Member-only story
28 Essential Travel Phrases You Need To Know In a Foreign Language
My wife and I recently returned from a trip to the beautiful Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. In addition to taking in some of the most unique flora and fauna on the planet, I also got a chance to dust off my Spanish skills for the first time in months. Although I had been reading El Asesinato de Pitagoras in Spanish at the time, (out load whenever I got the chance), nothing beats speaking to native speakers in real time, in a country where your target language is spoken. So I was really excited for the trip.
During the trip, my Spanish came in clutch, as we had some issues with our lodging in several locations. One AirBnb rental had no toilet seat, which forced us to relocate on the spot to another location. At another location we were accused of using a counterfeit $10 bill to pay for the room. An issue that was my Spanish helped to resolve quickly.
It also came in handy during a boat trip during which the guide primarily spoke Spanish to the majority of the passengers, so I was able to interpret most of what he said to my wife in real time.
