helga

A group of us would like to visit Barbados soon but are worried there may be too many americans there. Don't get me wrong i get on with all nationalitie's but that bloody accent drives us crazy also they smell like doughnuts and the women shave their armpits.

Mike

What a hoot! Let's see: Your name is Helga (German, Austrian or Dutch I presume) You have hairy "pits" that do not smell like doughnuts...(smells, er I mean sounds like French). But you write with a British accent ("bloody" shame). Further, you use AOL? Are you really confused or just kiddin' around?

debbie

This Canadian thanks you very much for the good laugh. You sure have b....s posting something like this on a site predominated by Americans!! <BR> <BR>Seriously though, you pretty well have to paint us Canajuns, eh with the same brush because we say 'eh!' all the time, we probably all smell like donuts as well (at least our cops probably do!), and yes we too shave our armpits...as well as our legs. <BR> <BR>So if you are looking for a place that would not be chock full of Americans or Canadians, then you do not want to go to an island that is 'over-commercialized'. In other words, an island thathas anything like a Pizza Hut or Hard Rock Cafe is going to be full of those nationalities you don't want, ie. Aruba is not a place you want! <BR> Suggest you try: <BR>- St. Lucia - tonnes of Brits and the currency is the East Caribbean (read: the types of Americans you have described don't like that their $ is not the predominant currency). <BR> <BR>- Cuba - Americans not allowed but lots of Canadians there! <BR> <BR>- the Mayan Riveria - playa del carmen, akumal and the like - when we were there in Feb, we were in the minority as most resorts were chock-a-block Germans, Italians, Spaniards, Brits, etc. <BR> <BR>Hope you find the place you are looking for! Have a good time, eh! <BR>

Cathy

Doughnuts? Well, as an American I can assure you that I do, thankfully, shave my armpits. I tend to agree with you about the accent, but there's not much I can about that! I can tell you that there are a good number of visitors to Barbados that are European. There are also a good number of Americans, so I suggest you follow Debbie's advice if that will ruin your vacation! Hope you find a place you like.

April

Smelling like a doughnut would be a positive thing in my book. My recollection of Barbados is that many of the tourists were Canadian and also European (many Germans when I was there). I found more Americans in Curacao and Jamaica. <BR>

Betty Lou

It would be nice if the Europeans would "braid" their armpit hair when they're on holiday. It would be more attractive. <BR> <BR>Seriously -- go to CUBA!

Ann

Helga, I think you're putting us on. Every European knows that the main problem with Yankees is that they talk like everyone is deaf, screaming at their kids and sharing their every word with people 20 meters away. Or, equally bad, the fact that they seem to think that the whole rest of the world should have learned English by now, even the English. On the other side of the coin, the shaved armpits are definitely an improvement over the moist little ringlets in that minority of European women that still don't shave. Does help keep the odor down, don't you think? As to doughnuts, it so much better than the pungent smell that comes from not washing regularly. <BR>I for one will be glad when the "American Century" (named so by an American no doubt)is over. Hope the country that will be most remembered for the 21st Century will be much less obnoxious than those Yanks. Let's see...the Chinese century? They smell like fortune cookies. Have you notices?

lydia

Donuts? I think I have heard that Americans smell like soap. You don't need to be looking under arm pits, now do you? I have been alll over Europe and believe me, stinky is putting it nicely. Plus, in most parts I did notice a shaved pit or two. Go to Cuba, no Americans there (YET). Also, at the time I was in Jamaica (December) it was full of Brits and Italians. But, most of the Caribbean in US dominated, after all it is very close to the US. Go to Asia or the South Pacific or Indonesia if you want a beach and few Americans.

ilisa

I'm sorry, but I didn't realize that we Americans all had the same accent. Very interesting.

Sara

Try Grenada. We were there last year, and though it was the off season, so not many people in general, definitely not many Americans. We were told any Americans usually come for the day via a cruise ship, but not to stay. Try the Calabash--small British owned hotel.

IslandGrl

First off, I havent smelled anything as stinky as when I went to parts of England, Norway, etc. If anything, a donut smells good compared to your country. Furthermore, I dont know where you're getting off saying that the english dont shave their pits...I have a few friends in england, and thankfully, they do shave - regularly!!

anita

Helga - Well, if you want to go someplace where there are practically no Americans, then the only island I can suggest is Cuba, since we're not allowed to go there. Well, gotta run. My donut's waiting for me, while I was shaving my legs & pits....

Lisa

I think the responses to this post show that Americans tend to be a lot more self-deprecting and a lot less sensitive than other ethnic groups who have rung in on these boards in the past!!!

David Stanley

I agree with Betty Lou: Seriously consider Cuba. If you're worried about the repercussions involved in violating the US embargo, check http://www.scubacan.com and http://www.globalexchange.org, both of which discuss the subject. Come to think of it, I don't recall seeing a doughnut on any of the dozen odd trips I've made to Cuba in recent years.

Jim

They say an American is just a Canadian with a gun , but I disagree. to avoid americans go to Cuba or Playa del Carmen where you will find Canadians, Dutch, Germans, and Italians. <BR> <BR>Bon Chance <BR>

jj

Go to Barbados. If you go to Cuba you will soon wish that Americans were allowed to go there and demand the place get their act together and make it an enjoyable tourist destination.

Michel

I agree with Jim. Cuba or the Playa del Carmen/Akumal region of the Mayan Coast. Warm people, good food, great snorkeling/diving... and no doughnuts! <BR>

debbie

Me again - I see this friendly discussion is still going on and hasn't sunk to the 'insulting' level I expected it would. Glad we can all poke fun at ourselves and still help this woman out with her question. <BR>Ann you are right however - Americans do talk like we are all deaf, but then again Canadians do always say 'eh'! <BR>Jim - you asked for this one.....What's the difference between an American and his loud bright red golf pants...nothing! <BR>Seriously Helga - all the suggestions about Cuba and the Playa del Carment area are probably spot on. However, don't expect Cuba to be American free - they can travel to Cuba via Canadian or Mexican airports and the Cubans don't stamp their passports so many Americans do get into Cuba for vacations this way. <BR>Hope you find your vacation spot and thank you for providing a humourous line of dialogue!

Brian in Atlanta

If my wife smelled like a fresh, hot Krispy Kreme donut, I'd never leave her alone.

April

Conversely, I guess we could say that a Canadian is just an American without a gun, although with this too, Canadians are trying to be more like their neighbours. <BR> <BR>I don't think Americans are the world's champions of loudness. No, my vote goes to: well, it's a tie between the Greeks and Orientals. We get many Oriental and American tourists in my home town and, believe me, the Orientals normally out-holler everybody in just their regular conversation. <BR>