Why so few Americans in South America?

I've traveled widely throughout South America and I'm forever puzzled why I rarely if ever run into Americans (from the U.S.) on my travels down there aside from the major tourist destinations like Macchu Picchu. You're forever meeting hordes of tourists from Europe everywhere but where are the Americans? And I'm the type of traveler who bypasses the big cities of South America and heads for the more rural areas or cities in the 100,000 population range or less. Why aren't they down there gobbling up those $3 filet mignon steak dinners in Bolivia? Or staying in those nice $5 a nite rooms in Ecuador or elsewhere? Or feasting on all that glorious scenery of the Andes mountains and mountain streams and waterfalls? And all those cheap bus rides from town to town? I just don't get it! I'm NOT complaining nor am I hungry, when down there, to connect with fellow Americans. I'm just damn curious as to the lack of Americans traveling down there. Is it the language problem? Too influenced by negative publicity? Afraid for their safety? Scared off by the U.S. Consular's sheets on foreign travel?

 

I'm surprised that you have encountered few USAians. What about Israelis? I've met loads of Israelis here in India that have been to S. America.

Once I get enough money saved up (which won't happen while I'm living in India, haha) I'd love to go to South America. And I'm like you, I prefer to avoid big cities.

 

Interesting post. I think there are several reasons which you have mentioned. I believe many North Americans are scared off because of their concerns for safety. Also, most North Americans consider Europe and other locales before Latin America. However, there are certain locations in Latin America where there are a considerable amounts of people from the states. Mexico and Costa Rica come first to mind. Also, Panama is now attracting a great number of visitors and retirees. The numbers of Americans travelilng to Latin America has increased over the last several years. However, with the number of goverments that have leaned to the left- that number could decrease because of their lack of understanding the area and being scared off. I can tell you the number of Cninese visiting has increased dramatically and will continue to do so since they seem to be really hitting the markets there aggresively.

Regards,

Nick
http://www.latinamericalinks.com

 

I'll have to admit that the big cities down there give me a scare which is why I head out to the smaller sized cities immediately where I encounter no problems at all. But there are precautions one can take to make even the big cities more worry-free. I sew inner pockets inside my pants for money and credit cards and I always carrry a small plastic ziploc bag in the heel of each foot underneath my socks with money and never carry a wallet in my back pocket. But as I tell people I talk to who would never considering going down to South America, I tell them that I'm just a step ahead of them, as surely, in the future, we'll have to take the same precautions in the U.S. I was recently at a used bookstore here in Las Vegas, set my Carrera sunglasses down but a minute in the store (I can't read anything with my glasses on) and when I turned around they were gone. I was driving to work one day and got hit by a stray bullet from a driveby, it glazed my windshield, but if it had been inches closer, I would have been hit in the head by a bullet. Back in Minneapolis I was walking home from work one night and got held up by two younger males, one put a knife to my throat and the other took my wallet. I was doing some Christmas shopping one year at a major department store, my wallet bulging with money, and in the hustle and bustle in the store, my wallet disappeared. Safety? Why are Americans so lulled into thinking that we live in the safest country in the world? Just look at the car theft rate in various cities in this country. Perhaps Americans think that it's going to be much, much worse in Latin America or elsewhere. But I'm not complaining of the lack of Americans down there, I'll just continue to reap the bargains to be had and be happy. helluva lot cheaper than Costa Rica and overpriced, overrated Mexico.

 

I lived a year in Iquitos, Peru a few years back. Doing it on the cheap and lived in a poor, rough neighborhood. Felt safer there than I would in many US cities. There were a few Ex-Pats in Iquitos but not many of us hung together..I didn't want to and it seemed like they didn't either. The US has been brainwashed into thinking Europe is the cultured, place to go I guess. The US's neglegt of South America will come to haunt this country someday. Meanwhile the idiot in chief is pissing away more billions and more lives in the mideast. Strange world.

 

I just returned from a 15 month driving trip in Central and South America. It is awesome and I will go back to Lima and then to Argentina in June. Americas are so afraid of South America. They live in fear of everything.. the water, the people, the food. If we do not wake up to South America, the US will regret our actions. Education is improving there.. these are hard working, motivated people. It is sad Americans do not go and see.

 

**NEWSFLASH** Americans don't travel so much. The only place I've seen any real amount of American tourists is in Europe. I've travelled alot around Asia and have met very few compared with other western countries.

