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Guatemala

Safety

No current safety concerns.  Always try and walk in groups, especially after dark
Crime and Threats
  •  Crime, much of it violent, is a very serious and growing concern in Guatemala.
     
  •  Street crime — including petty theft, pickpocketing and mugging — is the primary
    concern for travelers.
     
  •  Armed carjackings are also a serious problem that continue to increase in urban
    areas. The surge in criminal activity has forced the government to deploy the military
    to assist the police in fighting crime.
     
  •  Foreigners have been the victims of criminal activity in most areas of Guatemala,
    including tourist areas, national parks and private residences.
     
  •  Other attacks on foreigners have taken place near the southern city of Zacapa and
    around the popular Lake Atitlan, and near the tourist village of Panajachel. The U.S.
    Embassy has repeatedly issued warnings regarding the criminal threat in the areas
    surrounding Panajachel.
     
  •  The Peten region, which is remote and has limited road networks, is considered a
    highly dangerous region of Guatemala. The area that includes the Sierra de
    Lacandon and Laguna del Tigre National Parks, located on the northwestern border
    near Mexico, is considered the most dangerous.

Safety in Guatemala
What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?

People’s Opinions

  1. Antigua is a generally safe location at this time. They do have issues with pick pocketing. Two of our women had their purses sliced open sneakily in markets and on busses, so always carry cross body purses in front of you or on your lap in crowded locations. Our host asked that women always travel in groups of 3 or more and men accompany women when possible. He also asked us to stay on our property after dark, which is a gated community. He is a very cautious host (thankfully!), and I think in larger groups we would be ok at night in Antigua, but out of respect for him and a commitment to safety, we have stuck to his rule of always being home at sunset!

  2. Always travel in groups of two or more during the day and three or more at night. When travelling in Antigua make sure you are traveling in groups of three or more during the day with at least one male and four or more at night with at least one male.

Health

CDC Travelers Health | Guatemala

Malaria

  • Areas affected: Rural areas only at altitudes below 1,500 m (4,921 ft). None in Guatemala City, Antigua, or Lake Atitlán
  • Estimated risk: Moderate
  • Recommended chemoprofylaxis: Atovaquone/ proguanil, chloroquine, doxycycline, mefloquine, or primaquine
  • Symptoms
    • Fever
    • Chills
    • Sweats
    • Headache
    • Body Aches
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Fatigue

Dengue Fever

  • Areas Affected: All of Guatemala
  • Symptoms
    • Principal
      • High fever and at least two of the following
      • Severe headache
      • Severe eye pain (behind eyes)
      • Join pain
      • Muscle and/or bone pain
      • Rash
      • Mild bleeding manifestation (e.g., nose or gum bleed, or easy bruising)
      • Low white cell count
    • Severe warning signs (IMMEDIATELY go to an emergency room if the following appear)
    • Severe abdominal pain or persistant vomiting
    • Red spots or patches on the skin
    • Bleeding from nose or gums
    • Vomiting blood
    • Black, tarry stools
    • Drowsiness or irritability
    • Pale, cold, or clammy skin
    • Difficulty breathing

Health in Guatemala
Any special health concerns?

People’s Opinions

  1. As stated above, Malaria meds are unnecessary for us as we are in Antigua and the surrounding area. Our host has been very intentional about reminding us to wear bug spray, as Dengue Fever has been going around the area. We have been diligent with our bug spray & that is highly advised!

Visa Info

U.S. State Dept Visa Info | Guatemala

Visa Info in Guatemala
Do you need one? Where did you get it? Cost? Resources/sources:

People’s Opinions

  1. US Citizens can enter Albania with no visa and can now stay for up to 12 months without a residence permit.

Currency Info

Quatemalan Quetzal. You can exchange and most banks. Get a better rate if withdrawn directly from an ATM though.

A decent exchange rate with the guys at the border between Mexico and Guatemala.
Banks in Panajachel are able to give large cash deposits with your bank card and passport. Many ATM’s do not give large amounts.

Currency Info in Guatemala
Name of currency? Where can you exchange money?

People’s Opinions

  1. When pulling out large sums of money for lodging expenses and weekly food money, we always went to a banker who didn’t charge a withdraw fee, rather than using an ATM which can have a hefty withdraw fee. Also, avoid riding chicken busses with large lump sums of money. See if your host would be willing to drive you to and from the bank if possible when large withdraws are necessary.
  2. Quetzal. There are places at the airport. but we found a better rate in the town where we had our ministry, Santa Cruz del Quiche. You can exchange at banks but you must have your passport on you. They will not accept copies.

