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Lost in Mexico City

How high school Spanish got me back to the hotel in one piece

By Mishael WittyPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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Lost in Mexico City
Photo by Andrea Leopardi on Unsplash

"I'm ready to go back to the hotel," one of the girls on the mission trip with me said within earshot.

"Me too," I agreed.

So, we decided it would be a good idea for us to head back to the hotel together, leaving the rest of the group at the mall. I'm still not sure why we thought it was wise for two white girls from the United States with very limited Spanish-speaking abilities to set off on their own in the most populous city in North America.

But we did.

It had been a long day of music rehearsals, church services, and Vacation Bible School crafts/lessons. The rest of the group wanted to "unwind" by visiting the mall, which wasn't far from the hotel where we were staying. Within walking distance, obviously, because we were all on foot.

Hanging out at the mall with armed guards lurking around every corner wasn't really my idea of a restful time. It still isn't. When I heard someone else say they'd rather be anywhere else, I jumped at the chance to get out of the uncomfortable situation.

Into an even more uncomfortable situation.

See, I don't have a good sense of direction. Never have. Apparently the girl I was with didn't have one, either. We soon found ourselves wondering where we were ... and how or if we were going to make it safely back to the hotel.

The cold hand of dread clutched my heart as I imagined the two of us walking the streets of Mexico City in perpetuity.

Until I remembered something I had that the other girl didn't, a basic knowledge of conversational Spanish, thanks to seven years of study in elementary through high school. Plus one semester in college. At that time, I was two years out of college and five years away from any serious study of the Spanish language.

But my brain remembered some of it.

I could converse fairly well with the Mexican kids I met, and I did okay talking to the adults, as long as they knew some English. Most of them did know English better than I knew Spanish, although hardly any of them felt comfortable speaking it with me ... until I attempted to butcher their language.

I'm not sure whether the parking lot attendant we met that day knew English or not. I didn't even try to find out. I just walked up to him and asked, "¿Dónde está el Hotel Presidente?" For those of you who don't know, that means, "Where is the Hotel Presidente?" Like I said, really basic Spanish knowledge.

He smiled and rubbed his chin and said, "Ah, está muy cerca." That means, "It's very close."

I had a feeling we were. I knew we hadn't walked that far to get to the mall, so it shouldn't have been hard to get back to the hotel. Except we were all turned around and unsure of our bearings.

I nodded. "Sí, sí. Pero, dónde está?" This translates to, "Yes, yes. But where is it?"

And then he did a lot of pointing and saying words like, "izquierda" and "derecha," and "alrededor," "left," "right," and "around."

Amazingly, I understood what he was saying. The pointing helped, I'm sure. Some body language is universal.

In what seemed like no time at all, compared to the time that passed while we were wandering, we made it back to the hotel. Ironically, the rest of the group was already back. And they were surprised that we took so long to get there. We two who had been so anxious to return.

But they were duly impressed with the great story we told in answer to the question, "What happened?"

Thanks to my Spanish studies in school, my good memory, and a very kind parking lot attendant we were able to tell the story and laugh about it. And I'm still laughing about it decades later. In relief, knowing it could have turned out so much different.

Takeaway tips for traveling in Mexico City (or anywhere, really)

  1. Learn the language that's spoken by the majority of the people in residence before you travel. Even if you just learn a few words or phrases, something is better than nothing. And it may come in handy when you least expect it to.
  2. The saying, "There's strength in numbers" is absolutely true. If you're with a group, stay with the group. Don't be like me. Learn from my mistake.
  3. Always have a map with you. Or at least the GPS on your cell phone. It's been many years since I was in Mexico, but it seems like even my dinosaur cell phone worked in the city back in 2001. So, it's even more likely that you'll be able to get good cell reception there now. If you're in a more remote area, take a map or a guide.
  4. When things don't go as planned, don't panic. Just take a deep breath and think about the things you need to do to solve the problem, step by step. And always keep an eye out for people who can help you. Despite what we often hear these days, there are good people out there who are more than willing to help when you need it.
  5. Have fun and learn something, and share what you've experienced and learned with someone else. Stories connect us in the making and in the retelling. Cherish those moments of connection. They're what really matter.

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