Practical Spanish

[Richard Willey]

I found myself waxing nostalgic for the pilgrimage route so I spent some time
this morning going through some of the emails that I sent documenting the
course of my trip last April.

I thought that people might find the following useful.

As many of you know, my grasp of Spanish is extremely limited.  Luckily, I have
a phrase book that is able to provide basic information.  For example, its
relatively easy to look up simple questions like

"How do I get to the Panderia?"
Como se va a la panadería?

This does little to no good, since the reply is inevitably a stream of rapid
fire gibberish.  However, by repeatedly asking the same question and using
basic skills like triangulation, I can usually make my way to where I am going.
However, last night there was a somewhat weird incident which has made me
realize that I really need to learn some more of the language.  I was lying in
bed in Mansila, trying desperately to get to sleep when some guy I vaguely knew
from the trail comes up and starts yammering away.  I couldn´t really make out
what he was saying, but it was something vaguely like "Yo me encargo de matar
al que estan roncando si tu te encargues de esconder el cadáver."  Now, my
Spainish is bad, but I can smile and nod with the best of them.  So I
said "Si", and he wandered off looking happy.

Its about 15 minutes later and things have finally quieted down and suddenly
the guy is back shaking my arm and pointing to the bathroom.  I have a rough
idea regarding what is going on, so I get down from the bunk and start rumaging
through my bag for my toilet paper.  (The toilet paper in the refues runs out
quite early.  Its often a good idea to carry half a roll with you).

Anyway, I hand the guy the toilet paper and he just gives me a weird look.
Eventually he grabs my arm and trys to drag me towards the bathroom.  At this
point in time, I finally have figured out what´s REALLY going on, and this
simply isn´t my "scene".  So, I snatch my arm back and head back to the bed.
The guy starts getting very excited, babbles some more stuff, and then bolts
towards the bathroom. He seems rather upset.  I go back to sleep.  Then,
something like four hours later the police show up and haul the guy away.  (I
think that he must have propositioned someone else who really took it badly.)

Anyway, in light of this, with the help of a friend I have started to try to
compile a list of useful phrases for the Camino.  These don´t seem to make
their way into the nromal phrasebook, however, they form a basic working
vocabulary.  If any of you are considering the same route, I´d strongly
recommend learning at least this much Spanish.

"The walk was very nice, however, the monestary was closed."
El paseo era muy bonito pero el monasterio estaba cerrado.

"The bridge is washed out.  You need to turn back."
Se ha caido el puente.  Hay que volver.

"I walked 4 hours to see this church.  I don´t care if it is Monday.  Find
someone who can open the damn door."
He andado cuatro horas para ver esta iglesia.  Me da iqual que sea lunes.
Buscame alguien que pueda abrir la puerta.

"What do you mean the resturant is closed, you just gave those people a
table."
Como que esta cerrado el restaurante?  A estas pesonas acaba de dar una
mesa.

"Montezuma was a King in ancient Mexico."
Montezuma fue un rey en el antiguo Mejico.

"It turned completely black sometime yesterday, however, at least the pain is
gone.  One gets used to the smell eventually."
Se volvio totalmente negro ayer pero dejó de doler.  Despúes de un tiempo se
acostumbra uno al olor.
>
"Is it normal for so many pilgrims to die?"
Es normal que mueran tantos perigrinos?

"I wish that more of your family had been killed during the revolution."
Es una pena que no moreiesen más familiaressuyos durante la revolución.