My daughters taught me to say - Donde esta el banjo por favor!! Where is the bathroom please - I usually get an English reponse!

Cervasa Fria most important other wise you will not need el banyo

I was just going to write that y~~and not sure of spelling so you wrote it for me~~what is fria though~~i defnitley know the cervasa (sp).

The one I would have liked to know more than any other last time in Mexico is

sal de la rehidratación

You guessed it - rehydration salt....

Also, I could not stop laughing, when sat one morning in a cafe for breakfast I finally got to use the only spanish phrase ever to stick in my mind at school (I only did one year, and played truant for most of it I'm sad to say)

El perro está bajo de la mesa ( the dog is under the table)

In other words, one of the more useful things to know in life!

Todo von mejor con El Sol.

Tiene sopa?

cerveza fria is 'cold beer' - fria = cold (when following a feminine noun - frio if the noun is masculine).

I've been learning a wee but of Spanish, but there are regional differences between Mexico and Spain (where I normally go on holiday). For example, in Spain you would generally ask for the toilets by saying 'Donde esta los servicios?'. In Mexico it seems to be el bano or los banos.

Pronunciation is also different. In mainland Spain (particularly the North) cerveza would be pronounced more like 'cervetha' - but in South America (and the Canaries) it 's more likely to be cervesa.

As if it wasn't already hard enough ........

Doh!

Donde estan los servicios.

Conjugate those verbs!

David

You know, you guys can write these words, but I just have absolutely no clue how they're spoken. I'm just a major gringo. Or is it gringa? I give up. I can say margarita.

That's the beauty of Mexico. In Mexico they seem to be very forgiving of the stumbling North American and are always patient and have a smile. It makes you want to learn more and it comes along with time. Unfortunately these vacations are just not long enough to learn much. CD's are now so available (and cheap) that you can build the vocabulary quite quickly.

If you were in Europe you would learn to say "English Menu" and figure out on your own how to get around. (God bless the internet). If you ask in a stumbling way in Europe you can get a good dose of attitude. I think they are getting tired of immigration and the potpourri of languages over there.