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If I accidentally end up outside in NYC and sun is going down I'll find a drainage pipe to turtle up in until dawn, usually blocking the entrance with crates and other rubbish. I've also used pigeon coops, the scoop of a back-hoe, an abandoned dishwasher (removed the racks), and the roof of a Chinese restaurant in Queens.
If I accidentally end up outside in NYC and sun is going down I'll find a drainage pipe to turtle up in until dawn, usually blocking the entrance with crates and other rubbish. I've also used pigeon coops, the scoop of a back-hoe, an abandoned dishwasher (removed the racks), and the roof of a Chinese restaurant in Queens.
Okay, when was the last time someone was killed in a terrorist attack in NYC? Meanwhile in Managua throughout much of last year there were mass protests that involved shootings, protesters making road blocks to stop traffic, government thugs shooting people. It wasn't just in the neighborhoods either, our taxi got caught up in stopped traffic due to protesters with homemade mortars right outside the airport.
Actually strife on a city-level is a lot more dangerous than a place being a target.
October 31, 2017. Just answering the question.
(Six were injured in the subsequent attack on December 11 of that same year, but no one was killed.)
I've been through two terrorist attacks in NYC myself, but I am not afraid to be in the city, night or day.
Most of it has been said, but I will weigh in. There are a variety of factors, there is no one size fits all answer here.
1. Americans are often creatures of habit. I have a lot of coworkers for example that take the same cruise every year or stay at the same condo in Florida every year. I will return to places I like sometimes, but I always try to mix it up a bit. For example, I love Germany and could happily go there every year, but this year I am going to Greece instead to take in a new culture, see new sights, and taste new cuisine.
2. There is a certain percentage of Americans that think anyplace that isn't America is an unsafe, terrorist ridden dump. I had one such person ask me once how I was comfortable traveling to Germany because it was full of terrorists and I couldn't carry a gun to defend myself over there. Guy refuses to go to Wal-Mart not packing heat because he lives in fear that someone will attack him and the delusion that if it does happen he will spontaneously turn into Rambo. Ignorance is powerful.
3. Insufficient time off. Prior to my current job, I was never able to take more than one week off of work at a time. Some people get no paid time off at all. When traveling from the middle of the country, it takes time to get to Europe, Asia, Africa, etc and in the end you spend a whole lot of money on three days on the ground and get home horribly jet lagged.
4. Insufficient money. I feel like most people can afford to travel if it is something they want to do badly enough to make sacrifices in other areas. But in the last job I just mentioned, I also did not make enough money, even to take many trips within the US, even if I did have the time.
5. Lack of interest. Many Americans simply aren't interested in learning about history, other cultures, cuisines, etc. We have it hammered into our brains from a young age that the US is the best country ever, some people never bother to look elsewhere. If we're the best, why bother with anyplace else?
It's sad that more of my fellow citizens will never get to enjoy the pleasures of international travel for one reason or another, but I'm happy to have the opportunity for myself.
1) Enjoy hiking all of the national parks and monuments. They must be pretty good as we are always stumbling inro foreign nationals from China and Germany.
2) Love to research at great depth American history by visiting historic homes, presidential libraries, university library collections and the like.
3) Enjoying purchasing the "Off the Beaten Track Books" and actually seeing some of the underappreciated parts of this nation.
Personally I see so many of the "world travelers" who honestly, have not been in many of the attractions in their own state.
I've done three trips to the Amazon region of Brazil. While there, I didn't see any Euros, Aussies, Kiwis or Canadians. Why is that?
Speaking for myself, South America is a one time destination. The flights are very expensive and our month in South America was the most expensive trip we have ever been on. We managed to go to Brazil but not the Amazon, we went to Peru, Chile, Argentina and the Galápagos Islands. We enjoyed it but I have no desire to return. We experience jungles in Asia, much closer to home. There were few Americans in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, when we were there but many Europeans.
Speaking for myself, South America is a one time destination. The flights are very expensive and our month in South America was the most expensive trip we have ever been on. We managed to go to Brazil but not the Amazon, we went to Peru, Chile, Argentina and the Galápagos Islands. We enjoyed it but I have no desire to return. We experience jungles in Asia, much closer to home. There were few Americans in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, when we were there but many Europeans.
I would submit, that South America is no more expensive for you than Vietnam, Cambodia et al for me. That was pretty much my point!
FWIW, my ideal trip is to get a few friends together, rent a big river boat (and by extension, a captain, cook, guide and first mate) and go on a river boat/kayak trip for a week.
Safe travels!
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