MEXICO CITY – Australian backpacker Oliver Ryan has been thrilled to discover that, despite being mediocre looking in his native country, is seen as a steamy heartthrob in Latin America.

Ryan, who has pasty white skin, pale blue eyes and is of average height in Australia, has been ecstatic to find during his travels that he is considered an exotic prize catch to local women far out of his league in terms of attractiveness. 

“I’m like a 4.5 on a 10-scale back home,” Ryan said, as women in a local park asked to take a picture with him. “Here I feel like Chris Hemsworth.”

Ryan, who said he speaks Spanish “más o menos,” says the language barrier has actually proven to be more beneficial than detrimental, he said.

“I’ve been told my Australian accent is cute and that it’s charming when I stumble through conversations with my bad Spanish,” he said. “I simply can’t go wrong.”

Ryan says he has no immediate plans to return to Australia and is seeking employment as an English teacher in Mexico, Costa Rica or Colombia.