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Me too, I can speak it beautifully, but to listen to it takes a special ear which I don't have. Interesting, that when I've had a couple stiff drinks I can ramble on in Spanish the entire night. Stone sober? Oh shoot!
Does that mean you can't understand yourself when you speak? Like it would be interesting go on a bender than speak Spanish into a recorder. Next day see if you can understand it.
Maybe this nailed it. Americans, and others, think of travel as "the big destinations". Rather than as an exploratory adventure into a new unknown horizon.. And the tourism market is sold as such.
There are lots of places I want to see in South America. I went on a cruise down the Amazon as a teen and it was fantastic. I would like to see Macchu Picchu and Peru, as well as Patagonia. Colombia is also really becoming a tourist destination these days. I think part of the issue is that in Europe and many parts of Asia, you can DIY and get yourself around pretty easily via public transport or even driving in certain parts of Europe, but in South America, it is much harder to get around independently. It is also harder to access many of the destinations.
One of the problems I ran into in both Central and South America, back in the 2000's, is not every city has a central bus station. Guatemala City as well. What you'll find are satellite bus stations, where one station serve one part of the country or one city, and another serves some place else. But once you know that, you're on your way. I did all my traveling via buses in South America. Quito's bus station is centralized.
So, so many American foreign travelers, I've talked to, seem to head for Europe first, then it's off to Asia, and then, it's South America, or not at all. And, not surprisingly, it's the major tourist mecca, Machu Picchu/Cuzco that they go to first in South America.
Actually I got to South America before Africa (Botswana & South Africa) and the Far East (China & Hong Kong).
For one thing, the air fares are higher than Europe and Asia. And most people to to more-developed countries first, until they feel more confident on their own.
My order was Europe, South America, West Asia, Africa, East Asia, Australia.
Yes air fare is killer. Twenty years ago I used to enjoy traveling to Brazil. Still love the place and would love to go back but now airline prices are almost double compared to Asia or Europe so I stopped going.
For me the reason SA will end up being last is that I haven't found a travel deal that fit into my schedule. At this point, it looks like next year would be the earliest I could go.
So, so many American foreign travelers, I've talked to, seem to head for Europe first, then it's off to Asia, and then, it's South America, or not at all. And, not surprisingly, it's the major tourist mecca, Machu Picchu/Cuzco that they go to first in South America.
That's me... Europe was the stuff of storybook tales, WWII & countless movies I had absorbed as a child. When I got older the exoticism of The East beckoned with the same power with names like Siam, Malaysia, Burma... Points south of here weren't on my radar hardly at all & even now I have no trips planned at all. I've been to Buenos Aires & Santiago for work though & was thoroughly impressed.
Due to being generally less safer, visa requirements, less spoken English, more expensive & not that many non-stop flights. Europe also offer more history, diversity and closer & easier as well as safer.
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