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[anywherebuthere]

Hi Guys, I am planning a solo RTW trip that starts in October 07. I will fly from Australia to Canada (Vancouver) and work my way east and then south until I hit Mexico.

At this point I am torn between continuing solo or joining organised tours of Central and South America. My lack of Spanish is pushing me towards the tour groups. I am trying to learn Spanish but it is not sinking in as quickly as I would like it to and I doubt I will have the confidence to use it.

The problem I am battling is that if I travel Solo my daily cost would be $40-50 a day but when you break down the daily costs of the tours it works out around $90 - $120 a day.

Over 4 months the difference in cost will be significant.


How hard is it to work your way around Latin America with little or no Spanish?


Has anyone tried it and felt that that should have gone on an organised tour as it was more pain full that they thought it would be?

I am a little skittish after a recent Korean trip where I hit the language barrier hard.

[rbisset]

Do it on your own! It really isn't that hard to travel in this region at all. I arrived with next to no Spanish at all and still got by fine.

Basic Spanish isn't too hard to learn and you could get by with only a few phrases. Learn the numbers from 1-100 and the usual stuff (how much, any rooms available, hello, goodbye, thanks etc) and you'll be fine.

Transport is an absolute doddle! In most places in Central America the buses drive round town shouting their destination and you just jump on. It also costs peanuts.

I also think you'll struggle to spend $50 a day in Central America

I had real problem with the language barrier in Japan but found it much easier here.

[wakingdream]

I agree with Rich. Why not try it on your own? I knew pretty much no Spanish when we went to S.America and was surprised by how much I knew when we left! Definitely learn the key phrases that will get you by as Rich suggested and once you're immersed in the surroundings you'll won't be able to not learn!

Putting language to use in the everyday is the best way to get it in your head. Using it on a daily basis will deeper your understanding so much more quickly than trying to learn on your own ( assuming you've no one to speak to in Spanish on a daily basis) I find some Asian languages take way more time for me to get a grasp on. Spanish seems to be much easier.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[rbisset]

I find some Asian languages take way more time for me to get a grasp on. Spanish seems to be much easier.

That's because it's a European Language and as a result reasonably similar to English. Sentence structure is almost the same whereas it can be all over the place in some Asian languages.

[Jessica_CDN]

I agree! I've travelled through central and south america - do it on your own!

If for some reason you find it hard, you can always catch a tour at some point, but it's a lot harder to get out of one once you've committed.



Spanish is a breeze, and travelling in central America is super cheap! (You can read how much I spent in my travel blog)

[wakingdream]

If for some reason you find it hard, you can always catch a tour at some point, but it's a lot harder to get out of one once you've committed.

Too true. Good advice. Plus, if you do find you like it on your own then you'll save a bundle of money as well.

t can be all over the place in some Asian languages.

No kidding! It's taken me 5 years to be able to have a fairly decent conversation in Thai yet Jer picked it up the second year 'round. A linguist was born on our first trip and I'm the one of the two of us that fluently speaks two other languages! Bugger.

[rbisset]

You speak 2 other languages fluently? I'm impressed!

I wish I could string more than a few words together in another language

[anywherebuthere]

Ok, I will try to travel solo first.

I will be travelling for a month or two before I reach Mexico. I will continue to learn Spanish in my downtime and hopefully the language barrier will only be a speed bump.

On the subject of languages, I have tried to learn 3 other languages over the years. Only individual words tend to stick in my brain. Having an intelligent conversation with somebody has always been a pipedream.

I can usually read signs and menus which is something. This will be the first time I try "sink or swim" immersion. I hope it works.


Thank you all for your advice.

[diana_85]

Ok, I will try to travel solo first.

I will be travelling for a month or two before I reach Mexico. I will continue to learn Spanish in my downtime and hopefully the language barrier will only be a speed bump.

On the subject of languages, I have tried to learn 3 other languages over the years. Only individual words tend to stick in my brain. Having an intelligent conversation with somebody has always been a pipedream.

I can usually read signs and menus which is something. This will be the first time I try "sink or swim" immersion. I hope it works.


Thank you all for your advice.

Hi. My name is Diana and I'm from Colombia. If u need help comingo through this country let me know.

[wakingdream]

Ok, I will try to travel solo first.

I will be travelling for a month or two before I reach Mexico. I will continue to learn Spanish in my downtime and hopefully the language barrier will only be a speed bump.

On the subject of languages, I have tried to learn 3 other languages over the years. Only individual words tend to stick in my brain. Having an intelligent conversation with somebody has always been a pipedream.

I can usually read signs and menus which is something. This will be the first time I try "sink or swim" immersion. I hope it works.


