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Another Success Story:

I have recently received my spanish program, it is very easy to learn from this format. I have been trying others but in the five days I have used this program I have already begun putting sentences together! Thank you. ...I feel I can finally learn spanish.

Gracias, Gail Wise

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Words of the Week -----
Words taken from the "Location" Section of our Complete Course.

	English	Spanish
Monday	Where is?	¿Dónde está?
Tuesday	Wall Street	la calle Wall
Wednesday	the park	el parque
Thursday	the mall	el centro comercial
Friday	the supermarket	el supermercado
Saturday	the store	la tienda
Sunday	the beach	la playa
Bonus	the movie theater	el cine
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Culture ----- Bargaining for Taxis in Latin America

Before I get into this week's topic, last week we talked about taking city busses and how crowded they can be. I wrapped up the lesson with a multiple choice quiz (with answers a, b, c, and d) and inferred that the best answer would be "d. To take a taxi because it's easier". I received a wonderful response from Gerald Demers who added an additional response to our quiz that I endorse 100%. Here is what Gerald said:

In response to your multiple choice question, the correct answer is not in the list. It should be:

e. Taking a bus in Latin America is a fantastic opportunity to experience and share Latin culture and the way of life of the people of the country you are visiting. You will miss these and similar opportunities if you choose to be a typical tourist and only travel within your comfort zone.

-- Now we'll move on to bargaining for taxis --

One of the aspects of Latin America that I love the most is that you can bargain for anything -- even taxis. After getting used to this cultural difference in Latin America, I returned to the U.S., took a taxi, and tried to bargain but it didn't work; I got stuck with a hefty bill.

Bargaining for a taxi ride in Latin America is expected. In heavy tourist areas, the rates may go up substantially, but you can still bargain to get a lower price. The first step is to bargain for a rate before you get into the taxi. I'll give you an example of how this works. It is similar to our "bargaining" lesson a few weeks ago.

Let's say you are trying to get to the "Garcia Museum". First I would start out by saying, "¿Cuánto para Museo Garcia?" [quan-toe pa-raw moo-say-oh Garcia?] (How much for Garcia Museum?)

Sometimes, just because you're a gringo (foreigner) they will give you some ridiculously high price. If they do, just say "¡Soy gringo, pero no soy tonto!" [Soy green-go peh-row no soy tone-toe] (I'm a gringo but I'm not a fool). This may sound very harsh but it's all part of the culture of bargaining. Many taxi drivers will be impressed that you, a foreigner, actually know this phrase. From my experience, taxi drivers like bargaining as much as I do. They enjoy going back and forth bargaining for the best price.

Next, you can ask, ¿Cuánto cuesta de verdad? [quan-toe qwes-taw de bear-thath?] (How much does it really cost?). They will then give you a lower price, and you can say the following line and start to walk away, "Mejor voy a tomar otro taxi." [may-hore boy a toe-mar oh-troe taxi] (It will be better if I take another taxi). As you start to walk away they will begin to get desperate, give you a lower price which you can accept, and you are on your way.

Now here are some quick tips and ideas for getting around in Latin America:

• Traffic is crazy and taxi drivers can be even crazier. Once you get in, hold on for an exciting ride. Taxis are usually very safe but exciting.
  
  
• Some areas have motorcycle taxis. They pull a carriage with a canopy for two. This can be a very fun and exciting way to experience the culture of Latin America.
  
  
• If you are thinking about driving your own car, I highly discourage it. In most places, laws don't protect your car if you get in an accident. If someone hits you, they usually take off and you are left with a nice dent in your car.
  
  
• Renting a car can be a good option. Just make sure you are ready to drive with your horn and also that the car has insurance -- "seguro" [seh-goo-row] or "aseguranza" [ah-seh-goo-rawn-saw]. There are different words for insurance according to the region.
  
  

Stay tuned next week when we will cover longer trips through Latin America, from city to city, with travel busses, trains, and planes.

¡Qué tengan un buen día! (I hope you all have a good day!)

David S. Clark -- President
U.S. Institute of Languages
dave@spanishprograms.com
http://www.spanishprograms.com
866-9SPANISH

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