There are people here!
I had seven comments? Yes, people who are not my friends are actually reading this thing! Two people read my entry about Spain (Espaņa: un reflejo) and took offense to it. "It is amazing the stupid quick opinion some people can make being one week in a country," said a visitor named Laura. "Last question, did you spend your whole week vacation in the same little turistic village... next time say to your travel agency that spain is about 504,782 sq km more.
have fun in your beatiful deep-thinking country.. you guys are doing it ok... hahaha... VIVA AMERICA! hahaha.. you all are VERY pathetic... at least i am not a citizen of the most hated-fool country."
Well, Laura, I actually spent six weeks in Spain, and I lived with the Spanish. This was not some week-long vacation (I don't know where you got the idea that I was there for a week; maybe I didn't post how long I was there). You're correct in saying that I didn't travel to too many places other than Toledo (where I lived for those six weeks), but in the places I did visit, I saw a lot of the same things. Friends of mine (who also lived in Spain for six weeks on the same study-abroad trip) who visited other cities in Spain agreed with my assertions.
I did not mean to defame Spain; I think it's a great place and I would love to go back again. What I did intend to do is express the feeling I got from being there. We have many cities like Toledo in the United States: places that thrive on tourism and memories. It's not that these places are bad, it's just that they are somewhat depressing to be in. Take, for example, the festival of Corpus Christi. Almost every Toledano I asked about it agreed that the festival is still done mostly for the tourists.
Another visitor named Pab said, "Escuse me, oh experienced citizen of the first world, have you visited Florida? Have you taken a trip to Venice Beach? NY? Niagara Falls? Uhggg...It's awful... all full of shitty tourist . Poor places to live, don't you think?" Yes, Pab, I do agree with you: I would never want to live in Niagara Falls. Again, the United States also has these tourist-only cities in which the only service offered is the service of tourism.
Unfortunately, I have to cite you for the following comment: "Sure that you had lunch at least 3 times in the Toledo's Macdonals ...am i wrong?" Yes, you are completely wrong. The only thing I ever went to McDonald's for was a small Coke. I never ate at any American-style restaurant or ate American-style food.
"Don't worry if you disliked our country. Spain is now trying to atract a different kind of visitor. The call it quality tourism. You know, people who likes nature, culture, history, to have intelligent fun, to try different flavours, to discover new cultures... nothing for you," Pab continues. It's not that I disliked your country at all. I loved Spain and I will return. There's nothing I love more than visiting four hundred-year-old cathedrals. It's just that seeing tourist shops everywhere with T-shirts and little statues of Don Quixote makes me feel depressed about Spain. Like I said, the thousand years of Spanish history (and it is truly a great history) has been reduced to a six inch tall wooden statue of Sancho Panza or a replica dagger.
I even enjoyed reading these comments, as negative as they may have been. Thanks, Laura and Pab, for reading, and rest assured that I really do love Spain.