The Guatemala Gringo

Swine Flu – H1N1 in Guatemala

July 9th, 2009 | Guatemala - News, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 1 Comment »

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.

Eat at Mickey D's… in Antigua!

June 30th, 2009 | Guatemala - Family Friendly, Guatemala - Gringo Favorite, Guatemala - Places to Stay, Guatemala - Travel Tips | No Comments »

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, Read more

Visas and Staying Legal in Guatemala

June 29th, 2009 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - News, Guatemala - Relocation, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 4 Comments »

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 Read more

Using the ATM machine and Credit Cards

June 25th, 2009 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - Tourist Trap, Guatemala - Travel Tips | 1 Comment »

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 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 Read more

Internet Service in Guatemala

June 18th, 2009 | Guatemala - Business, Guatemala - Relocation | No Comments »

As far as internet service goes in Guatemala the most popular choice is Telgua. It is the largest telecommunications provider in the country, and although there are plenty of other options out there, Telgua seems to dominate the market.

Telgua offers a package that includes phone, TV, and internet for $60 a month. The TV plan is digital and includes 200 channels, the digitial phone line has unlimited calls to other Telgua customers, as well as Claro lines. The internet speed is about 1MB down and 500K up, as done by a speed test. (I am not sure what the technical up/down are on the package, but those are the average speeds you will be receiving.

One Read more

Father's Day in Guatemala

June 16th, 2009 | The Best of Guatemala | No Comments »

It’s June 17th and in Guatemala that means it is Father’s Day!

Father’s Day in Guatemala, unlike in many other countries, is held on the same day every year.

If you have a Father in Guatemala and want to show him that you care, then click on this link to send him a gift.

You can send gifts to Guatemala easily through www.streetdirectory.com/florist/guatemala. They are open 24 hours a day, and are running a Father’s Day special right now.

You can also call +65 64791033 for more information or help.

Real Estate, Political Stability and Relocation to Guatemala

June 15th, 2009 | Guatemala - Relocation, Guatemala - Travel Tips | No Comments »

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 Read more

Enjoy the Lakes in Petén

June 11th, 2009 | Guatemala - Adventure, Guatemala - Family Friendly, Guatemala - Must See or Do, The Best of Guatemala | No Comments »

If you are looking for a little adventure and fun for the whole family in Guatemala, then head to the Petén region.

The Petén region is famous for its many lakes, each with a different composition, which causes them to vary in color and transparency. The Petén region is part of an incredible rainforst, and the lakes are the perfect place to cool off and enjoy the view.

As you would expect in the rainforest, the birdwatching is particularly excellent, and with the many lakes canoeing is a very popular things to do in Petén.

The area of Petén spans almost the whole northen section of Guatemala. It is a “Protected Area” thanks to its abundant rainforest vegetation and animal Read more

Swine Flu – H1N1 in Guatemala

Eat at Mickey D's… in Antigua!

Visas and Staying Legal in Guatemala

Using the ATM machine and Credit Cards

Another Obscure(ish) Holiday

Getting Medicine in Guatemala

Internet Service in Guatemala

Father's Day in Guatemala

Real Estate, Political Stability and Relocation to Guatemala

Enjoy the Lakes in Petén

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