Just to echo the previous post ......

What seems to prevail in this thread are two seperate issues that sometimes seem to be blurred into over simplified responses.

The main question that seems to be posed is what's the minimum effort I need to make in order to get by and survive - and that crisp question will receive some replies based on personal experiences.

But what some of us are trying to sell - is what mimimum incremental effort could you make in order to get more out of the visit and be seen by the people living in the host country you are visiting as being cultured, sensitive and well mannered and worthy therefore of more effort and engagement in return.

It's an error to think that "getting by" is the same as "getting the most" out of a visit.