The locals in Brazil have been really surprised about me taking the bus everywhere. "Why don't you fly? The plane is the same price as the bus, and faster." A Brazilian lady on the bus, with German roots, told me that it is a Latin-American mindset. But she agreed that you see so much more when traveling by bus! And the airports are always far away from the city, to the bus station you get much more easily and faster. So for traveling not so long distances, the bus might even be quicker, from one city center to another.
The buses here really are extremely good! Especially the ones in Argentina. The seats are much better than on planes, because you have more room! Why don't buses (nor planes) in Europe have the same kind of footrest?
Why do the rest of South America think that Argentinians are rude? And why do you get warned about the unpleasant machismo culture? I think the people where really helpful, and didn't mind that you couldn't speak Spanish. And the macho culture was much more positive, and with no "hidden agendas", as in for example Italy! "Wow, you just made my day by being so beautiful!" Who wouldn't want to hear that? I've never felt so beautiful in my life!
Surprisingly I found Brazilians more rude, than Argentinians. They clearly don't like the fact that you don't speak their language. Even though Portuguese is a much harder language than Spanish! I'm super flattered every time someone tries to speak Finnish, since I know it's so hard! Ok, I guess the thing with Brazilians are that they live in a huge country and they really don't need any other languages, like we Finns do, who live on the edge of the world in a tiny country...
I also liked the mentality in Argentina that it's not cool to show of your richness. It's kinda like at home. In Brazil it's the opposite. But I guess that has to do with the economic history of the countries, so I'm not going to say more about that.
But can this be because I had so high expectations of Brazil and none of Argentina? And because someone always spoke Spanish in the group while in Argentina, but I had no one to help me in Brazil?
Anywayz, I had a fabulous time traveling, with no homesickness in sight, and I hope to be back on that continent sooner than later!
Mustakin on paljon hauskempaa reissata maitse ku lentokoneella, ku lentää paikasta a paikkaan b, niin tuntuu vaan siltä että sä nyt istuit penkissä pitkän aikaa ja sinä aikana sut teleportattiin johonkin ihan muualle. Maitse saa oikeesti sen fiiliksen että nyt ollaan menossa jonnekkin ja ihmiset on niin paljon sosiaalisempia kans jossain bussissa. Aina hauskaa ku paikalliset ihmettelee outojen turistien outoa käytöstä. En ollut kuullukkaan noista etelä Amerikan ennakkoluuloista. Tosi moni on varmaan poliittisia ja esimerkiski argentinalla ja uruguailla on ollut aika paljon beeffiä, esim. Suomalaisten paperitehtaiden ansiosta.
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