language barrier

We find the Mexican people to be most accommodating if you at least try to use a little Mexican Spanish. The phrases I learned in high school Spanish are of no use in Mexico. The Mexicans are an intelligent people and with a few words and some "Charades" you can get your message across. In the campgrounds, you will find that almost all the campers are from the USA or Canada and are always willing to help you out.

I took sick in Punta Perula on our first venture into Mexico. The campground host found a local woman who became our translator, guide, and friend. She got us to the hospital 35 miles away and facilitated everything.

Paul

Never let a lack of language skills restrict you. The world is too big and too interesting not to travel anywhere. Lack of local language leads to all sorts of kindly and interesting people you would never have met if you had not travelled. Life is too short already. We spend winters in Mexico and have been going there for many years. Still have no strong language skills but we still communicate well with everyone. Except maybe some Americans lol. (I am British and they sometimes have a hard time understanding me.)

For some, the world is a very small place.

So I made a decision to avoid places that don't speak English.

That would lead to a very restricted RVing life for us.

No 3 months in Mexico, no 2 years in China (teaching, not RVing), no 3 months in Morocco, no 12 months in Europe, and no three months in Iceland, and even parts of Canada would be off-limits.

Must be a secret that most of the world actually has large proportions of the population that can hold at least a basic conversation in English - and even the rest are quite happy to engage in a bit of pantomime to get a message across.

I walked into a vehicle service garage today in a non-English speaking country and the bloke behind the counter was able to hold a fairly technical conversation in English without hesitation or error. I asked him how long ago it was that he last spoke English and he said back at high school - 15 years ago.

Gracias, Chris! ;)

crandle wrote:
Our first trip or two into Mexico, we knew NO Spanish. We made out fine, finding that many/most Mexican people know at least a little English. We soon picked up a few words here and there and now, after six winters travelling throughout every State of Mexico, can make ourselves understood in most circumstances.

I can vouche for that!

Our first trip or two into Mexico, we knew NO Spanish. We made out fine, finding that many/most Mexican people know at least a little English. We soon picked up a few words here and there and now, after six winters travelling throughout every State of Mexico, can make ourselves understood in most circumstances.

We so amend 4x4times2 comments. In 2009 we made our first major trip to mainland Mexico. We could only count to ten. Our Spanish was basically limited to taco and tequila. The only sentence we could utter was one our daughter taught us: Donde esta bano?

We entered Mexico at Brownsville, TX and circumvented the country. We later termed this our "todo las playas (all the beaches)tour. We drove about 6000 miles and had absolutely no problems.

We did not understand the language or the money. Often times we just held out the pesos and they took what was fair. We don't think we were never cheated.

We're a couple of senior citizens. After we got home we ordered Rosetta Stone's Latin Spanish. We hadn't finished the first unit before we headed to Panama. Again, we made it to Panama and back with absolutely no problems.

Go for it!

Yes you can get by, but at least learn the numbers, it makes things easier. Maybe consider a commercial caravan for your first trip to learn the ropes, there are 3 or 4 down the west coast next season & at least one to Yucatan and several down Baja.

Both of us speak NO Spanish. We have never had a problem and have traveled more than two thirds of Mexico. Someway we are always able to communicate. Too many aids (phrase books, software, electronics & other people) available to stop someone from traveling because they can't speak the local language.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico