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Summer Postcards 2011

Lost in Transliteration

By Jorge A. Araya

- Bar Fory Fay is a local hotspot in the Costa Rican town of San Ramón. Famous among the locals for its good food and low prices, Bar Fory Fay—or Bar 45, as it’s known in proper English—is so popular that it has become a chain in the region. By Jorge A. Araya

- Fory Fay’s menu offers appealing dishes such as ‘Tenderloin Butterfly’” and “Chicken Gordon Blu.” For dessert, the “Peach Mush’” provides a tempting option. Mistranslations and misspellings aside, the food lives up to its reputation. By Jorge A. Araya

- Those in need of a makeover while in Escazú, a posh suburb of the capital San José, can drop into this beauty salon. Glamour offers some unique highlights. By Jorge A. Araya

- Free beer and hand jobs? No way. The sign stood in front of a small surf stand run by a pretty young American girl at Esterillos beach, so the words probably weren’t a mistranslation from Spanish. Thinking “hand job” might be an innocent piece of surfer slang (wax job?), the photographer conducted a quick Internet search to follow up on the notion. Said search proved to be fruitless and rather lewd. By Jorge A. Araya

- A sign near the public bathroom at the top of the Irazú volcano informs visitors of their surroundings. By Jorge A. Araya

In Costa Rica, clumsy translations raise eyebrows and encourage giggles.

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