Can't Believe Everything You Learned

I have struggled with how to write about my last 2 week trip to another country. The US discourages travel to this place so I am going to invent a veiled term to indicate the country but the actual name won't pop up in a "Big Brother" internet search.

So I went to a land close to Florida with a government loathed by the US. Let's call it XXX just to have some fun.

Now I will get all sorts of porn inquiries and offers instead of a fine from the "Big Brother" land.

I hope...

I thought that this country was gorgeous...and clean with actual street cleaners...and fun with more music than anywhere I've ever been...and old, old old with amazing architecture...and artistic with pop to fine art.

The people were fun loving, kind and helpful. And, I must mention, beautiful.

And they were happy...

Hmmm????

How can this be? I have been lead to believe that their form of government is EVIL!

Maybe we have been kept in the dark and fed bullshit for a long time. Maybe there are different stokes for different folks...and one size doesn't fit all.

Everyone had enough food, free medical care, free education. They are so much better off than any of their neighboring countries, for sure.

Now, they have their issues and bitches. And the government has changed dramatically several times.

But things are good.

We stayed in peoples homes rather than hotels or resorts. Our visit was immersed in local culture, businesses, restaurants, bars, parks and homes.

My travel partner and I came to love several of these wide open homeowners who put us up. They loved sharing their country with us.

The food was only so so. We had some good (but not great) food and some really bad stuff too.

Oh well, you can't have everything.

We walked all over the main city in XXX. Through the worst and best neighborhoods, resort districts, the old original city, the harbor and docks.

Hardly any police and almost no soldiers. The police were girls without guns.

And there was NO crime. None whatsoever.

I had a hard time rectifying the information put out by the US vs the reality of the country.

I was feeling a little duped...mislead...manipulated.

Now before anyone goes postal on me, I love my country. I would live there if I could afford it. It is my home and where my patriotism resides.

But it is difficult to know your country until you see yourself from someone else's eyes.

I recommend it.

It will be much harder to keep me in the dark and feed bullshit in the future.