My Spanish Notes Gira a la derecha, mas adelante

My Spanish Notes

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Gira a la derecha, mas adelante Posted: 05 Feb 2013 06:24 PM PST Just about everyone has a GPS these days, and if you're serious about learning Spanish, you should be getting your directions in Spanish. If you haven't changed the language on your GPS yet, today you're going to learn everything you need to know to get where you're going.  Break out your driving gloves boys and girls, it's time to go for a ride. Here's a screen shot from the GPS on my phone, let's take a closer look at it.  Let's start with the word bifurcación, which you'll find at the top of the picture where the directions start. A  bifurcación  is a fork in the road. If you look at the picture closely you can even see the little arrows showing the fork in the highway. Tome la izquierda cuando llegue a una bifurcación del camino Go left when you get to the fork in the road Next we get to: Mantente a la derecha y sigue las indicaciones Keep to the right and follow the signs We need to take a closer look at the first part of this, Mantente a la derecha. To be specific, the verb mantenerse. Mantenerse seems to be the verb of choice for my GPS.  Your GPS may prefer permanecer. Permanece a la derecha Keep to the right Hold on, we're not done skinning this cat yet.  You have one more option: Quédate a la derecha Stay to the right Your GPS might not use quedar, but it's certainly something you'll probably hear on the street and may even want to use yourself.  Here's another example for good measure. Desde Tulum, quedar en el carril de la derecha From Tulum, stay in the right lane OK, let's move on. Gira ligeramente a la izquierda hacia 85 North Take a slight left towards 85 North Hacia is the word you want when you need to talk about where your heading. Voy hacia el sur I'm going south En lugar de irme a casa, voy hacia el restaurante Instead of going home, I'm heading towards the restaurant Also notice that the word North wasn't translated.  Your GPS might translate it so you may want to refresh your memory if those directions aren't already burned into your brain. OK, we're still not there yet, so let's keep going. Toma la salida 86 hacia 13 North, en dirección Buford Highway Take exit 86 towards 13 North, towards Buford Highway This is really pretty straight forward.  The only thing I want to touch on is en dirección.  En dirección is another way to say towards.   Here are some examples: Voy en dirección a mi casa I'm heading towards my house Caminar hacia el norte en dirección a la Calle 55 Walk heading north towards 55th Street Gire a la derecha en dirección al hotel Hilton Turn right towards the Hilton hotel Notice all of my examples used  en dirección a, while my GPS didn't use the "a".  I suspect that's a translation error on their part.  And finally we have: Incorpórate a 13 North Get on 13 North Incorporarse is used to for taking/getting on the highway. Desde Barcelona, incorpórate a la autopista y toma la salida 12 From Barcelona, get on the freeway and take exit 12 You may also hear carretera used for highway, and notice the use of tomar for taking the freeway. Toma la carretera 880 rumbo al Norte Take highway 880 going north You may have noticed the word rumbo.  It's just another way to say which way you're headed. Voy rumbo a casa de una amiga I'm headed towards a friends house Next we have the following: Continuá durante 3,6 mi Continue for another 3.6 miles You may have noticed the "3,6".  In Spanish the comma is used instead of the decimal point, so don't let it confuse you. And the part we've all been waiting for: El destino está a la izquierda Your destination is on the left We need to talk to about one more thing that didn't show up on my GPS this time. Sigue derecho Keep straight You may also hear the word recto for straight.  And remember, derecha is right while derecho is straight.  The first time I got directions while driving I nearly forgot this distinction, luckily my passenger got me straightened out in time. Sigue recto Keep straight Lastly, let's look at the title of this entry. Gira a la derecha mas adelante Turn right further ahead FYI, you can get your directions online in Spanish as well.  I use Google Maps with my language set to Spanish.  You'll see the same vocabulary used. And that about wraps things up.   If I missed something, leave me a comment. Espero que les sirva, ¡cuídense!

Oaxaca 13

Next stop, Huatulco! Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico. Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Huatulco, Oaxaca. Arriving February 6th! Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Next stop, Huatulco!

We're heading further south (actually more east than south!) this morning along Mexico's Pacific coast. Not going far, only about 120 kms (75 miles) to the resort town of Huatulco. No idea where we're staying, but there is a campground there and of course we have the tent if we need it.

