Caray, Caray!

I've used my Spanish successfully in Mexico and in Spain.

I had some difficulty understanding people in Spain, but I noticed that, with only two weeks there, my comprehension of their accents improved.

I was told in Spain that I had a "neutral" accent. I was complimented on my Spanish in Spain but, of course, they knew by my pronunciation that I was not a Spaniard. I had lots of fun talking with staff at hotels. In one case I arrived without a reservation in Granada at the hotel the guidebook recommended as "good value". The desk clerk spent about an hour trying to find me a room on the internet. There was some sort of European nutrition conference there of which I was completely unaware. I ended up staying in that very hotel. The guy was such a "good buddy" that he didn't want to suggest a double room to me. They were out of singles. When I finally realized I could stay right there by paying for a double, I went for it.

But he didn't speak a word of English, so the whole hour's worth of negotiations was in Spanish.

In Mexico, it was very easy. All my teachers: beginning, intermediate, and advanced have been from Mexico. I also work with people from Mexico. So that speech is perfectly understood by me, and they understand me as well.
 

Didn't answer the whole question. Spain, by far, exceeded my expectations. I visited Madrid, Córdoba, Sevilla, Granada and Barcelona. I traveled by train between cities on a Spanish rail pass.

The Alhambra in Granada was amazing. I also loved visiting the cathedral in Sevilla.

And La Mezquita in Córdoba is a magical place: a 7th to 15th century mosque that has a cathedral inside created after the Spanish Reconquista of Moorish Spain.

My favorite place in Mexico was Zacatecas. The town is not flooded with tourists, is a university town, and just a beautiful place.
 

I went to Mexico, to Guadalajara, not too long after watching Tontas, which was filmed there. Overall the place matched the scenery on the show, and I recognized a few places from on-location scenes. My Spanish was not very good then. I would try to speak to people in Spanish, and they would hear my accent and probably terrible grammar and just start speaking to me in English instead, a lot of times, especially in places like the airport and hotels where they are used to dealing with people who don't speak Spanish well. I had more luck striking up conversations in Spanish just sitting on a bench in a plaza and stuff like that. Sometimes with people who wanted to practice their English on me, so a fair trade.

It failed to live up to telenovela expectations in that no handsome strangers met me in a cute way and then we fell in love :). But on the other hand, I didn't witness any murders and no cads tried to woo me for the purpose of taking all my money or making someone else jealous, so I guess I don't mind living in my non-telenovela world.

Last year I went to Argentina for a few weeks. I don't think I've watched any shows set there except a few scenes of AV. Loved it, though. By then my Spanish was much better and I was able to converse with people in Spanish a lot even though the dialect is a lot different from Mexico.
 

Ooh, I am enjoying Novelera's comments so much. I realize, I am vicariously traveling. And, I am thinking that my remedial Spanish abilities mean I should only go to Mexico. I have always wanted to go to Spain, though and see Toledo.

 

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I have been to Andalusia, Spain. Believe it or not watching 6 months of La Reina del Sur got me used to the accent. I am a native French speaker so I am used to gender. I love Sevilla, Cordoba and Malaga. It exceeded my expectations. I've been to Mexico, Cancun, and true no beautiful European looking galans around. Loved the food in both places. My Spanish was understood so passable.
 

Love this topic;
When I first went to Mexico we just drove into Baja California to the small towns near TJ and I don't remember speaking much Spanish.
Since those days long ago, I have been to Puerto Vallarta a few times and, the Yucatan a couple of times and enjoyed seeing Merida in the scenes of Abismo de Passion. Loved the Mayan ruins, and the beauty of Tulum. Everyone was so gracious when I was trying out my Spainish and it was really amusing to have everyone trying to sell me a Hammock made by their supposed cousins in the Selva.
Mexico City was facinating and nearly all my experiences were wonderful. Had the most wonderful taxi driver that was a great historian as well. We spoke in English and Spanish, he helping me with gentle corrections to my horrible grammer.
The opportuniy to visit Spain a few times has been wonderful. Madrid, Barcelona, Toledo, Segovia, Granada, Sevilla, Cordoba, Andalusians towns,, San Sebastian, Salamanca (looking for the frog on the doors of the university). Bilbao. Driving through the Pyrenees to France, that was scary.
Near the border of Portugal in Extramadura in the town of Trujillo which seemed to be the town from where most of the conquistadores launched their exploits and Merida w/fabulous Roman ruins.
Driving around the Spain is mostly easy, except downtown Madrid. So much history and I find people speak very distinctly and clearly and are very patient with non native, not so fluent speakers.
I don't think I have seen any novelas set in any part of Puerto Rico which I enjoyed and love the food.
Chile, mostly Santiago de Chile, Val Paraiso and Buenos Aires en Argentina.
Hard to understand the South Americans for me and however peooole appreciate that you are trying.
I found the Spainish and Argentinian men to be muy guapo. The Mexican men most flirtatious in an obvious way.
Anyway I have loved all the places, the people and oh the food in Spain especially in the Basque country, fabulous. The empanadas in Chile and Argentina and if you are a carnivore uou would be in heaven in both countries.
I was a complete failure at Tango in Argentina.
I have been watching La Promesa and like the shots of Toledo that are flashed on the screen.
Long winded, sorry.
bmc

I especially loved the Museo Archeological and the Frida Kahlo house, and so much more.
 

