ZONE: Gesturing toward a spot in front of you, such as a place where you want a bellhop to drop your luggage.

WORK-AROUND: Wave your hands toward the spot instead.

THAILAND

DON'T: Point your foot at a person (especially someone older than you) or at a religious icon, such as a statue of the Buddha.

THE MESSAGE: Feet are the "lowest" part of the body, according to the spiritual hierarchy of Thai Buddhism, so you're basically insulting someone or something as the lowest of the low.

DANGER ZONE: At a temple, where visitors often pause and sit on the floor, you may be tempted to stretch your feet outward after a long day.

WORK-AROUND: Sit cross-legged, you farang.

UNITED KINGDOM

DON'T: Create a V shape with your index and middle fingers, with the back of your hand directed at the other person.

THE MESSAGE: Winston Churchill may have popularized the "V for Victory" symbol worldwide, but this gesture, performed in reverse in England, Scotland, or Wales, is similar to giving someone the finger in the U.S.

DANGER ZONE: Requesting a table for two at a restaurant or ordering two drinks at a bar, you may unconsciously flash two fingers this way.

WORK-AROUND: Say "two" instead, or remember to raise two fingers "peacefully," in the palm-outward way a hippie would flash the peace sign.

BANGLADESH AND IRAN

DON'T: Flash the thumbs-up sign.

THE MESSAGE: It means about the same thing as flipping the bird in the U.S.

DANGER ZONE: Without thinking, you may give someone a thumbs-up when you're eager to show your approval but don't know how to speak the local tongue.

WORK-AROUND: Learn how to say "yes" in the native language instead.