Me vs. Twain

The beginning of Innocents Abroad, although entertaining and interesting, does not coincide much with my experiences abroad. In the time that Twain wrote these letters, Europe was far more distant, unknown and luxurious to travel. I imagine at this time that each country only knew about itself and its own happenings. The time had not come where people across the pond knew or were curious of the land of Picasso, Dali, Hemingway's scenery or even the Beatles. These icons had not yet transcended the boarders of the new and old world.
The experiences described by Twain are of the most exotic I've read. From riding donkey's in Gibraltar to visiting mosques in Tangier, each adventure sounds greater and more exotic than anything I have experienced, even here abroad. Twain starts out the book by simply giving the reader a snapshot of the time, its people, and how they travel. I would say its the everyday conversations Twain has with the passengers that I relate to most. For example, when Twain describes the hardship a young man is having on the ship by trying to keep a travel journal. Or the naive judgment the passengers have when hearing that others at the port are there simply to say good bye and not actually travel.
These instances Twain described are still true today although trivial in the grand scheme of traveling abroad. Thus far, I have found human behavior has not changed much in the last hundred years while the communication and the world itself has changed dramatically.