When traveling abroad, it´s always wise to learn a few words and phrases so you can communicate in certain situations.
Like needing to find a bathroom.
Bano is the word in Spanish for bathroom. And always having to use one frequently, I learned this phrase first, "Bano, por favor?¨
Unfortunately, I hadn't learned the other words that go with bano like: clogged, won’t flush, overflowing!
Thankfully, when I called housekeeping in the hotel, the woman spoke English. So when I told her that the toilet in my room was stopped-up, she said she’d send someone quickly.
And that’s when I learned that some phrases are all-lingual.
Knock Knock
“Hola. In there,” I pointed. “Bano. Clogged.”
“Mmgh.”
FLUSH
“Eeeesh!”
“Sorry.”
PLUNGE PLUNGE
“O pew!”
“So sorry. Lo siento.”
FLUSH PLUNGE! FLUSH PLUNGE!
S P L A S H!
“AYE AYE AYE!”
“So, so, lo siento!”
Cripes! I was running out of ways to say I was sorry when thankfully . . .
W H O O S H
“PHEW!”
"Gracias señor. Mucho gracias.”
“Mmgh.”
I’ve since learned that tipping handsomely is also understood in all languages.
"Gracias señora."
