Chichi or Solola. Everyone’s got a different opinion and you may be reading mixed reviews wondering what is the best use of your time. Let’s talk frankly one gringo to another. The truth is that it depends on what kind of experience you are looking for. Each market has its merits as well as drawbacks.
Chichicastenango market is huge and full of locals and tourists. Over the years this market has become more and more touristy all the while hanging on to Mayan tradition. Allow me to explain. Walking around in the market you will see people dressed in their typical traje selling the traditional hand-crafted clothing and purses, wood-carved masks and decorations, incense and candles amongst the usual touristy Read more
Lake Atitlan should be amongst the wonders of the modern world. The pristine volcanic lake is the deepest in Central America and renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Surrounded by Atitlan, San Pedro and Toliman volcanoes, this lake is a truly unique site. Toliman and Atitlan are still active, although its been several hundred years since either has erupted.
The lake is also surrounded by many Mayan populations, most of them isolated. Reachable only by boat. Most Mayan inhabitants in the area belong to either the Tz’utujil and Kaqchikel peoples. These are ancient civilizations that have kept their language and culture alive throughout the past centuries. Though remote and secluded the natural and cultural Read more
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.)
Tourism may be down around the world, and although some businesses in Guatemala are suffering, the outlook isn’t as dim here as it is in other Central and South American countries. Why? Well, Guatemala is seen as a cheaper option for vacation than the ever popular Costa Rica and Panama. And to be honest, Guatemala is less expensive.
Nowadays, flights to Central American countries from the United States all hover at about the same price, so picking your destination, if guided by your budget, may mean choosing a country that has cheaper accomodations and activities. (For a search of international flights, try www.kayak.com.)
Guatemala not only offers high quality tourism, it does so at better prices. There are the 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.
You may scoff at the idea of eating at McDonald’s, but in Guatemala it is considered a somewhat fancy place to grab a bite to eat. And, while the double cheeseburger doesn’t taste quite like it does back home, you’ll still get exactly what you are expecting when you unwrap the sandwich.
Of all the McDonald’s I’ve seen, the one in La Antigua Guatemala is one of the fanciest. It started out as a smaller McCafé, but has been transformed into a fancy, comfortable, almost coffee house style restaurant where you can eat dessert, drink coffee, and of course, scarf down a burger and fries.
From your chair lounging beside the impressive garden you can see the Volcan de Agua, and Read more
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
Nowadays many people prefer to carry cards over cash, but in Guatemala, it just doesn’t work that way. Very few establishments accept cards, and those that do charge a high fee for the card processing, anywhere from 5% – 20%, with the average being 15%. Most places don’t mention the fee beforehand, if at all, you will just see it on your receipt.
If you are only here for a few days, using a card in some places may work for you, but if you live here, it isn’t the best option. Those fees add up! In addition, it is only the major stores, tourist places, and a few random establishments that accept cards at this point, making it inconvenient if you Read more
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
Being in the relocation business to Central and South American countries, and traveling between them often, I know the stigma that comes with Guatemala. However, the county has so much more to offer than most people are aware of. The 36 year civil war ended in 1996, and things have stabilized politically, laws dealing with real estate are being modernized and land property databases actually exisit for some regions.
So what’s the deal with Guatemala? Well, it is the largest and most populous of all the Central American countries and has a gross domestic product per capita equal to about half of Argentina’s. The main exports include coffee, sugar and bananas, and the agricultural sector makes up most of the Read more
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