Communication

We used Tigo.  Make sure you recharge your phone when there are “triple” days.  They give you triple the credit for the amount you spend.  Overall was very happy.  Good coverage and calls seemed to always work fine.

Communication in Guatemala
Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?

People’s Opinions

  1. We used Claro SIM cards, which are reloadable for minutes on what seems like every corner in Antigua & the surrounding areas. Be aware of how much you are paying per minute when you reload your phone- The main grocery store (La Bodegona) charges 2Q per minute, which is a rip off. Smaller tiendas charge 1-1.5Q per minute. We made the mistake of paying 2Q per minute at the grocer. Don’t do it!
  2. Claro. Sim cards were purchased at a gas station on our way to Santa Cruz. Each sim card was 15Q.

Transportation

Our entire squad was together for the month so we used a lot of local transportation. When we had to move the entire squad to different parts of Guatemala we used a guy named Walter (5342-6091). He was great and gave us really good deals. We had to have a school bus and a minibus to get the entire squad around.
How did you get to Guatemala….

International Travel
  • From Mexico:
  • From Belize:
  • From Honduras:
  • From El Salvador:
  • etc

Transportation in Guatemala
What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.

People’s Opinions

  1. http://www.ticabus.com/esp/
  2. We used the TICA bus to get our squad from country to country within Central America. Generally cost around $25 USD per person. Really nice bus, similar to a Greyhound bus in the States. Easy to work with, just be prepared with everyone’s passport info when you go to make your reservation. If you offer to pay a little extra, they can take you exactly where you need to go – instead of just dropping you off at a port in the nearest city from where you need to go. WARNING: They will try to scam you sometimes. Stick to your guns. They last minute tried to get us to pay an extra “visa fee” at the border which they made up for themselves to make more profit off of us. As logistics, we just got of the bus and took care of the visas ourselves. They also set up an additional form of transportation for our squad to get to the actual city we needed to get to, and those people tried to scam us into giving them more money. Stick to the original amount you agreed to when the reservation was made.

Culture

 
Cultural Norms and Sensitivities
  • Punctuality: Although most Guatemalans pay little attention to punctuality in daily
    living, it is expected from foreigners.
  • Greeting: Shaking hands is the customary greeting in business settings for both men and women in Guatemala (the handshake is usually less firm than in the US). Women may shake hands, alternatively patting one another on the left arm instead and air-kissing on both cheeks. In casual settings, people may greet each other with a hug and kiss, but foreigners are not expected to do this. At parties, everyone is introduced individually.
  • Eye Contact: Guatemalans often cast their eyes downward during conversation as a
    sign of respect — especially when a man is addressing a female stranger.

Culture in Guatemala
Anything Racers need to be aware/respectful of? Suggestions/Recommendations?

People’s Opinions

  1. Always attempt to learn the language. If you start a conversation in their language they will be much more willing to help you and appreciate the effort

Shipping / Mailing

DHL | Guatemala

Shipping / Mailing in Guatemala
Company used and contact info? How did you get packages to them?

Tips

People’s Opinions

  1. Comments

Additional Info

We had our squad and leadership retreat at Lake Atitlan and it was extremely beautiful and we all had a lot of fun.  Highly recommended location for retreats.

Emergency Contact Numbers
Ambulance 125/128
Fire 122/123
Police 110/120

Embassy and Consulate Information
 
United States Embassy (Guatemala City)
Emergency #: (+502) 2331-2354
Non-emergency #: (+502) 2326-4501
Email: AmCitsGuatemala@state.gov
Web: http://guatemala.usembassy.gov/
The Embassy is located at Avenida Reforma 7-01, Zone 10
 
Canadian Embassy (Guatemala City)
Emergency #: (+613) 996-8885 (Collect Call)
Non-emergency #: (+502) 2363-4348
Email: gtmla@international.gc.ca
Web: http://guatemala.gc.ca
The Embassy is located at 13 Calle 8-44 Zone 10 Edificio Edyma Plaza
 
British Embassy (Guatemala City)
Emergency #: (+502) 2380-7300
Non-emergency #: (+502) 2380-7300
Email: embassy@intelnett.com
Web: http://ukinguatemala.fco.gov.uk/en/
The Embassy is located on the 11th floor of The International Tower Building
(Edificio Torre Internacional), 16 Calle 0-55, Zone 10

Additional Info in Guatemala
Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?

People’s Opinions

  1. I’m coming for you Guatemala!