Loud and Proud

The nature of our journey thus far keeps us well clear of tourists and other more casual travelers. We, in fact, went well over a week without even seeing a fellow dirty, sandal wearing, unshaven, water pumping backpacker. We've really been out there. By there I mean middle of nowhere. Due to a slight issue with the authorities in Agadez (the unofficial capital of nowhere), we were forced to alter our plans somewhat to modify our entry point into Algeria. Our route brought us into brief contact with tourists along the way, and a few things really caught my attention:

1. People in French speaking countries generally speak French. While this is not ABSOLUTELY true, it is a good place to start.

2. Speaking more loudly in a language your hearer does not understand is not an effective communication tool.

3. Even courteous language such as 'thank you very much', or 'yes, please' sounds abusive when yelled into the face of a non-English speaker.

4. The elaboration of any crucial point in English to a non-English speaker may add to the confusion. This is only because they speak a different language (See #1). Loud elaboration does not help (See #2).

5. The assumption that everyone on the face of the Earth speaks English is incorrect. Some people speak Spanish too.

I really hope this helps somebody out there. After the lady I was watching finished yelling at the immigration officer, she walked my way to yell something at me. I just smiled and replied in French that I don't speak Spanish.