Together, we've only been to three countries that didn't speak English so we certainly haven't experienced a lot of different cultures, but we have encountered language barriers. And with Asia and Europe on our list, more barriers will come but we've learned through trial and error of what works... Well, most of the time. When we decided to go to South America, we immediately knew that learning some key phrases in Portuguese and Spanish would be important. Leading up to the trip, we practiced greetings and the basics like "how much", "where is" and "check, please". To be honest, "learning the language" really didn't help! As much as we thought we could handle the basics, we couldn't. The locals spoke extremely fast and our attempt at their language only led to more puzzled looks. The only other option we had was gesturing to try and convey our needs. Our restaurant and café experiences were some of the most difficult, simply because we didn't understand the ordering system. We figured out later that many eateries, unless you were at a waitstaff restaurant, had an ordering line and a paying line. At one café, some younger locals explained it to us, but it was still mass chaos with the word "line" being used loosely. However, if not for the kindness of strangers and non-English speakers trying their best to help us out, we wouldn't have eaten or seen half the things we wanted to. Luckily for us, everyone we encountered was always willing to help. And if they couldn't figure it out, they would stop the next guy and ask them to help. The generosity we've been shown while traveling is beyond anything we ever expected.
One other thing that really saved us was having a city guide book. You might think this is way too touristy but trust us, the right book and map might be your saving grace. Our guide books have all been from Frommer's and are about 7"x3.5" so it's small enough to fit in a purse or fanny pack (I know, they're having a comeback) without flaunting to all the locals that you don't belong. They've also all come with a fold up map that we heavily relied on for rail systems and directions. The books have not only come in handy for points of reference but when we were lost and needed help we were able to show an image or a name and from that, we got help every time. Other people use language translator apps that are probably very helpful but unless you have an international data plan, it only comes in handy if you have wifi. I'm becoming my grandparents by saying this, but sometimes having a copy on paper is better then any smartphone app. We've heard so many people say, "I want to go to France, but I have to learn french first", or "I guess we'll just have to stick to Canada and England so we can find our way around". There is comfort in sticking to a country that speaks your native tongue but on the flip side, are so many wonderful places that need to be explored regardless of your knowledge of their language. Don't let that stop you from discovering and seeing everything you want to see, even if that means stopping a stranger and asking for directions! If nothing else, we've learned that locals truly want to help you enjoy their city as much as they do. Until Next Time, C + D
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