We'll only be there for a night or two at the most anyhow.

Today's plan...only 120 kms (75 miles).

Just a short drive. As you can see, we're actually heading east today!

Yesterday was a bit of a relax day. We did head into town and we were going to go to the big Super Che grocery store but there was some kind of protest going on and they had the entrance blocked and they weren't letting people into the store. They had some signs taped to the wall, it looked like it was something to do with privatization of schools or something. No idea what this would have to do with a grocery store! Anyhow, we gave up on that and headed to the bank. Wanted to try and get some Guatemala currency. But the banks had been closed on Monday for some holiday and so there was a big lineup. Okay, so we gave up on that too!

Then, we had heard that David and Marina were in town. This is a couple that we had met at Playa Zipolite a few years ago. They're actually from the town of Perth, Ontario which is only an hours drive or so from our home city of Ottawa. Anyhow, they've got a little apartment rented here so we went over and visited with them for a while.

David, Marina, Ruth, and Kevin

In the evening, we had invited Mary and Alfredo over for dinner. They left the kids with her Mom, so they got a well deserved evening away. After dinner, we taught them how to play Yahtzee.

And so, we're outta here. We always enjoy Puerto Escondido, but it's time to move on. See you in Huatulco!

Oh, one last sunset photo from our balcony at the Sunset Point Resort Hotel!

Happy Birthday to Kevin's sister Alison! 

HELP US CREATE A FUND TO CONTROL ZIPOLITE'S DOG AND CAT POPULATION ...

Dutch hardstyle live February 5th, 2013 @ 11:40pm EST dutch hardstyle dj live ! Event DJ Redje Dragon Fan 2

http://www.mixify.com/redje-dragon/event/dutch-hardstyle-live

Dutch hardstyle live

February 5th, 2013 @ 11:40pm EST

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Event DJ

Redje Dragon

 

2

. . . carry out two campaigns of sterilizations.

Terre Xtra

https://www.facebook.com/terrextra

• livelula bar (zipolite, oaxaca, mexico)

hola amigos
hasta ahora tenemos, con un poco mas de 16’000 pesos, la mitad del monto necesario para realizar dos campañas de esterilizaciones. les pido un esfuerzo con sus amigos, clientes y otros conocidos, a introducir este proyecto, para tener suficientes recursos para los dos campañas de esterilizaciones después de la semana santa y en diciembre. de antemano les agradezco la voluntad de cooperar.
zipol proyecto 2013: http://terrextra.npage.ch/fondo-esterilizaciones.html
lista de donaciones: http://terrextra.npage.ch/bild-boxes-spanish.html
rediseño de la pagina de terrextra: http://terrextra.de.to/
saludos
tintin

Hello friends so far have, with a little more than 16'000 pesos, half of the amount necessary to carry out two campaigns of sterilizations. I ask an effort with your friends, customers, and other acquaintances, to introduce this project, to have sufficient resources for the two campaigns of sterilizations after Holy week and in December. in advance thank you willingness to cooperate.
zipolite project 2013: http://terrextra.npage.ch/fondo-esterilizaciones.html list of donations: http://terrextra.npage.ch/bild-boxes-spanish.html redesign of the website terrextra:http://terrextra.de.to/ greetings tintin (Translated by Bing)

terrextra

terrextra.npage.ch

private, freiwillige umweltschutzzelle

Buyer beware: 10 common travel scams Tom Hall and Kylie McLaughlin 10 July, 2012

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/themes/big-trips/ten-common-travel-scams/?intaffil=lpemail

Buyer beware: 10 common travel scams

Tom Hall and Kylie McLaughlin 10 July, 2012

While you’re often safer overseas than you are in your hometown, a few scams seem to pop up all over the world. Repeat the mantra: if it looks too good to be true, it must be too good to be true…

1. Fake police

Sometimes also the real police, they’ll demand to see your passport and find something wrong with your visa, but then suggest your troubles will all be over if you pay a fine. To them. In cash. Right now. Standing your ground and offering to accompany them to the station will usually see the error ‘excused’.

