Originally Posted by
abmj-jr
Seriously though, I don't think the trick is to look less American but rather to look less like a tourist. I don't wear Bermuda shorts, sandals, Hawaiian shirts, camera on a strap around my neck or anything else typically "tourist" and let the rest of the chips fall where they may.
I think that is the key. I am under no illusion that I will be mistaken for a local, especially once I open my mouth. After years of travelling internationally, my wardrobe is probably a little more cosmopolitan than it used to be, but I only try to blend in a bit, and I generally will look like what I am, a professional who is doing a little sightseeing between meetings, and I find that is good enough to be treated well pretty much everywhere.