Thank you all for your advice.

I'll think you'll have a great time and you'll be more than fine. I think you'll be surprised at how quickly you pick things up!

You speak 2 other languages fluently? I'm impressed!

Haha. No need to be too impressed! My folks are from (the former) Yugoslavia and are ethnic Hungarian. Hungarian (which is a pretty crazy language) was my first language, then Serbian ( Yugoslavian or whatever people call it these days) and then English. I've picked up alot in Thai but hardly fluent there! Still working on it tho....

[hdh]

Heading southwards from Mexico is a good way to do it from a language-learning point of view: I found the Mexican accent the easiest to understand of all the Latino variants, I think because it is the closest to how a native English speaker naturally pronounces the words. There's also a fair bit of English spoken there if you get in trouble - that gets less true as you head south.

If you are still feeling uncomfortable with language after you finish with Mexico, stop off for a week or two in Antigua or Quetzaltenango in Guatemala and go to Spanish school - it's a major industry there. Guatemala is really cheap, and a little one-on-one training in an immersion environment will make a world of difference to your Spanish, especially if you already have a little bit under your belt.

And rbisset is right, you'll really need to work at it to spend $50 a day, unless you spend all your time in the Mexican resorts or in Chile.

[anywherebuthere]

Thank you diana_85 for your kind offer. I am not sure if Columbia will make it into my plans. I was planning a flight from Panama to Quito. I hope to visit Venezuela, Columbia Cuba and the Caribbean on a future trip. I don't want to exhaust all the Latin countries in one go.

The $50 were Australian dollars. Best to over budget, any savings I make in Latin America will be gobbled up when I get to Europe.This is the reason why I really want to avoid the Organized Tours If I can. I have read a lot of the blogs and have gained a lot from them but nobody seemed to dwell too much on their Spanish abilities. Those that attended Language schools tend not to mention it much after that. it is almost like they become instantly fluent or they end traveling within a English bubble where they don't have to use their new skills that much.

I take it that if you walk into a Hostel that they know you want a bed whether you say it in Spanish of not. If you plan ahead with taxis you can write your destination down on a piece of paper. I hope this works in Bus and Trains stations as well. In Asia most stall holders have large calculators which enables to haggle without language.

I have always thought that all children should learn a universal sign language in school. It would make traveling around the world a breeze. I know the deaf stuffed this up as there different flavors of deaf sign language.

I am determined now to crack Spanish if for no other reason but to enjoy Pedro Almodovar movies without the subtitles.

[hdh]

I have read a lot of the blogs and have gained a lot from them but nobody seemed to dwell too much on their Spanish abilities. Those that attended Language schools tend not to mention it much after that. it is almost like they become instantly fluent or they end traveling within a English bubble where they don't have to use their new skills that much.

I take it that if you walk into a Hostel that they know you want a bed whether you say it in Spanish of not. If you plan ahead with taxis you can write your destination down on a piece of paper. I hope this works in Bus and Trains stations as well. In Asia most stall holders have large calculators which enables to haggle without language.

We went in with about 5 hours of large-group Spanish tuition under our belts, i.e. "hello, my name is", numbers 1-10 and not much more. I have a few years of high-school French and Latin under my belt, but many many years ago. Heather had no previous language skills. Neither of us are natural linguists by any stretch of the imagination.

After a week at school I could put together sentences, and with the aid of a dictionary and a bit of pre-planning say pretty much what I needed, but not necessarily understand the reply. After 4 weeks at school, my Spanish was at the level where I could communicate reasonably well in familar situations, i.e. getting bus tickets, hotels, restaurants etc. After another 8 months in Latin America I had no trouble at all in travel situations, could manage a social conversation if the other person was patient with me, and could understand the general thrust of what was on TV, or of conversations that weren't "simplified" for me. I never got anywhere near what I'd call "fluent", but then travelling as a couple and speaking English together isn't an ideal immersion environment.

Heather had a lot more trouble with it than I did, and never got much beyond where I was at in week 2 - not helped by the fact that I did most of the talking because my Spanish was better. Practice is really important. But even she never really had any problems when she was out on her own and forced to give it a try.

As far as I recall language problems stopped showing up in our blog pretty soon after the end of Spanish school, because they stopped being a significant issue, they were just a daily minor irritant not worth mentioning.

Its very easy to learn the rules of Spanish pronunciation - they are much simpler and more consistent than English. Once you've done that you'll be able to communicate any word you've seen written down, e.g. destinations. If in doubt also try just pronouncing English words in the Spanish fashion - a fair bit of the vocab of both languages is derived from Latin and lots of words have common roots, so you'll often get close enough to the Spanish word that they'll be able to guess what you mean.