2. Gem or carpet deals

On entry into a store, often prompted by an enthusiastic taxi or rickshaw driver, you will be offered a deal so preposterously lucrative that refusing it seems unthinkable. Think again – those gems are going to be worthless and the carpet you buy may not make it home at all. There are legitimate traders selling both jewels and rugs, and they don’t act like this.

3. Airport taxis

Drivers taking you into town might try every trick in the book, from asking you for an inflated fare to driving around the streets to raise the price higher. This is usually harmless, but you should only travel with licensed taxis and, if you can’t pay in advance, agree on a fee before starting out and don’t pay until you get where you want to be.

4. Timeshares

You’re approached by an extremely genial young man who offers you a scratchie card, no strings attached. He’s friendly, so you accept the scratchie card and, lo and behold, you’ve won some sort of prize, which could be anything from a t-shirt and cash to a holiday. What’s the catch? The local insists you must accompany him to a hotel (which might be an hour’s drive away) to collect your prize. If you haven’t smelled a rat by now, you need your senses tested.

The penny drops, you start staring at the ground and shifting your feet uncomfortably, the seemingly-genuine local says that if you don’t come with him, then he won’t get paid for his job. However, if you do end up going with him, on arriving at the hotel you’ll be shuffled into a room with a bunch of other tourists and forced into watching an hour-long presentation about timeshare apartments, which you are pressured into buying at a very special discounted price by slick Westerners. If you come out of it with your wallet intact, at worst you would have wasted an entire afternoon you could have spent lying on the beach.

5. ‘This is closed’

In some countries everyone from touts to taxi drivers will try to tell you that your chosen hotel, restaurant or shop is closed…but there’s another, even better one you should visit, where they can pick up a commission. This is more annoying than harmful, but always insist on having a look for yourself.

6. Motorbike scam #1

Living out your dream of riding a scooter for a day around the countryside quickly turns into a nightmare when the bike you’re riding breaks down or you have an accident. The owner of the motorbike is quick to escort you and your damaged bike (which doesn’t look in that bad a state) to the repair joint of their choice, where the mechanic makes a grossly overinflated estimate of the damage costs. The owner of the motorbike insists you cover the costs, otherwise no customers will want to rent his bike. You shell out hundreds of dollars to cover the costs of the damage you possibly made, plus cosmetic improvements to the bike that you have now also covered for the owner.

More than likely, you’ve just lined their pockets with more cash than the locals would earn in a month. Take photographs of the bike before you start riding, preferably with the renter in them, so they can’t blame you for imaginary damage costs to the vehicle. And don’t rent from companies that are attached to hotels or guest houses.

7. Motorbike scam #2

The motorbike you have hired comes with a lock and two keys: you have one, and your rental company has the other. When you park the scooter and wander off, an enterprising person from the rental company arrives and ‘steals’ your scooter, thus later requesting you pay a large sum of money to replace the ‘stolen’ scooter. As you handed them your passport and you signed a contract, you’re obligated to pay for it. Carry your own lock and key and an old passport to avoid getting sucked into this scam.

8. Bird shit

The surprising splat of bird shit landing on you from a great height is followed by the swift appearance of a stranger who towels you down. In the confusion, valuables are removed from your person, never to be seen again. Another variation on the same scam has someone ‘accidentally’ spilling mustard or other condiments on you.

9. Bar/tea shop scam

Notoriously aimed at male travellers, young local girls approach a tourist and, after gaining trust with some idle chit-chat, you agree to accompany them to a local bar/tea shop. Thrilled at the opportunity to converse with a couple of local lasses, you offer to buy them a drink. On receipt of the bill, the girls are gone, and all you are left with is a massive shock when you glimpse the sum total, which can amount to hundreds of dollars.

10. Hotel scams

As you hop off the train or bus into a strange town and into a waiting taxi, you ask them to take you to a specific hotel. You’re dropped off, hand over the money for several night’s worth of accommodation, you’re persuaded to sign up for a number of day tours then escorted to your hotel room. The hotel’s unusually quiet and it doesn’t seem like the advertised atmosphere. Alarm bells ring: you’ve been duped by the friendly local who talked to you on the bus, and the quick phone call he had to make was to the awaiting taxi, whose driver was very quick to escort you to the hotel of their choice.

