On Monday May 31st, 2010 a giant sinkhole swallowed up almost an entire intersection, a house and a three story building. The hole seems bottomless at an estimated depth of 30 stories. Pictures of the event seem fake but the disaster is all too real in Zona 2 of Guatemala City. One man was reported missing, it’s believed that he was on the phone when the sinkhole opened up. The sinkhole itself claimed no other victims but certainly contributed to the tragedy that struck Guatemala as storm Agatha claimed lives.
In the aftermath it was unclear what caused the giant sinkhole to open. In 2007 a similar sinkhole opened in a different area. It is believed that a ruptured Read more
Although I personally don’t feel like there is much to worry about with this whole swine flu virus thing, I suppose staying informed is the best way to protect yourself. By now we should all know that those silly masks don’t actually do anything, but we should all be careful with washing our hands well and with soap (something not readily found in most public bathrooms in Guatemala… bring your own little bottle of hand sanitizer.
If you are curious to know what the current status of swine flu is in Guatemala, then click this link.
There are currently 286 confirmed cases in Guatemala and 2 deaths.
The Guatemalan visa system is pretty simple if all you want to do is come here on vacation: tourists are given a 90 day tourist visa, which generally covers even extended vacations. If you want to stay longer than that you have a couple options.
Your first option is to renew your tourist visa. The visa can be renewed once in the capital before you actually have to leave the country. Once you leave the country, you are again granted a 90 day visa that can be renewed once before having to leave again. So, basically about every 90 days you have to hike back to the States or up to Mexico (El Salvador doesn’t count as leaving the country, Read more
We interrupt this tour of Guatemala City to share with you an important update from the Guatemala Gringo and his other Gringo affiliate sites (see the blogroll)…
The Gringo has worked to create a system that puts readers in touch with valuable people in Guatemala and other Latin American countries. If you need an English speaking driver, real estate information, legal services and so on, all you need to do is this:
With nearly 90% of work completed in early stages, this colonial style Hotel & Spa located on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala is looking for investors.
The Hotel & Spa are designed to meet the growing needs of European tourists in Guatemala, particularly in the area of Las Conchas on the Pacific Coast.
Of those who actually chose between McCain and Obama, 27% supported Obama, while only 11% preferred McCain. Those results are consistent with the rest of the world, as Obama is preferred around the world by a ratio of nearly 4–1.
From May to September 2008 Gallup Polls conducted surveys in 70 countries to see who the world preferred to see elected into the Presidential office in the United States.
The remainder of Guatemalans, a whopping 63% weren’t sure which President would be the better choice as far as their country is concerned.
At this point, Guatemalan isn’t even sure if this election has any bearing on their country. In a nearly evenly divided Read more
Purchasing real estate in Guatemala can be a profitable venture, as has already been discussed on this blog. The process is not complicated, and in comparison to other countries, Guatemala has a number of appealing factors that set it apart from the rest. It enjoys relative stability and is close and well connected with the United States, making it appealing to North Americans. But how is the Guatemala economy being affected by the United States recession and the looming world recession?
Guatemala has Central America’s largest economy, being the largest and most populous country in Central America, and represents a growing market. In 1996 36 years of civil war ended, and since then Guatemala has been taking important Read more
Reports are coming in regarding how the heavy rain and flooding have affected Guatemala, and for the moment things do not look good. At least 900 people have been displaced in the coastal regions of southeast Guatemala.
A report from Guatemala City states that some 180 families have been moved into temporary shelters, where volunteers are working to provide water, food and medical treatment when necessary.
The first flooding was caused when Los Esclavos river in southern Guatemala flooded the Playa area in the province of Chiquimula. Since that first flooding, the Guacalate and El Naranjo rivers have also flooded three areas of the province of Escuintla.
It is most definitely an intriguing read that analyzes how foreigners have influenced the community in Panajachel, Guatemala.
The article reads, in part:
What is significant here is the relationship between a largely international, western community and a strong, local culture of indigenous people. What is the impact of one on the other? When looking at this community, it is amazing to walk down the street seeing a man dressed in traje carrying a large load of firewood. The firewood is bound by a strap on his back. Another strap, called a mecapal, runs Read more
Guatemala’s weekly English newspaper, The Guatemala Post, is a member of the World News Network. The post scours the world’s newspapers to find articles in connection with the small Central American country and compiles them into one online newspaper.
The Guatemala Post deals with anything and everything Guatemala and the style of reporting varies greatly due to the multiple article sources. This serves to balance out the Post and ensures an assortment of articles that appeal to a wide audience.
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