Perspective of Puerto Rico (Traveler vs. Tourist)

Comment:

My uncle lives in Puerto Rico (going there during the summer) and it seems like a great place. I have seen pictures and it looks fantastic!

Posted by Abby on February 14, 2014 | 03:06 PM

Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/destination-hunter/north-america/caribbean-atlantic/puerto-rico/puerto-rico-history-heritage.html#ixzz2Luwom0nV

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Many tourists when coming to Puerto Rico believe that it’s a tropical island with a lot of beaches and mostly sea. Some believe that we’re Indians that look like the ones in the Amazons. The Americans think that we’re kind of Mexicans because of their problems with immigration and our Hispanic culture. Our grandparents even believe that we live like in the old times with horses as our way of transportation.  All of this is relative; depending on which side of the world we are and what we have heard.

For example, in the comment above the person says: “I have seen pictures and it looks fantastic!”  By seeing photos one can’t say if a place is awesome or not because if a photographer wants to attract tourist he/she will take the most beautiful pictures of the most horrendous places.  Also many of the tourists that come to Puerto Rico try to get away from their problems and ordinary life’s and that’s why they only worry about their vacations without taking care of the people that live here. Some of them don’t even get the full experience because they only stay in San Juan (a place that was built many years ago) and don’t go to see the essence of PR in places like Rio Piedras where the poverty is at its peak.

I've had experiences where the tourists see me and believe that I'm somehow one of them. This is because in the summertime I loved to go to San Juan and went on trips in the "trolley" and I would say the basic things I knew about Puerto Rico. Their immediate questions were: "Is it safe? You can speak both languages? You really did your homework! (laughter afterwards)."  My answer was: "Puerto Rico is like any other place; we're rich and poor. I can speak both languages because I've lived here a lot of years and we're obligated to learn both of them. I haven't done my homework; I'm a traveler that lives here and if you guys were interested  you would know all of this information by simply searching on the internet. I hope you have a pleasant journey! (And I'll leave afterwards)." What offended me the most wasn't the questions but their lack  of interest for the place they were going to spend a week or more in.

Now a tourist would have been the exact opposite and he/she could have maybe an interesting conversation with me about my country. I've had quite a few of those and I have to say that sometimes I didn't even had answers. This is the kind of traveler that enriches himself or herself with the culture and has something interesting to tell afterwards. Now only to see a place but to live it to the full potential.

  So when you're going to a place remember to experience everything without any doubt in your mind that it's going to be really different. Try to get out of your comfort zone without doing things that could harm you.  Try to see the world as if today was your last!

How the tourist see Puerto Rico: (Beautiful, isn't it?)