The number of visitors to this tiny place has been increasing more than 8%
each year, I hear. It feels like everyone is a tourist. On the way to the
city center, a couple of American girls asked us if we spoke English, and
then whether they could park their rental car there. I don’t look anything
like a local here, but it must have been the stroller.
The contrast with the last time is really noticeable. The city is much more
commercialized – towards the tourists rather than the people who live here,
than it was last time.
The locals seem a lot less welcoming, too, unsurprisingly. Something was
lost, and it’s very disappointing. If this was my first time here, I don’t
know if I would have liked it.
We are heading out of the city tomorrow, hoping to avoid the prime tourist
spots. Though they promise more rain and winds up to 30mph.