The Guatemala Gringo

Residency in Guatemala

August 5th, 2008 | Guatemala - Relocation, Guatemala - Travel Tips | No Comments »

Relocation to Guatemala can be done in a number of ways. If you only plan to spend the winter months in Guatemala, then you can probably do so with a simple tourist visa. Upon entrance to Guatemala you are given a 90 day tourist visa, which can be renewed once, for a total period of 180 days.

For those who are looking at doing business in Guatemala, or living there year round, it is much more practical to get some form of residency. Temporary residence is offered for one year and is renewable, while permanent residence covers five years and is renewable. Any offshore income is not taxed by Guatemala, so getting your residency doesn’t have any Read more

Quality Assistance for Managing your Life

July 31st, 2008 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - Gringo Favorite, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 1 Comment »

Sometimes the best investment you can make is a good personal assistant, especially if you are just getting started with your life in Guatemala. It is important to find someone who is reputable, understands your needs, and gets the job done. While some luck out and find a good assistant with your first taxi driver that usually isn’t the way it works, and even then taxi drivers turned assistants aren’t always trained in a variety of services.

Companies like Mayordomo Fiel have earned the respect of Guatemalans and foreigners alike for the personal attention they give on a professional level. They are event planners, grocery shoppers, errand runners, personal calendars, researchers, caretakers, translators and much more. Moral Read more

Piping Hot Chocolate

July 28th, 2008 | Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Places to Eat | 2 Comments »

You might be surprised to learn this, but some of the best chocolate in the world comes from Guatemala, a fact that makes this Gringo love the country even more. Known for its production of chocolate is the city of Mixco. The chocolate made here is commonly used for as drinking chocolate, or hot chocolate, a tradition in Guatemala.

To make the chocolate, first the seeds are taken from the pod and set to dry in the sun on a piece of linen cloth or zinc laminate. Next they are placed in a clay oven where they are toasted until golden. After they cool they are ground up, traditionally with a mortar and passel.

From Read more

The Best Hotel on Lake Atitlan

July 22nd, 2008 | Guatemala - Adventure, Guatemala - Places to Eat, Guatemala - Places to Stay | No Comments »

Hotel Chi-yá sits overlooking the majestic Lake Atitlan in the highlands of Guatemala. The Hotel boasts 4 private bungalows and 5 rooms available for rent at the best rates you will find in San Juan La Laguna. Double occupancy in a bungalow is just US $12.00 per person per night, while 4 people lower the price to only US $9.00. Rooms run at the same rate.

Hotel Chi-yá has the most incredible of backyards, and encourages its guest to explore it. Free services provided by the hotel include swimming, rock diving, canoeing, table tennis and volleyball. You can also enjoy windsurfing, horseback riding, paragliding, kayaking, scuba diving, fishing, and more, all at a reasonable price. Read more

One of the better travel tools on the Web!

July 21st, 2008 | Guatemala - Travel Tips, The Best of Guatemala | No Comments »

Interesting Ebook – Learn to Fly for Free

July 19th, 2008 | Guatemala - Travel Tips | No Comments »

Travel Agent tells his secrets

I’ve been beating the airlines at their own game for more than 10 years, flying almost free 98% of the time.You can use the same strategy that I’ve used to get 63 free airline tickets over the last 10 years.

Even though the price of airline tickets have gone out of site because of skyrocketing fuel prices and increased costs of airport security, there’s still a way you can beat the system’s high prices.

David Tinney, Travel Agency owner, Author & International Speaker My name is David Tinney and I own a travel agency in the midwest United States. Our specialty is selling discount international airline tickets. I’ve written a guide that shows how Read more

Go Guatemala – You Won't be Disappointed

July 18th, 2008 | Guatemala - Adventure, Guatemala - Culture, Guatemala - Must See or Do, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 1 Comment »

Guatemala has an appealing mix of landscapes and cultures, attracting visitors of all kinds. The northern lowlands are home to a lush tropical rainforest, where the most amazing Mayan archaeological sites are found, including the famous Tikal. The pine forested highlands are home to traditional Mayan communities that still cling to their indigenous roots.

As far as its major city goes, Guatemala City is the political heart and capital city of the country. However, it is not as attractive as Antigua Guatemala, which is the former capital of the country. Antigua Guatemala is one of the most popular places to visit, with its old colonial buildings being surrounded by awesome volcanoes that are perfect for hiking and Read more

Try Some Guatemalan Home Cookin'!

July 14th, 2008 | Guatemala - Places to Eat | No Comments »

Nowadays you can get practically any type of dish while visiting Guatemala. There are all different kinds of restaurants serving everything from French baguettes to sushi! There are also a good number of fast food restaurants. While you may be drawn to the familiar, the Guatemala Gringo urges you to widen out and try a few traditional Guatemalan dishes.

One national specialty includes Kac lc, a soup that is made from turkey and seasoned with an herb from Alta Verapaz called samat. A more familiar, and yet typical Guatemalan dish is guacamole. Believe me; it tastes different from the guac you get at the Mexican restaurant around the corner. Flan is a typical dessert of Read more

A Great Guatemalan Gringo

July 12th, 2008 | Guatemala - Gringo Favorite, Guatemala - Gringo Owned Business, Guatemala - Places to Eat | No Comments »

Avenida Sur has recently been the subject of a very interesting makeover, with John Rexer applying all the finishing touches. He started several years back with Café No Sé , the choice hangout for surfers, hippies, backpackers, and other random expats and visitors looking for something a little off beat in the city of La Antigua. The café was a smash hit and inspired John to expand his hippie style to the rest of the block.

One of the greatest new additions to the block is Café “Y tu Piña También.” The fact that it has Wi-Fi and fantastic coffee would be enough, but add to it English muffins, bagels, and cookies of all sorts, Read more

The Most Dangerous of Parasites

June 28th, 2008 | Guatemala - Tourist Trap, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 1 Comment »

When visiting any foreign you have to take precautions against parasites, and traveling to Guatemala is no different. However there are some parasites that no amount of medication can guard against; the human variety. They can be found at all the popular tourist attractions, speak English, as well as German, Italian and French, and are quite friendly. It is important to remember that no matter how harmless they seem their goal is to suck the money right out of your wallet.

These human parasites are easily identifiable; they wear an official looking laminated ID badge around their neck, and are always quick to ask if you need assistance or offer some helpful advice. Make sure Read more

Residency in Guatemala

Quality Assistance for Managing your Life

Piping Hot Chocolate

The Best Hotel on Lake Atitlan

One of the better travel tools on the Web!

Interesting Ebook – Learn to Fly for Free

Go Guatemala – You Won't be Disappointed

Try Some Guatemalan Home Cookin'!

A Great Guatemalan Gringo

The Most Dangerous of Parasites

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