Familiarity breeds contempt

I finally arrived in Cozumel this morning. Everywhere I look there are triathletes. I haven't talked to any of them yet, but I have seen their effects. I want to kick them all in the shins for being douches. In all likelihood, they are not douches, just like every American is not a douche until you see them on foreign soil and their douchedom bursts forth. I'm just SICK of having that conversation: "Are you here for the triathlon?" "How long is it?" "Are you going to win?" "How much prize money do you get if you win?" "How many people are competing?" "Wow, that's very far. How much do you train." And then the answer that always both annoys me and confuses me as to how I should respond. "Felicitaciones." Congratulations.

For what? I haven't done anything yet! What annoys me most about this dialog is that I know that every other person on this island has had the same conversation with (what I imagine is) some sort of self-satisfied smugness. This conversation just embarrasses me. Like when people used to ask me, "You're having ANOTHER one? How many drinks have you had tonight?"

Every cabby, bellhop, and baggage handler has been talking about how many bike boxes they've had to deal with this week. They haven't complained about the triathletes, but I would still rather be anonymous. Just a little girl with a giant box that may be a bicycle or may be a very large AK47.

What's that expression? Familiarity breeds contempt?