Like a well-oiled machine, they worked together to ensure you handed over all your cash immediately, and fleeced you for a couple of tours while they were at it. Many hotels trade on the names of popular hotels and are rarely of the same standard, so make sure you check the name and address of the place before you’re shuffled in to sign your life away.

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/themes/big-trips/ten-common-travel-scams/?intaffil=lpemail#ixzz2K5h3uUO4

Travel with Kevin and Ruth: RV Parks in Puerto Escondido

Travel with Kevin and Ruth: RV Parks in Puerto Escondido
Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico. Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Huatulco, Oaxaca. Hope to arrive around February 6. Follow @KevinandRuth ...
www.travelwithkevinandruth.com/.../rv-parks-in-puerto-escon...

Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Huatulco, Oaxaca. Arriving February 6th!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

RV Parks in Puerto Escondido

We've been to Puerto Escondido with our 28 foot class A motorhome several times. But we've never had to find somewhere to park because we've always stayed with friends. We noticed the other day that one of the larger trailer parks on the main road didn't seem open this year so we decided to check out all of the possibilities here.

And it turns out there are still quite a few possibilities here, and for all sizes of rigs...but none of them are ideal!

The one on the main highway, the Villa Las Brisas, has sold off the main section of it's trailer park and it's no longer open. However the area where the swimming pool is still has a parking lot big enough for a couple of large RV's so we went in and spoke to them.

Located at the south end of the main highway. GPS coordinates 15.85197 -97.05194

The girl said yes, they still accept RV's and they'll string electricity for you and a water line. They charge 200 pesos ($16.50) per night. They do have a sort of a hole in the ground dump station, so you can empty your tanks but you'll have to move your rig to do so. 

This area is a bit run down and not the most scenic. It's also located on the main highway so you'll likely get some road noise. But you're welcome to park here.

But this area is better. One big rig could park up against this wall and be fairly level. Another parked beside it would have a difficult time getting level, but we've seen two big rigs parked in this area before, so it is do-able. No shade though!

They do have a half decent swimming pool area.

The only other option for larger rigs is the Hotel Villa Relax. Not a bad spot, but again no shade. At least you would be able to park your rig so that the rig itself provides your shade. Still, it's not the best...

Located at the north end of the main highway, near the airport entrance. GPS coordinates 15.86667 -97.07731

Definitely lots of room for any size rig...as is evidenced by these two buses parked here.

They do have an interesting swimming pool, although the water was a little cloudy the day we visited.

And even a tennis court!

Lots of parking...but again, no shade.

We visited this place twice, and both times there was nobody around to talk to! I did find a website, but not sure how up to date the info is. It says between 170 pesos ($14) and 230 pesos ($19) per night depending on the size of your rig. http://www.comerciosyhotelesenpuerto.com/news/hotel-villa-relax2/

There is another option, the Neptune Trailer Park, right on the beach. But it's a dump, and there's no way we would stay there.

Can't recommend this place, but if you really want to check it out it's at GPS coordinates 15.86199 -97.06178. The guy wanted 300 pesos ($24.60) per night!

The other places are all for smaller rigs or camper vans. There is one more that we could fit into, and I'm sure we could do it, but maneuvering would be tight. It's really the nicest spot though of all the ones we visited.

Cabanas El Eden is beside the Oxxo store on the main tourist section of Playa Zicatela. No sign or anything on the road and the entrance is kind of squeezed between the Oxxo store and a restaurant.

It's a tight fit, but I think Sherman could do it! GPS coordinates are 15.85365 -97.05592

Once you're in there, it's actually quite homey. They charge 60 pesos per person per night, so for a couple you would be 120 pesos ($10) which is not bad for being so close to the action. You can get a wi-fi signal from the place next door. Make sure you have a decent extension cord if you want electricity!

We bumped into fellow Mexican RV'ers Whit and Jan here! We've ran into them several times since we started RV'ing in Mexico!

The other options are only suitable for small van types of campers. There's thePalmas de Cortes...

GPS coordinates 15.86145 -97.06264

And Cabanas Edda at GPS coordinates 15.85860 -97.05803, but again only for van type campers. They charge 100 pesos ($8.20) per night.

Mazunte 2

Mazunte

DF 13