Countries you have visited and will never go back.

[Lozz360]

That's not my experience at all. In fact my last trip I found the locals some of the nicest and friendliest I've ever met.

Exactly. Having travelled extensively throughout Europe, Africa and Asia on business, I found that the locals when on holiday in the US to be the most polite and helpful.

 

[figbat]

Mauritius here too. We honeymooned here for a week after a week’s safari In Botswana with a day trip to Zimbabwe. I doubt we’ll ever return to any of them although we loved all of them (well, Zimbabwe was mostly just Victoria Falls, which was magnificent - the local town not so much).

 

[Gwylan]

Karachi at night. Never had any problems with the people.
But things were so bad that manhole covers were nicked and melted down.
Street lighting was an aspiration.

So moving around at night meant that apart from the obvious dangers there was the risk of falling down a missing manhole. Or even worse finding one in the dark with a vehicle.

 

[Venod]

But things were so bad that manhole covers were nicked and melted down.

That is a common problem here in Yorkshire but usually its the drain covers at the side of the road that go missing.

 

[Milzy]

Donald Trump was right about only one thing: Mexico is a shithole country. It's population is less than double that of the UK but the annual murder score is.....

Mexico: 34,000
UK: 710

We tend not to leave decapitated corpses in armchairs on roundabouts in the UK.

Trump used to bomb Mexican drug labs a lot. Even many non drug using US citizens criticised him for it.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Donald Trump was right about only one thing: Mexico is a shithole country. It's population is less than double that of the UK but the annual murder score is.....

Mexico: 34,000
UK: 710

We tend not to leave decapitated corpses in armchairs on roundabouts in the UK.

I've stayed out of this thread because a lot of it is pretty horrible and bordering on xenophobia. (Do people realise that there are people from all parts of the world reading here?)

But this post has broken my resolve.

México has a lot of problems, the roots of which are in its history and its geography and a lot of its current problems can be placed at the door of the more developed world's demand for drugs.

There is no doubt that there is a massive criminal and corruption problem but the vast, vast majority of people are just trying to live their lives in peace. Those unlucky enough to live in the wrong area live in fear, a fear that few of us can comprehend.
Then there is grinding poverty, especially among the indigenous populations.

I was very fortunate to spend 18 months in México. It took me less than 48 hours to christen it "the land of smiles".
It is one of the warmest, friendliest countries that I have visited, so diverse, so interesting and the people, generally speaking, are naturally helpful and understanding.

The official government response to me, and those like me, when the Pandemic struck would put most of the developed world to shame.

Honduras has an even higher murder rate per capita. You probably wouldn't want to read my views on there.

There's far more to a place than its murder rate.

 

[Oldhippy]

I've stayed out of this thread because a lot of it is pretty horrible and bordering on xenophobia. (Do people realise that there are people from all parts of the world reading here?)

But this post has broken my resolve.

México has a lot of problems, the roots of which are in its history and its geography and a lot of its current problems can be placed at the door of the more developed world's demand for drugs.

There is no doubt that there is a massive criminal and corruption problem but the vast, vast majority of people are just trying to live their lives in peace. Those unlucky enough to live in the wrong area live in fear, a fear that few of us can comprehend.
Then there is grinding poverty, especially among the indigenous populations.

I was very fortunate to spend 18 months in México. It took me less than 48 hours to christen it "the land of smiles".
It is one of the warmest, friendliest countries that I have visited, so diverse, so interesting and the people, generally speaking, are naturally helpful and understanding.

The official government response to me, and those like me, when the Pandemic struck would put most of the developed world to shame.

Honduras has an even higher murder rate per capita. You probably wouldn't want to read my views on there.

There's far more to a place than its murder rate.

That HobbesOnTour is a great reply, you can go pretty much anywhere and find something awful. India for example has appalling poverty but some of the kindest human beings I've ever had the honour of meeting. Anywhere is what you make it and how hard you look. Pitsea and Basildon though do take a lot of looking.

 

[slowmotion]

I've stayed out of this thread because a lot of it is pretty horrible and bordering on xenophobia. (Do people realise that there are people from all parts of the world reading here?)

But this post has broken my resolve.

México has a lot of problems, the roots of which are in its history and its geography and a lot of its current problems can be placed at the door of the more developed world's demand for drugs.

There is no doubt that there is a massive criminal and corruption problem but the vast, vast majority of people are just trying to live their lives in peace. Those unlucky enough to live in the wrong area live in fear, a fear that few of us can comprehend.
Then there is grinding poverty, especially among the indigenous populations.

