Creepy Gringos
A few weeks ago Max and I celebrated our two year anniversary. We dressed up and headed to the only Italian restaurant in town for a romantic dinner. Unfortunately the restaurant was closed (it was Sunday night!!) and we decided to go to the restaurant at the self-acclaimed five star resort in La Ceiba. We like La Quinta Real, because it is on the beach and you can dine by the ocean.
Sitting next to us in the restaurant was a group of about ten guys from the US, all in their forties and fifties. They were being incredibly loud and obnoxious, behaving with the arrogance that unfortunately has become the stereotype of Americans abroad. About fifteen minutes after we arrived, an older guy in his late fifties joined the group. He was accompanied by a young Honduran girl who couldn’t have been older than sixteen or seventeen years old. The girl obviously couldn’t speak English and couldn’t understand the conversation between the guys. But we could. We heard him boasting how of all the relationships he’d had in Honduras, sexual relationships had been the best. His friends found the comments incredibly funny, and laughed out loud while the companion girl sat there shyly unable to understand what was being said about her.
Max and I were very offended and contemplated approaching the guys and saying something, but it was our anniversary and we didn’t want to ruin the rest of our night. We decided to stand up instead and move to a table far from the group. A few minutes later, the guy walked with the girl towards his hotel room.
The next morning, I wished we had asked the girl how much she was being paid and give her the same amount to leave. I wished we’d told those guys how what they were doing was illegal and morally reproachable and that they are an embarrassment to our culture.
The saddest thing is that this kind of behavior is not uncommon among male foreigners visiting Honduras. We see them around all the time and we call them creepy gringos. I wonder what their wives think they’re doing during their trip to Central America.
Sitting next to us in the restaurant was a group of about ten guys from the US, all in their forties and fifties. They were being incredibly loud and obnoxious, behaving with the arrogance that unfortunately has become the stereotype of Americans abroad. About fifteen minutes after we arrived, an older guy in his late fifties joined the group. He was accompanied by a young Honduran girl who couldn’t have been older than sixteen or seventeen years old. The girl obviously couldn’t speak English and couldn’t understand the conversation between the guys. But we could. We heard him boasting how of all the relationships he’d had in Honduras, sexual relationships had been the best. His friends found the comments incredibly funny, and laughed out loud while the companion girl sat there shyly unable to understand what was being said about her.
Max and I were very offended and contemplated approaching the guys and saying something, but it was our anniversary and we didn’t want to ruin the rest of our night. We decided to stand up instead and move to a table far from the group. A few minutes later, the guy walked with the girl towards his hotel room.
The next morning, I wished we had asked the girl how much she was being paid and give her the same amount to leave. I wished we’d told those guys how what they were doing was illegal and morally reproachable and that they are an embarrassment to our culture.
The saddest thing is that this kind of behavior is not uncommon among male foreigners visiting Honduras. We see them around all the time and we call them creepy gringos. I wonder what their wives think they’re doing during their trip to Central America.
posted by Lynnette @ 12:24 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Lynnette -
Hi it is Chad (we worked together at GE). Congrats to both you and Max on your two year anniversary. I just wanted to say hello and let you know that I have read all of your blogs and think that what you are doing is great. The way you both are reaching out for new experiences and helping people at the same time is inspiring. I am also a big fan of the quality of your blogs. It will be a great record of your experiences/adventures that will last forever.
Keep up the good work and best luck to both of you.
After enough time here I'm starting to see why expats have a bad reputation. :/
Gabe
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