🤦🏻♂️ In just five words he thought I was crazy
A misadventure speaking Spanish in Colombia. Plus: Maya Angelou, Living Bridges, Lunar New Year, and Sarajevo
Welcome back, my friend.
You’re tuned into another edition of Itchy Feet. As always, thanks for supporting my newsletter.
Before we get rolling, here’s last week’s post in case you missed it:
This week, let’s talk about something just as important: Looking funny speaking a new language.
Let’s get to it!
Reading time: 6 min & 23 seconds
One day, I stood on a street corner in Neiva, Colombia.
Cars, motorcycles, and buses were puttering in the opposite direction. With pesos guarded in my hand, I squinted down the lines of traffic for a green Kool colectivo bus.
Another man rushed past me. Abruptly, he turned to face me.
“¿Compadre, qué hora es?” (friend, what time is it?)
On this rare day, I happened to be wearing a watch.
“Son las once menos cinco.” (It’s five minutes to 11 o’clock)
As I rattled off my answer, he stood staring at me as if horns were growing out the side of my head.
Either two seconds or two months passed as we stared at each other, equally perplexed.
“Eh, muchas gracias.”
I said de nada. He looked away and in an instant asked a different guy the exact same question.
As I witnessed the events unfold, it was clear he didn't understand me.
My accent was very gringo but not that bad.
Suddenly, it dawned on me:
In Colombia, it’s more common for people to say:
“faltan cinco para las once” (It’s five minutes to 11 o’clock)
My response was technically correct, but no one here says it this way.
This reminded me of how complex languages are. You can spend a lifetime learning Spanish, only to find out that in different countries or cities they speak their own version of this language.
Everywhere you can find unique ways to express ideas, dialects, and slang.
For example, a universal Spanish translation for beer is cerveza.
Depending on the country, you can also say una chela (Mexico), una pola (Colombia), and una caña (Spain).
Figuring out these nuances can make you feel like you're swimming backward.
Looking silly at times is unavoidable.
However, when you begin connecting some dots, it’s totally worth learning a new language.
🚀 Travel Quote of the Week
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”
-Maya Angelou
This quote is inspired by Black History Month which goes from Feb 1 to March 1, 2025.
Bonus quote (my new favorite) from a comment on my last post about relationships:
“Never marry someone until you pitch a tent together when you go camping.”
-Fellow Substack writer
🤲 Did You Know?
In certain parts of the world, there are bridges made from living trees. For example, in remote forest villages of Meghalaya, India, these are commonplace.
Close to the Himalayas and full of rivers, jing kieng jri’s (living bridges) are an essential way of life.
The Khasi people who live there plant rubber fig trees (Ficus elastica) on two sides of a river.
After 10 to 15 years, their aerial roots are long enough to bind together with bamboo scaffolding.
🎏 Culture Corner
Happy Lunar New Year!
January 29, 2025, marked a brand new year in many Asian cultures around the world. Festivities can last for up to 15 days depending on the country.
This year is the Year of the Snake. Just like snakes shed skin, it’s a time to get rid of what doesn’t work for you anymore and create positive habits.
It’s common to be with family, honor ancestors, give money envelopes, and follow different traditions.
In many countries, you see different colors to represent their Lunar New Year.
For instance, in China, the Chunjie, or Chinese New Year uses the color red. Red stands for good luck and prosperity.
This year, the Korean New Year (Seollal) is the Year of the Blue Snake. People don the color white to symbolize purity and a fresh start.
In Vietnam, the Tết (meaning Feast for the First Morning of the First Day) celebration is often red and yellow. These colors represent luck and happiness.
Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, and many other parts of Asia celebrate Lunar New Year.
🌆 Fun things to do around Sarajevo, Bosnia
Bosnia, officially Bosnia and Herzegovina, is located in the Balkan Peninsula of Eastern Europe. Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian are their official languages.
According to Rome2Rio, it’s a 19-hour flight from SFO to the capital, Sarajevo. Bosnia is highly diverse despite its small population of 3.4 million people.
Here you can find Croats, Bosniak Muslims, and Serbians.
I’d always considered Bosnia an off-limits visitor destination due to its history of violence (The Bosnian War in 1992).
However, tourism is increasing 8.9% each year. The country appears safer than its Level 2 Travel Advisory.
However, I read you should be very careful in some rural areas due to possible unexploded landmines or terrorism.
The biggest Sarajevo issues I read are possible taxi scammers and pickpockets. However, this is common in many European cities.
Bosnia is affordable, making it a perfect budget European destination.
Here are fun things to do around Sarajevo:
The Eiffel Bridge: As you explore Old Town (Start Grad), you’ll likely cross the River Miljacka using the Skenderija Steel Bridge. Many people call it the “Eiffel Bridge” because it was designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Get lost in the Baščaršija: This is Sarajevo’s oldest bazaar. It’s considered the cultural heartbeat of the city.
Travel to 1984: Sarjevo hosted the 1984 Olympics and you can explore an abandoned bobsled track. It’s a fun relic of the past and now is covered in urban art.
Hang out in a kafana: Coffee (kafa) culture in Bosnia is a thing. Sarajevo’s first coffee shop (kafana) opened 500 years ago.
Visit Mostar: Bosnia and Herzegovina are full of picturesque towns, and Mostar is the crown jewel. Located in Herzegovina, it’s the most visited town in country for a reason.
For more trip ideas, trip coaching, and fun travel chats, get in touch here. 🤝
That’s it for this week! If you’ve read this far, I’m truly grateful for you.
Have a great start to your week. More travel-inspiration is coming soon!
Much love,
-Daniel
Instagram / X / Travel Planning / Buy me a Coffee
Oldies but goodies:
• 🔹 Four life lessons from a missing passport
• ✍️ What I learned reading my 10-year-old travel journal
• 🌍 My mom traveled solo abroad for the first time
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As a teacher and life-long learner of Spanish, oh how I know this struggle! I have sounded foolish so many times, but I have to be willing to do that to improve. Most people are appreciative that someone is trying to use their language, though they may laugh a bit at our expense!
My funny Spanish word story: when we owned a hotel in Costa Rica, I had a meeting with the housekeepers for them to tell me what things we needed. I was new but learned Latin American Spanish (Mexican!) in school. I thought I was being ‘with it’ when I asked them if they needed more toallas (towels). After they laughed, the English speaking concierge told me that in Costa Rica toalla is the word they use for feminine napkin! 🤦🏻♀️