Vogt - Perfect phrases in Spanish for confident travel to Mexico: the no faux-pas phrasebook for the perfect trip

The No Faux-Pas Phrasebook
for the Perfect Trip

Eric Vogt

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Thanks are very much in order to my administrative assistant, Ms. Marilyn Hancock, who knows no Spanish and was so willing to read aloud the phrases using the pronunciation guide.

My most heartfelt thanks go to my dear wife, Arlene, and my sweet daughter, Alexandra, neither of whom ever doubted that I would succeed in taking on a quick succession of these projects. Words can never express the comfort and energy their confidence in me has supplied. To them and, of course, to all who travel for business or pleasure, I dedicate this little volume.

Finally, I give my hearfelt thanks to my editor at McGraw-Hill Garret Lemoi for is patience and encouragement throughout this project. Without his skillful guidance, I never would have finished this phrasebook.

Travel to Mexico. The phrase evokes as many images as there are ears to hear it. There are many Mexicos. As a nation, Mexico is a mosaic of old and new, of native peoples, Europeans, and, of course, of the mostly mestizo population that resulted from what the Mexicans refer to not as the Discovery of America, but as the Encounter of Two Worlds with the Conquest of Mexico by Hernn Corts in 1521.

One of Mexicos great intellectuals of modern times, Octavio Paz, observed that a pyramid is a good image through which to understand Mexicos diversity. He noted that there are Mexicans who live almost untouched by the arrival of the Europeans, though they are fewer and fewer every day. There are others who live in an almost medieval European world, and then there are those who live much like anyone in a wealthy borough of New York City or San Francisco.

Mexicans tend to be very hospitable and friendly. Im sure youve heard the expression Mi casa es su casa (My house is your house). When a Mexican says this, it is not a casual statement. It is genuine. Likewise, if an American says it to a Mexican, it will be taken as a serious invitation to make himself or herself at home in your place, without necessarily announcing their arrival. Inviting someone to lunch is taken seriously, unlike the often meaningless lets do lunch one hears in the United States.

That said, Mexicans tend to observe formalities in forms of address and are sensitive about etiquette and good manners. The best way to grasp this is to remember that being on a first-name basis with Mexicans is not something that happens as quickly as it does in the United States. When it comes to initiating a change in the level of formality, it is best to allow them to take the lead, because they will initiate the change according to the rules of their culture.

Racially and socioeconomically, Mexico is quite diverse. In terms of her geography and climate, she can be divided roughly into three east-west bands from north to south. In the north, she shares the desert climate of the four U.S. states that border her six. This is her industrial region, though agriculture is also a major source of revenue. In the middle she is semi-arid, more seasonal, and densely populated. This is where Mexico City is located. It is where most of her great universities and hubs of political power are located. Lastly, the south is tropical, economically poor, and culturally rich. The south of Mexico is where the bulk of her pure native populations is found and where many people do not speak Spanish. This is where one may visit the Mayan ruins and the jungles of Yucatn. On the coasts of Yucatn one finds Cancn, Cozumel, and other favorite tourist destinations, famous for their five-star hotels, beaches, food, reef diving, and so forth. Mexicos west coast is probably best known by Americans because it is so accessible from California and Arizona, whether by car, bus, train, plane, or boat. The west coast includes Baja California (divided politically into Norte and Sur), La Paz, Puerto Peasco (with its English name, Rocky Point), Guaymas, Mazatln, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa, and Acapulco, to mention the major cities where many people from north of the border go for sun, relaxation, and deep-sea fishing.