I was very fortunate to spend 18 months in México. It took me less than 48 hours to christen it "the land of smiles".
It is one of the warmest, friendliest countries that I have visited, so diverse, so interesting and the people, generally speaking, are naturally helpful and understanding.

The official government response to me, and those like me, when the Pandemic struck would put most of the developed world to shame.

Honduras has an even higher murder rate per capita. You probably wouldn't want to read my views on there.

There's far more to a place than its murder rate.

I can't pretend that having a rock hurled at my head didn't colour my judgement.

 

[ianrauk]

I've stayed out of this thread because a lot of it is pretty horrible and bordering on xenophobia. (Do people realise that there are people from all parts of the world reading here?)

But this post has broken my resolve.

México has a lot of problems, the roots of which are in its history and its geography and a lot of its current problems can be placed at the door of the more developed world's demand for drugs.

There is no doubt that there is a massive criminal and corruption problem but the vast, vast majority of people are just trying to live their lives in peace. Those unlucky enough to live in the wrong area live in fear, a fear that few of us can comprehend.
Then there is grinding poverty, especially among the indigenous populations.

I was very fortunate to spend 18 months in México. It took me less than 48 hours to christen it "the land of smiles".
It is one of the warmest, friendliest countries that I have visited, so diverse, so interesting and the people, generally speaking, are naturally helpful and understanding.

The official government response to me, and those like me, when the Pandemic struck would put most of the developed world to shame.

Honduras has an even higher murder rate per capita. You probably wouldn't want to read my views on there.

There's far more to a place than its murder rate.

Well said. I do dispair at people slagging off a whole country as the only part they've been to or heard of wasn't to their liking. Such ignorance.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

I can't pretend that having a rock hurled at my head didn't colour my judgement.

So.... The murder rate and ..... a rock?

Is it fair or reasonable to judge (and publicly slag off) an entire country on the actions of one person?

I ask because I've camped in umpteen countries and the most aggressive experience I had was in a British campsite. Should I wander into the touring forum and warn people off ever camping in Britain?

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Well said. I do dispair at people slagging off a whole country as the only part they've been to or heard of wasn't to their liking. Such ignorance.

Thank you.

It doesn't bother me that people have such strong opinions - I mean, we like what we like - it's the foghorn broadcasting of that opinion that bugs me.

To say that someone didn't enjoy México and that it's dangerous is fair comment. To describe it as a s******e is not.

We have an ever increasing number of American members here and some of the things said about "Americans" on this thread are shocking.

I know it's the internet but when did we become so boorish in our communication?

 

[slowmotion]

So.... The murder rate and ..... a rock?

Is it fair or reasonable to judge (and publicly slag off) an entire country on the actions of one person?

I ask because I've camped in umpteen countries and the most aggressive experience I had was in a British campsite. Should I wander into the touring forum and warn people off ever camping in Britain?

Two people actually judging by the interval between the rocks. They were grown men and the rocks were big. I've had stones chucked at me in the back streets of Herat in Afghanistan but they were kids. The guys in Chiapas meant me serious harm.

Anyway, it was a long, long time ago.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Two people actually judging by the interval between the rocks. They were grown men and the rocks were big. I've had stones chucked at me in the back streets of Herat in Afghanistan but they were kids. The guys in Chiapas meant me serious harm.

Same question;
Is it fair to judge a country, and publicly slag it off based on two men throwing two rocks.


And a new question!

Anyway, it was a long, long time ago.

If it was so long ago is it fair to slag off the country for it now?

 

[slowmotion]

Same question;
Is it fair to judge a country, and publicly slag it off based on two men throwing two rocks.


And a new question!

If it was so long ago is it fair to slag off the country for it now?

I was there for six weeks in 1977. The level of violence hasn't exactly improved in the interim....
https://www.humanprogress.org/dataset/homicide-rate-in-mexico/

Have you had rocks chucked at you? Believe me, it doesn't endear you to a place.. BTW, yes, of course you are correct. The vast majority of Mexicans are pleasant ,but in my case, I won't be going back.

I apologise for describing the country as a shithole.

 

[Garry A]

Counted it up last night and I've been to 17 countries and various Spanish islands. The only place I would never go back to is Rome. Too many beggars and pick pockets (people getting closer than was necessary until they were aware I was watching them) and locals being very clear they wanted your money and not you. Vatican was interesting but that's it. I'm sure the rest of Italy is good. YMMV.