[anywherebuthere]

Hdh (David), I have been reading the Central American part of your massive blog and I can sense the initial frustration you had with Spanish. I'd say knowing you were about to spend 8 Months in Latin America was huge incentive for you to keep at it. I will only have 3- 4 months. Not sure what level I can reach in that time. I don't know if I can spare the time to attend a Spanish school. If I can survive in Mexico I will push on South. I will follow the well the worn trails. It might be as easy as following the gringo in front of me. My only experience of Mexico so far has been a day drip to Tijuana about 15 years ago and I am sure that it was not the best introduction to Mexico.


By the way, I have a bad case of trip envy after seeing your blog. That was a big one!

[Jessica_CDN]

Mexico is fantastic, and huge, so you'll have no trouble exploring it!

I actually think that the Guatemalan accent is the easiest to understand.

Have you given any thought to doing some language courses while you're travelling? I did one in Guatemala and one in Venezuela and they were fantastic. (Guatemala has the cheapest schools.)

[hdh]

By the way, I have a bad case of trip envy after seeing your blog. That was a big one!

Yeah, and it'll be a long time before there's another one. We are so broke now!

[anywherebuthere]

Yeah, I have thought about a stint in a language school but I get bored quickly so I imagine I would only be tempted to spend a week or two in a big city which would have plenty to keep me amused while I am not attending classes. based on my intended route I imagine that would mean Mexico city as it is at the start of my travels. Guatemala city sound like a place I would only hang around for a couple of days. I could be wrong. Hopefully I am. This is one of the reason I like to travel, to blow away my ignorant preconceived ideas.

Since I expect to be traveling for a year plus. Two weeks in one place might be necessary now and again to recharge my batteries or to just to give my skinny arse a rest from Numb Bus Bum Syndrome.

I will see how I go. Mexico must be more expensive than Guatemala for courses and accommodation. I am happy to blow the budget if I discover I desperately need classes.

I might end up doing a language course tour of Latin America. A week in each country. Just to learn enough each time to get me to the next border. The Amazing Spanish race. Grammar pit stops, mis-comprehension detours and fast forward flash cards.

I am sure I'll be fine once I get road Hardened. I'll just convince myself that were ever I end up is where I wanted to be.

[opalchelle]

I have always thought that all children should learn a universal sign language in school. It would make traveling around the world a breeze. I know the deaf stuffed this up as there different flavors of deaf sign language.

What an interesting choice of words "I know the deaf stuffed this up" - there is an International Sign Language by the way but lots of Deaf people know ASL American Sign Language


Back to the initial post - we are planning to just throw ourselves happily into the deep end, with a phrase book and some minimal spanish tape listening too prior to travelling. I think this is part of the adventure and adds to the enjoyment. You should be fine

[Jessica_CDN]

I might end up doing a language course tour of Latin America. A week in each country. Just to learn enough each time to get me to the next border. The Amazing Spanish race. Grammar pit stops, mis-comprehension detours and fast forward flash cards.

That sounds great! A really good time.

MExico city is actually not all that expensive, I didn't think. Lots of cheap places to stay and some good hostels as well. I know some girls who were doing Spanish there and had a blast because there is SO much to do. Well worth staying for a week or two. My favourite Latin American city!

Guat city is not as nice. I didn't spend much time there - it was pretty sketchy when I was there, but some people I know liked it.....

[anywherebuthere]

To quickly clarify my previous comment. The Deaf Organisations around the world should have developed one international sign language and dropped all the other versions. They then could have pressured/lobbied the governments of the world to include this sign language as a compulsory subject in primary schools. If this had of happened Deaf people would now be understood by everybody and as an added bonus all tourists would be able to communicate in foreign lands. It would be difficult to tell Deaf people apart from tourists. They would become less isolated. This has not happened therefore in my opinion the Deaf organisations missed a Golden opportunity at some time in the past. Hopefully it will happen in the future.

(I know this sounds very naive and utopian, Just go with me and the world will be a better place.)

I am currently trying to learn Spanish from Phrase books and CD/DVDs from the local library. I also consider this preparation as part of the Adventure. In my head I am already travelling.

My longest trip through none English speaking countries so far has been two months. This trip will be the longest time I will have spent in a one language block that is not English. All my usual excuses for not learning the local language are not valid for this trip. This is another reason why I asked my original question about going on an organised trip. I want to enjoy the trip and do not want to be frustrated by the language barrier.

I accept now that at the start I will have some issues but if I keep learning as I go things will get better. No Pain, No Gain.