www.CostaRicaTicas.com

I must say that this newbie section is replete with almost everything a guy needs to know...however, one thing I havent seen commented on much is language. Being a typical American male (uni-lingual), I was curious how that would affect a newbies first CR tour? How much spanish do I need to know or speak?

Winnie,

Like you, I do not speak Spanish. Of course, the more Spanish one speaks the better, but in my numerous trips to CR, I have found that with the few Spanish words I know, and the few English words that some of the locals know [including the chicas] and the sign language in between, I always seem to manage.

Finding English speaking locals in the tourist areas is usually not a problem.

Zebra

Hiya, Pooh!

You don't NEED to speak the language to enjoy yourself in the gulch. I believe that knowing some spanish does enhance the experience. On my newbie trip, I knew a little Pimsleur spanish - it helped a lot. I've continued listening to those damn CDs, and I can just about carry on a conversation with the Spanish-speaking guys that I work with.

It's not difficult - just pick up (download, whatever) the CDs and listen to them in your car on the way to work. That's all that there is to it.

It may be too late for your newbie trip, but you can do it for the next one.

Yes, Pooh, there WILL be a next one.

underdog

thanks for the reassuance. As I tend to be a bit of a lurker, I may just dig out the spanish CDs and do the listen and lurk thing thing before making my noob voyage.

That's good advice to yourself. While it's not absolutely necessary to know Español when you go to CR, it is incredibly helpful. The more you learn, the better it is. Learn as much as possible. You'll be happy you did.
Mikey-B

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

I was down for Thanksgiving week and spent my days in a language school and my nights practicing with naked broads. The ticas loved the fact that I was learning and I got more than my monies worth a couple of times. I actually could carry on a conversation before I went down but I downplayed my ability at first and let them teach me. I'm going back down in Feb and will do the same thing again.

Just smile alot and when they say 100? Say 40

Surfdog

Poohbear,

I get by with my hospitality industry spanglish… which is great with maids, busboys, cooks and a few bartenders… at least I eat and drink well.

All kidding aside, the more Spanish you know, the better off you will be. Lonely Planet has a very useful Costa Rica phrase book, $7.99 on amazon, which was very helpful before and during my first trip.

I also like to listen to CR radio when I read this board… kind of sets a good state of mind, and I find that I understand more than I can speak.

http://www.tvradioworld.com/region1/ctr/Radio_TV_on_Internet.asp

As written above, you will have a great time no matter how much Spanish you speak.

Mendo

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"It takes a lot of good beer to make a great wine"

MendoB,

Gracias por la informacion!

I just turned it on & bookmarked it..

RHM

Hey Mendo
You will have nothing to worry about if we hang out together. I speak, write, and understand Spanish fluently and I'll make sure you are never misunderstood. (as long as I know what it is you are trying to say).
Man, I can't wait for march 5 to get here!

Muff

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Respectfully,

Muff

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I must apologize. I should've never disregard the rest of the CRT brothers. While I'm in SJO, I will be more than happy to help out any of you with translations. Just catch me at the SL/ZB/BM/DR and perhaps NF.
And I do plan to have lunch often at the New York.

Muff

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Respectfully,

Muff

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