Whoops a rogue sentence, That belonged in the Mex City comments, Museo Arch and Frida house.
bmc
 

I love traveling in Spanish speaking countries, because I always find that people are pleased that a visitor can, or attempts to speak the language. I've been to Mexico City and the surrounding more rural areas a few times to visit friends. I got to experience D.F. fun nightlife and its fun bohemian neighborhoods. It's a city where there is always something going on and something to do. I love it. I did not run into any fresa or mireys. :) I find Mexican Spanish very easy to understand, even the D.F. Spanish. The tns have given me a long list of places in Mexico I want to visit.

I haven't been to Spain in a long time, but had a blast in Madrid and Barcelona. I didn't find the Spanish as friendly as Latin Americans, but when I initiated conversation they were lovely. It took a bit longer for my ear to adjust to the accents.

I've spent quite a bit of time in Colombia (and Ecuador and Venezuela). I like the more sing-songy Spanish there. I always find myself falling into mimicking the tone. The men are very forward, like in Mexico, but I find that the Mexican men have more of a sense of humor while they make their wolf calls and comments. The South American and Andean countries are amazingly beautiful.

I don't thinks we've seen a Central American tn on any of the channels, but I enjoyed spending a month in Costa Rica refreshing my Spanish some years back. But really, the most interesting thing I found about the country was their early use of eco-tourism, and the history of Jamaican immigrants. The Spanish was very easy to understand, but they are so used to tourist being all over the place that I didn't find them particularly open and friendly-- not as much as in other LatAm countries I had visited.

I could not speak the language in Brazil, but got by understanding enough to get the gist of things. I only got to go to Rio and I was there for work, so I feel like I HAVE to go back one day to immerse in the culture, especially now that I have seen a number of Brazilian tns.
 

VIVI enjoyed your comments. would like to go to more South American countries, what was your favorite. Yes the Spanish come off quite stern initially, however, when I slipped and fell in the Park Guell in Barcelona, looked worse than it was, a woman jogger offered to carry me down the hill to a clinic. I refused nicely of course. I was travelling with a very good friend and she certainly did not offer to carry me, or even act as my crutch (LOL). Back at the hotel, the staff spent at least an hour cleaning and dressing my wounds, they insisted and would not let me retire to my room until they felt I was ok. My friend had run off to a romantic liason. By the way it was not a fancy hotel, nice, maybe a 1 star. This was a while ago and I found that at that time few people, even in the hotels spoke English and though my Spanish was more limited then, I got by and of course if you try your Spanish gets better and comprehension increases everyday.
bmc
 

Bonelz- I lived in Ecuador for 7 months, so it will always hold a special place in my heart. But Colombia is a very fun place, Cartagena especially.
 

I've spent a lot of time in Mexico and have been to most of the highlights and quite a few of the backwaters - everywhere from Juarez to Chetuamal, from Colima to Cozumel, from Chiapas to driving the length of the Baja. I've also driven the length of the the Michoacan coast and even some places in the interior (that aren't really recommended for travel), and stayed long term in Guadalajara and Queretaro. I've also spent some time in DF, been to tons of Mayan ruins and quite a few of those of other pre-Hispanic cultures, one of the butterfly sanctuaries, a bunch of the Pueblos Magicos, Zacatecas, Oaxaca, Guanajuato, Puebla, Aguas Calientes, Torrean, Urapan, Nayarit, Sinoloa, you name it. Usually when I tell Mexicans where I've been, they say I've traveled their country way more than they have - and usually I haven't even finished the list.

Since I've done this over many years, my Spanish has come and gone several times over, but I do know that watching novelas has helped me immensely to learn Spanish and keep it fresh in my mind.

I've also been to a number of other Spanish speaking countries, but for me, nothing beats Mexico. I just love that place. I don't think I've ever seen a TN that wasn't Mexican. It's hard for me to imagine what it would be like to watch a TN and not know the place and the culture first hand, but just through television.

Sometimes I spot places in a TN that I recognize and that is always fun. QBA was great for that since it really featured the street life, monuments, and tourist attractions of Mexico City. I saw the hotel I stayed in several times. And last year I was in Chiapas and was in the exact places were some scenes for both Amor Bravio and LQNPA were filmed, so that was very fun.
 

Loved reading all comments. Vivi I have been thinking about Columbia and especially Cartagena. Also intrigued by Ecuador, Thanks for the info.
Bmc