You wrote:
“I beg to differ.”
It doesn’t matter if you do.
” Having actually been to a country and met its people and seen its culture gives one a much greater understanding of the people and culture than dry facts, notions and ideas from a vantage point far away.”
Not according to the people themselves.
The two of you are shouting at each other from distant mountain-tops. How about calling it a day and finding other mountains to climb? (oh, and I do have a private view about which is the finer hill. Even Munro left one top unbagged).