Spanish courtesies
I was just talking to a visitor from the US. He mentioned that after being around Latin Americans he tends to be more polite. I've also noticed that almost without exception when I get an email (business type) from a Latin American, it begins with a greeting to my wife, an expression of well-being for myself and success in my work. I have also observed that these greetings seem to be sincere. People here have a great interest in others, on a personal level--way beyond an professional obligation. No wonder Abuelita and I love living in Colombia.
We just made a three day trip from Bogotá to Lima. We traveled with four men, two of whom we had only met once before. They would not allow Abuelita to carry her bag (or me to carry it for her). They made sure we were taken care of before they worried about their own needs for the trip.
Are all Spanish speaking cultures as warm and kind as what we find here in northern South America?
2 Answers
I cannot answer for many countries, but I have lived in Spain, Venezuela and Mexico and - yes, definitely - those countries are much more courteous, generally speaking.
I have pondered this phenomenon for several decades, and I do agree with you that we in the US can learn a lot from Hispanics regarding manners. (And there are probably some strong points in the US that Hispanics would benefit from emulating also; it's "una calle de doble sentido")
One of the things that I have come to appreciate is taking the time to actually look at people and talk with them without constantly checking my watch. Yes, there are drawbacks to "la hora latina" but I have often wondered if there is less hypertension in Hispanic countries!
Que tenga Ud. una muy buena noche y que descanse bien.
Just forget all that stuff when going to Spain, to Madrid especially. Sorry to say that. Ok, ok, only kidding of course 
Seriously speaking, I've only heard that the culture of Spanish is a bit "better" in Latin America than in Europe. The usted/ustedes form is allegedly more common there than in Spain, for example. That's all I know...But I have the least to say here as I am neither from L.America nor Spain.
