pedmar wrote:I guess, in a way, he does write for and represent the people of the USA with all the good and bad associated with that. As Americans, we're hyper-cautious and anything illegal or on the fringe of legality is something to avoid like the plague.

But what laduque writes is true at the same time, that Americans tend to be very trusting as well. Isn't that the definition of a dichotomy, when someone can be very trusting and very fearful at the same time??

pedmar, I put myself on the US State Department's DO NOT MAIL list because, as you say, if followed their recommended instructions to avoid this area or that or don't do this or whatever, I'd never leave the house. But I guess they have to do it. What if something happens to 1 in a million American tourists without the blanket warning being made? That unlucky tourist would be calling his/her lawyer immediately.

I like to tell my story about reading hundreds of accounts about crime, kidnappings, and muggings in Perú before my 2-week visit there in 2000. I was scared to death in the weeks leading up to the trip. Really, I was super worried! Sure, it didn't help they had hundreds of machine-gun-toting policemen at Lima, Peru airport and the chaos there is there. But after my first 36 hours I realized I had nothing to worry about about and that my fear was unfounded. Nothing bad happened to me during my entire 2 weeks there - if you don't count the altitude sickness in Cusco.

Saludos, MadridMan