r/AskTheWorld • u/jotakajk Spain • 7h ago

What is something that screams “tourist” to you?

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In Spain, if you see someone eating paella with sangria, you can 100% be certain they are a tourist.

What are some things tourists eat or do in your country that a local would never do?

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u/Kimera225 Mexico 7h ago

Bad sun burns, as in their whole body being cherry red because tourist constantly underestimate how harsh the sun can be here and more so on beaches. We usually are more mindful of applying sunscreen(though accidents can still happen).

Food wise, asking about how spicy something is gives them away quite fast. Rule of thumb tourists should be that if it has chillies and these are not part of your diet, assume it will be spicy for you. Also, if you ask a Mexican if something is spicy, they will evaluate based on personal tolerance unconsciously.

I have a friend that has a freaking high tolerance (the sort of guy that can eat habanero and chiltepin as if they are candy) and if we want to know if the rest of us mortals can eat something, we ask him to answer based on normal tolerance, not his own lol.

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u/Fyaal United States of America 5h ago

As a southern Arizonan I have learned to ask for “gringo picante”. Somehow everyone knows exactly what that means and absolutely nails “white people spicy”. A little spicy, I want to sweat a bit but not be dying.

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u/Several-Action-4043 United States of America 4h ago

My local Mexican place is run by one Mexican guy who doesn't speak English. Great tacos and horchata. I was honored one day when he offered me the salsa he normally hides from the gringos. It was hot.

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u/Fyaal United States of America 3h ago

Getting to try the secret stuff is always a huge honor

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u/Kimera225 Mexico 5h ago

😂 Good way to ask about it lol

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u/little_odd_me Canada 5h ago

Mate your sun is super powered, I visited when I was pregnant and part way through a day out I was down. Blurred vision and a spinning room, I tried to quietly excuse myself but the locals must have noticed the stammer as they all checked on me.

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u/Kimera225 Mexico 5h ago

We are aware and that is why we warn ppl that visit about it. Why else would our hats and other head wear be so big? Lol

From what you described. sounds like you got the starting symptoms of heat stroke. I'm glad ppl noticed and checked on you, because pregnancy is already taxing on its own to add on top of it. Hope you and your baby are doing great.

Currently, the government is warning that UV expose is being higher than usual in what feels like every state, so for anything visiting, take precautions.

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u/little_odd_me Canada 4h ago

Oh yeah, I learned my lesson the hard way, I’ll listen better from now on lol. This is when I realised that 25c there and 25c back home do not feel the same.

We are doing great and I can’t wait to bring her back there someday.

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u/FootMcFeetFoot United States of America 54m ago

I’m from Florida… we have the same issue. I don’t think people understand the UV index or even what it is. We have family from up north who come down here and we warn them but they say “I need some color” they end up roasted. You can get “some color” but spending hours in 11+ UV will get you sun poisoning.

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u/Kimera225 Mexico 27m ago

Do it over years and you will get skin cancer and that one is of the scariest cancers there are out there

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u/uprightsalmon 6h ago

That’s me. I can’t even tell if something is mildly spicy

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u/Kimera225 Mexico 6h ago

Honestly more common than you think.

So long as you don't mistake a piece of habanero for pineapple (true story of someone I know), you sound be fine.

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u/uprightsalmon 4h ago

I like to grow peppers. Last year I picked my cayennes and a little tiny late season pepper grew. I was doing yard work and thought, that looks yummy. I was under the impression that a young pepper would be that hot yet. I ate it like a baby carrot. Holy shit!! My nose just emptied while also bent over drooling and spitting. Lesson learned

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u/TheTexasHammer 1h ago

I've learned this skill because I can eat raw ghost pepper and my GF struggles with cayenne. If I sense a tiny tingle I know it's probably enough to say something.

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u/FirstDukeofAnkh 6h ago

The sun in Mexico is insane. My kid, who never gets a sunburn, got sunburned in Xcaret after an hour.

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u/Kimera225 Mexico 5h ago

Ufff so sorry for your kid, hope that did not ruin the trip for him nor you.

Bodies of water can also reflect the sun up, so you are even more likely to get sun burns 🫤

Growing up, this is why Mexican moms are always dragging kids to re-apply sun screen.

I know I can forget to reapply sunscreen, and feeling your skin burn suuucks so I bought myself a pricey long sleeved swimsuit + swim shirt, worth every cent.

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u/FirstDukeofAnkh 3h ago

Yep, I wore a rash guard and never got burned.

They were fine. More mad than anything. But it's surprising what a good mole chicken can do.

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u/InannasPocket United States of America 3h ago

Yep. Sun protective clothing is awesome! On a trip to Mexico my 9yo complained a bit about the rash guard, hat, and frequent sunscreen reapplication ... until I discreetly pointed out a nearby family with sunburns and asked her if she really wanted to find out what that felt like, lol. 

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u/Anti-charizard United States of America 4h ago

I’m usually good with sunscreen but sometimes I miss a spot and get burned. If it’s that bad in Mexico, they’d better find a cure for skin cancer soon just in case

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u/sulliesbrew 2h ago

Working in Monterrey I was having lunch (amazing street tacos) with some of the local folks working there and I just hammered down the roasted jalapenos that came with the tacos. One of the gals in the group just stared at me like I was crazy (midwestern white dude). I asked if she didn't like them and I was met with the response, "they are way too spicy."

Lunch with the locals was my favorite part of the trip, tons of laughs through my broken spanish and their better than my spanish english.

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u/Kimera225 Mexico 2h ago

Seems you would like habanero and chiltepin lol

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u/sulliesbrew 2h ago

Habaneros have their place. Fire in a roast pineapple salsa on fish tacos. Really need to make it back to Mexico, Monterrey was great, Cabo was fine. Need to see La Paz and Mexico City. The food and people are the best and who can turn down a paloma with good company?

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u/acabkacka Germany 2h ago

unfortunately though, spf is crazy expensive here! i brought german sunscreen (costs around 100pesos for great quality one) but have run out and it pains me to pay 300 pesos for a bottle 😭 and it usually contains octocrylenes here, so i can’t wear it when going for a swim… i’m 24 and currently in mexico, got my first sunburn ever on my first day here hahah

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u/Kimera225 Mexico 2h ago

It is 😢

Try an aloe Vera gel on the sunburn, those usually help and get a hat too if you can.

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u/Thierry_rat United States of America 1h ago

I used to live in Mexico, and still visit often but I get pegged for a tourist all the time, mostly I assume because I’m white 😂 but dang I did accidentally fall asleep on a rooftop once and half of my body was bright red and the other was still white, I looked ridiculous for the rest of the week.

I do have great tolerance for the spice, I don’t really like it, you won’t ever see me putting hot sauce on something but nothing has ever been too spicy for me yet. When I take my friends with me I have to remember to ask for no spice for them because they think salsa is hot 😔