Santa Ana, Manabi Province, Ecuador – The maps and online information spell this small city’s name with two words. Last week at high noon in the very-busy city of Portoviejo when I asked directions for Santa Ana, the locals asked back, “Donde?”
I repeated as clearly as possible, “Santa. Ana.”
You won’t find Santa Ana on this tourism map…
“Arrrrrrriba Rio Portoviejo,” I described with hands and body English illustrating ‘up the Portoviejo River.’
“Oh!” one nice guard outside a bank smiled, “Santana!” and then walked me to the street, pointed left, told me to drive two blocks, take another left, then drive ‘muy largo’ —a long distance and —
A bus might have been the better choice!
I made an unspoken decision to drive that far and stop again to ask for directions.
Unable to take a left because of traffic cones and detour signs, I drove to the end, turned left, and a block later made another left turn. At the next block I turned right and drove until I reached a busy side street. One right turn and five houses later I saw a policeman. I parked, asked directions to Santa Ana and received the same baffled stare. “A donde?”
Learning quickly from my previous mistake, I shortened it to ‘Santana..’
“Oh! Santana!” he said while flattening his palm on his forehead as if to tap into his internal GPS system. He consulted his partner, who then pointed me straight ahead, said to turn left and drive until I reached the next traffic light… then a right at the next light, go until I crossed a bridge, and then something about a bus terminal…
After taking the next right and crossing a bridge that was way sooner than I expected, I rolled down my window at the next traffic light and asked the neighboring taxi for directions. He was too busy talking on his cell phone to reply…
Yes. Remember: First-time visit – Go by bus!
“Santana?” I asked while stopped at the next light; a nice driver pointed me to veer right at the next intersection and said to drive past the terminal and keep going straight.. ‘Arrrrrrrrrrrriba’ Way on down the road…
Sounded easy, ‘Grrrrrrrracias,” I smiled, rolled up the window and followed his directions.
Uh oh… those directions took me past the terminal and the popular shopping mall. I knew that the outgoing road would take me to Montechristi, not Santa Ana. I asked two pedestrians crossing at the next light. They smiled and pointed in the opposite direction!
Making a legal U-turn, and headed back in the other direction, saw two people having lunch at a sidewalk cafe. I parked, got out, said the customary, ‘Buen Provecho!” and then confessed that I was a little bit lost and trying to go to Santana.…
They smiled, pointed in the direction I was heading and said, ‘Keep going straight….”
Which is what I did for the next 30 minutes…
Since that Driving 101 lesson, I have asked many Ecuadorians, “What is the correct way to pronounce Santa Ana.” If one could hit a pause button and slow down the audio, there is probably a very subtle hiccup between the two words, but it is difficult for me to hear those nuances.
I hear, “Santana.”
“Like the musician, Carlos Santana?” I asked one person.
“Yes! Exactly!” she laughed.
Those of you who guessed, “Poza Honda” on the last post – you were right! The bird, however, was not a gallinule….
Next Lesson? Can you pronounce these words?
🙂 Z
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
No, I’m afraid I can’t, but I’ll always think of your story when I hear Santana now. 🙂 Thank you for the wonderful music! 🙂
Yes, it makes me curious about the name ‘Santana…’ Hmmmm…
Those photos in your castle post were so unique as well as stunning.
Oh thank you, how kind of you to say so! 🙂 :
I looked it up, Santana actually means: “Saintlike; Saint Anne”. It’s a unisex name, Spanish origin. 🤓😊
Wishing you a wonderful day. x
Thank you for that trivia! Our day is just starting; I hope that yours is going well!
No problem, it’s ——- ——-, did I get it right?
Loved their choice of music
Yes! Exactly! You said it just like a local would say it!
Is the bird not a Jacana? Loads of love to you!
Gold star para Cook! or would that be ‘por Cook’?????? Wattled Jacana! Lots of love to you as well!
Dear Friend, So long it has been but I do follow your posts. Santa Ana outside of Escazu is pronounced Santana also. Your story reminds me of the trips getting to Ana Calderon’s in San Antonio de Coranado – taking out a map – even at a bomb – there was a lot of head scratching. I just remember the directions – Directo, directo, directo – no such thing around that part of San Jose, too many choices. Your adventures are so LIsa! Love it and wish I was your sidekick. Anyway, top of my email list, luego.
