In Ireland, I stayed at the beach south of Dublin, and stayed a night at a friend of a friend’s house in Kerry

I encountered almost no other Americans in both places. The very few I did encounter were visiting family who lived in those parts of Ireland. Mostly only other Irish, Europeans, British, and some South Americans.

I went to a local pub one night in the beach area. The people there were mostly friendly, but had not seen Americans in there hardly at all. They say most Americans tend to stay up in the touristy Temple Bar area of Dublin city, doing mostly bus tours and paying for overpriced food and Guinness. They up their pints by 50 cents at those pubs up there.

The friend of a friend whose house I stayed at in Kerry was a very nice and conversational British fellow who has lived in Ireland for many years. He hosts many people at his rental houses, but mostly all Brits or Europeans. He’s never really had Americans come down and stay there before. He’s also perplexed at how so many Americans don’t own passports and never travel outside the country, and why Americans feel the need to arm ourselves to the teeth.

What kind of message and view are Americans setting for the rest of the world?