 

It's been said that Americans are the least adventuresome travelers in the world. Given only 20-some percent have passports testifies to that. Why the Europeans are such explorers, adventurers may have something to do with their history of being explorers. Who knows the real reasons Americans shy away from adventuresome travel. I live in Las Vegas and I'll go to my grave shaking my head as to how they can get people to come here, repeatedly, year after year. Where's the adventure? I'm not complaining at all when I travel throughout Latin America and rarely run into travelers from my own country as I'm the type of traveler who like to stay in smaller towns where I'm the only tourist visiting and avoid touristy towns and cities. And I have always felt safer in Latin America than I have ever felt right here in Las Vegas. You'll never see a section in the Las Vegas Review Journal entitled: Daily Log of Crimes Against Tourists. It's only when a tourist gets murdered that you'll read about it in the newspapers. If people in Latin America could read our newspapers up here in our country regarding daily crimes comitted in our cities, they'd be just as scared of coming here as most people would be of going down there.

 

You want to see a lot of americans ?? Go to panama and you will feel like home

 

Oh wow you are so right...haha I read this just before I left for Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, and noticed it right away! Loads of Brits, Irish, and Isrealis...but in 3 months down there I met less than 8 Americans. Totally bizarre!

 

that Americans remain so ignorant of the treasures and joys of both Central and South America with mostly unfounded fear of going there. You know Americans, they're like a flock of sheep, once they get the bright green light to go somewhere, they can't pack the planes tight enough, get there faster, and what happens when they discover some place in multitudes? They end up destroying it. A half million Americans estimated in Costa Rica now and it's now one of the most dangerous countries to travel to in Central America. The bandits, rip-off artists can smell that money within a 1000 mile radius of Costa Rica and they all want some of it, one way or another. So let them go in mass to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta,Costa Rica, Cabo San Lucas and let me have my "playground" to myself, and those dirt-cheap lodgings and bus fares, etc. They just don't know what they're missing. I recently took my 4th trip through El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras using their fun-as-always chicken buses and pick-ups. What a blast! I look forward to their public transportation more than anything else. I stood erect in the back of a pick-up (hanging onto the rails) going through the Lencan Indian villages of Honduras. What a thrill! With that wind beating at my body for 40-50 miles at 50MPH, WHAT A RUSH!!! Slept like a baby that night! I wish they'd offer pick-up truck rides like that up here in our country. Like a hot day in summer, how utterly refreshing, to barrel along on a highway standing in the back of a pick-up. Up here, once it caught on, I'm sure they could charge $25 for a ride, and people would gladly pay it JUST FOR THE SENSATIONAL EXPERIENCE! AH! Can hardly wait to go back to Central American again this Fall and ride those buses and pick-ups. And yes, you DO see chickens on board occasionally. A woman next to me on a bus had two chickens in her lap. Oh so tame, you can pet them, or hold them yourself. WHAT FUN! Central America is what Mexico was 20-30 years ago and I pray it never, ever changes. And I feel (I'm glad no one ever believes me) safer in Central America than my own country.

 

I frequently go to South and Central America. Feel completely safe when I am there. Even in the bigger cities.

I will be living in South America in a few years.

I love the beauty down there and the people are so friendly.

I had people come up to me in Bolivia and talk to me, when they hear I am from the USA they say that they would be afraid to go there becase of the crime and violence.

 

Hmm lets try

1)the "School of the Americas" ie where American agents learn to torture and murder anyone who doesnt support the ruling American backed Junta of the day.

2)Because Colombia is America's very own coke factory. And Latin Am was traditionally just another sweatshop to compete with Suharto's Indonesia.

3)Because Bxsh 's bodyguards think they can kick off with Hugo CHavez's security , even in Venezuela.
( altho this is censored around most of the "free world"...)

4)Tom Hicks , who has satellite franchises in South America ,is the biggest piece of dogshit the world has ever seen.( more so than Bush , Hitler and Moira Hindley )

I could go on....
Frankly if American values means Globalist Neo Conservatives murdering , robbing and lying , Americans are well advised to stay in the "Homeland".
Ofcourse there are Americans who * arent * like the above , but they dont tend to run multinationals in S America , or Europe for that matter.

PS Tom , look forward to seeing you at Anfield...( sarcasm intended).