Driving through Mexico to Guatemala

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Driving through Mexico to Guatemala

August 20th, 2009 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Gringo Favorite, Guatemala - Relocation | 4 Comments »

Contemplating how to get all your belongings to Guatemala? The answer might be driving them there. No, it is not the easiest, nor the safest thing to do, but it could work for you. Especially if you speak Spanish and live a little bit closer than say… Maine.

To get a car packed full of stuff into Mexico, you’ll want to take a trip to Transmigrantes Mireya, a company who arranges all the paperwork for bringing a car, loaded down with personal belongings into Mexico. This is a crazy experience in itself, as you can read from the personal travels shared by our fellow blogger at this link. You actually have to give away your title and have Read more

Buy Guatemalan Coffee Online

July 23rd, 2009 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Gringo Favorite, The Best of Guatemala | 2 Comments »

Outside of Guatemala but looking to buy some Guatemala coffee that hasn’t been processed by The Man (Starbucks)? Check out the new online shop from La Azotea.

La Azotea uses the Arabica variety of coffee, and actually reserves some of the good stuff for local and internet sales, unlike most companies which send the good stuff to their major suppliers and leave the not so tasty coffee for the local crowd. Azotea is an environmentally friendly plantation that uses an organic pest control system, if you are worried about pesticides.

La Azotea is hosting their coffee selling online endeavors through www.AroundAntigua.net. You can currently purchase ground Guatemala coffee as well as whole bean coffee. In addition, they also Read more

A Happy Life in Guatemala

July 20th, 2009 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Gringo Favorite, Guatemala - Relocation, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 3 Comments »

So, the Happy Planet Index in Guatemala has ranked us number 4 as far as the happiest places to live go. Costa Rica is ranked number 1, but I think they paid off the surveyors, and the Dominican Republic and Jamaica at spots number 2 and 3, respectively.

The HPI, or Happy Planet Index, ranking of each country is determined by the life expectancy, life satisfaction, and ecological footprint left on the country.

Life expectancy in Guatemala is where we rank lowest, with the estimate being between 60–75 years. This falls in the middling range, and is what brings our score below Costa Rica’s. (The life expectancy in Costa Rica is above 75 years.)

When it comes to life satisfaction Read more

Another Obscure(ish) Holiday

June 23rd, 2009 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Nightlife | No Comments »

In case you were wondering what all the celebrations were for last night and today: it is John the Baptist Day, which in Guatemala serves to celebrate the nativity of John the Baptist.

It’s a Christian holiday in a predominantly Christian nation, making for all sorts of celebrations, traditional dances, feasting and fireworks!

Getting Medicine in Guatemala

June 21st, 2009 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Tourist Trap, Guatemala - Travel Tips, The Best of Guatemala | 6 Comments »

Nowadays many people take prescription meds for a whole variety of reasons. So what do you do when you come to Guatemala? If you are only coming for a short trip, bring your meds with you. If you plan on living here, you may want to investigate the possibility of obtaining meds locally. Some things are more expensive, but others are actually cheaper. And, if you can go off the brand name drug and onto the Latin American version, all the better.

If you know exactly what you want, you can actually just head straight to the pharmacy and get it. That’s right, no need for an Rx or anything. Pretty crazy, right? What’s even crazier is this: if you Read more

Mayan Ruins Near Guatemala City

June 7th, 2009 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Family Friendly | No Comments »

For those passing through Guatemala, unable to get more than a day trip in from Guatemala City, check out Mixco Viejo. These Mayan ruins aren’t anywhere near the splendor you will find at Tikal or Quirigua, but they are a favored spot for day-trippers from Guatemala City.

The ruins are dated back to the 12–century and they are believed to be remains of a ceremonial site, made up of many temples and palaces. There are also several ball courts that were used to play the Mayan ballgame of pitziil, a game that is a mix of soccer and volleyball. It is found here at the ceremonial grounds because it was believed to be a link between mortals and gods and Read more

National Library in Guatemala City

June 4th, 2009 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Family Friendly | No Comments »

A cool site to visit in Guatemala City is the ultra-modern Biblioteca Nacional, on the west side of the Parque Central. The building is especially noteworthy, since its modern design starkly contrasts with the colonial architecture of the Palace and the Cathedral on the other side of teh Plaza.

The library is built on the former site of the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales on 5 Avenida 7–26 Zona 1. For more information about the National Library of Guatemala click here.

International Day of Museums

May 6th, 2009 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Family Friendly, Guatemala - Must See or Do, Guatemala - Travel Tips | No Comments »

The International Day of Museums is held all over the globe on May 18th. Guatemala has a rich history, and it is celebrated in the country’s many museums.

This list, taken from Revue Magazine, highlights some of the many museums in Guatemala City:

Artecentro Paiz:7a av. 22-01, z. 1, Plaza Carlos Mérida del Banco de Guatemala, tel: 2429-6000 ext. 5248. www.fundacionpaiz.org.gt

Casa Flavio Herrera:9a calle 8-54, z. 1, tel: 2285-1014.

Museo Numismático de Guatemala:Calle Mariscal 7-46, z. 11, Colonia Mariscal, tel: 2473-0567.

Casa Mima: 8a av. 14-12, z. 1, tel: 2253-4020.www.portalmuseosguatemala.net/m.casa.mima

Mapa en Relieve:Av. Simeón Cañas final, z. 2, Hipódromo del Norte, tel: 2285-0330. www.muniguate.com

Museo Carlos F. Novella:15 av. 18-01, z. 6, interior Read more

Facts about Guatemala City

May 1st, 2009 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Travel Tips, The Best of Guatemala | No Comments »

Did you know…

Guatemala City is the capital of Guatemala.
It is the largest city in Central America.
Guatemala City is separated into at l.east 21 different zonas.
Zona 1 is the Old City
Zonas 9 and 10 are the New City, and are very popular for tourists.
Guatemala City is surrounded on three sides by low hills and volcanic cones, which make for great day trips.
Guatemala is famous for its textiles and many are sold in the Mercado Central in Guatemala City.
Guatemala City became the country capital in 1776 after the destruction of Antigua.

The Complete Guide To Guatemala

April 29th, 2009 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Travel Tips | No Comments »

This article was published by The Independent and highlights the history, culture and nature of Guatemala. Alessia Horwich brings out the best of Guatemala for the budget traveller.

Why Guatemala?

This chunk of Central America, wedged beneath Mexico and washed by both the Atlantic and Pacific, is scenically beautiful, rich in history – and very cheap.

Guatemala is the only Central American country where indigenous Indian people are in the majority, and their culture is vividly conveyed in their bright, hand-woven textiles. Before the Spanish Conquest, the Mayan civilisation was arguably the most advanced in the Americas. It began to crumble before Columbus arrived, but bequeathed an array of exquisite cities, which are still being uncovered from within the Read more