I guess we all assume when we hear ‘Santana’ that’s how it’s spelled… and when we see it spelled, we assume it’s pronounced as two words… until we learn via experience!
Thanks, and yes, via happy spirit you’re in that copilot seat!
miss you
Rule of thumb: no Spanish speaker will ever add an extra syllable unless it is absolutely necessary. It is never absolutely necessary…😋
You are SO RIGHT!!! Thank you for that nugget of wisdom!
This amused me. As soon as I started to read, I knew it would be “Santana,” because that’s exactly how I’ve often heard the name of the famous Mexican general pronounced, even though his name is spelled slightly differently: Antonio López de Santa Anna. Many English speakers I know are quite careful to separate the words; perhaps they’re led to do so because of Santa Claus. But the last time I heard his name spoken aloud, at an old plantation where he was involved in the history, the guide referred to him again and again as “Santana.”
The directions remind me of country directions here, and all the phrases that are so important, like “go up the road a piece.” In Liberia, there always much pointing and the exhortation to “go so.” That could get ambiguous, fast.
Hey! Thanks for adding the Santa Anna-Santana trivia from your own experience. Yes, we try to speak it the way we would in English, and the best thing would be to forget everything you ever knew about English and embrace those subtle differences!
Pronunciation of places is often tricky, even among those who supposedly speak the same language. The potato tomato thing happens all over the world. I live in a suburb with Welsh names. A visiting Welshman couldn’t stop laughing when he heard me pronouncing the names of the streets in my neighborhood. By the same token if he had used the Welsh pronunciation, no one in Christchurch would have known where he wanted to go.
That is so true! I’d love to hear some of the names in your neighborhood – and hear you and your visitor’s pronunciations!
Have been keeping an eye on the quakes over there. One jolted some people into ‘cry or fight’ mode yesterday morning; about a week earlier we had a fairly strong one which scared many. That trauma is imprinted for life, isn’t it?
Sadly it is imprinted.
That made me choke back tears… you are so right…
Hugs to all of us!
What an adventure! And a lesson in how difficult it is to communicate even with those who “speak one’s own language”!!
So sorry that I missed this comment, Hugh; Yes, it’s difficult sometimes – especially when I’m tired – to even talk in English! There have been times when I was tired and trying to find the words and couldn’t – and I’d cry…. just a bit, more of a surrender – but wait, Wonder Warriors cannot surrender! I am lucky that a good night’s sleep restores the balance, and the patience…
I could give it a darn good try but might end up with a French accent! I love languages, and wish I’d had the opportunity to learn some at school. Yesterday we had coffee with German friends here on holiday (hubby speaks fluent German and I’ve picked up quite a bit – since first husband was German too!), today coffee with some of the locals – French with a dialect and too fast for me! But I do love learning 🙂
That also helps keep the brain healthy!!! That’s great that you are tapping into multi-lingual cultures!
Yes, when the locals sprint full speed in their native language, wow… sometimes it makes me a bit dizzy if I’m tired!
Goes right over my head! But I have some wonderful relationships with some of the old boys here – with virtually no conversation. Sometimes so much can be said without words! 😘
yes.. and the longer one is immersed in the culture, the easier it is to pick up those body English communications!
Eye contact, big smiles, and kisses on cheeks, what more do you need! 😘
Santana. We are going to a Santana concert tomorrow night. The Mn Twins baseball team’ had two great pitchers, both with the last name of Santana. One of Mexico’s dictators was Santa Ana. Can’t imagine what language will be like if texting continues and if people keep stringing several capital letters together to express what they are thinking.
hey! Wow, how great to be attending a Santana concert! you’ll surely enjoy every second!
You are so right, the way texting has created its own form of shorthand. We’re on a fast-track of evolution in some ways, though i’m not sure how many of those ‘tweaks’ are for the best.
Enjoy that very-special concert!
Re: the comment about not adding an extra syllable if they don’t have to, it’s tough to non-native ears when they drop syllables for fun such as the end of words. That takes some getting used to. But then again, you just have to listen to all the different regional accents in England. We shouldn’t complain.
Yes, you are right, and every culture has invented shortcuts to language. “It’s tough to non-native ears…” so true! Thanks for your first-hand feedback on the sometimes confusing art of second language.
I’ve found that many of my musician friends seemed to grasp Spanish much faster than others…. need to do more research!
So funny, Santa Ana vs. Santana. I too thought of Carlos Santana. I could take a stab at that sign at the end, but….