Don´t flatter yourself (go to Central America and they'll do it for you)

Anyone who has travelled Central or South America has been there... "Que guapa....oh linda... que ojos....preciosa..."

Wherever I go in Latin America, for some reason I am always considered more attractive just because I am a 'gringa'. No matter how beautiful the local women are, and some of the women I have seen are textbook beauties, many Latino men find European looking girls with fairer features attractive, regardless of how these women would be rated in their own country (my nice way of saying 'regardless of whether they are a moose or not').

In Costa Rica, it began as a massive ego boost– and I actually enjoyed the compliments* - lured into a false sense of attractiveness, for a second I started thinking -  maybe I am just really, really god damn good looking? Then, my traveling indifference to appearance set in, I started wearing no make up, not brushing my hair, and wearing unflattering sweat stained travelers clothes.... and the compliments kept on coming...hmmm.  I started to suspect it was not because of what I looked like but more about where I was from.

Was my sexy foreign accent doing it? In my head, when I spoke Spanish, there was a chance I sounded like  'ze sexy french gurl aspeakin english' but when I put this to my Spanish speaking friends – they just laughed. I guess not.

So why do us 'gringas' receive so much attention?

Lets get Biological. I once read an article that said sexual dimorphism may play a role in why foreigners appear more attractive. Sexual dimorphism is the physical difference between males and females of the same species and it can influence mating choice. In dimorphic species, males that possess the more opposing traits to the female – e.g larger size, more colourful feathers, bigger horns etc.are the more attractive, as they represent greater fitness (think peacock tail - the brighter the better). Foreign woman are physically more 'different' in regards to hair colour, eye colour etc. – could this be why they are more attractive? It´s a slightly odd theory with some major problems, and sexual dimorphism in humans is a controversial topic anywhooo so I'll leave that one there. Just some food for thought.

Is it cultural perception? Men are going to find attractive what is deemed attractive by their society and for some cultures this may be something unique like small feet (China). Perhaps the influence of western media in some Latin American countries has changed many societies perception of what an attractive woman is, and those who are 'physically similar' (e.g. eye colour and skin colour) to the big Hollywood beauties like Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz, are thus considered attractive, regardless of whether they have a face like a horses behind or not. In Costa Rica I was often compared to celebrities I look nothing like, simply because we share white skin and the local people were only used to seeing that on the TV.

Another reason we may get so many compliments is because of what a travelling white girl represents to a lot of people, which, lets face it, is money. No doubt this is very attractive to a lot of men looking for an English sugar mama, and perhaps they think complimenting is a good way to get you interested. Flattery will get you n where hombres.

Am I thinking about this too much and is it the simple fact that many men give us gringas attention because we have a reputation for being easy...? Probably.

There is also the fact that Latino men are far more passionate and honest about their feelings -endearing at times, comic at others. Perhaps they aren't being pervy when they tell you how pretty you are, this is just how they are wired. However, I do feel there is most definitely a line. The other day, whilst walking down the street, I was rated by an old man. Yes thats right- he shouted out a mark out of 10 like I was on the cat walk - and this guy was the older side of 60 (I won't tell you what mark I got - lets just say, from an old perv, it could have been better).

How to react when you do get complimented? One of my friends laughs, another one gets scarily defensive and shouts back– normally something like 'get lost you pervert' (this is when I start running). I just roll my eyes with the routine 'oh god you are soooo annoying' look, but secretly stash the compliment away for when I'm having a fat day.

Diaz and me - yep we're practically sisters

(*I use compliment in the pervy sense of the word - perhaps leer/harassment would be more appropriate)