GUATEMALA PRACTICALITIES

Facts and Figures

Guatemala has the largest population of the Central American countries and retains strong Indian influence throughout. It borders Belize, Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador.

Area: 108,889 sq. km (42,042 sq. miles)

Population: (1995) 10,621,000

Pop’n density: 97.5 per sq. km

Capital: Guatemala City

Passport/Visa requirements

Passport valid for six months beyond intended stay. Return ticket required. British nationals visiting as tourists do not require a visa for stays up to 90 days (tourist card issued on arrival). Other passport holders should contact the Trips office for information.

Geography

Guatemala has a variety of landscapes that you would expect to find in a whole continent. Two-thirds is mountainous with the impressive Western Highlands rising to over 3000 metres. They are dotted with volcanoes and high intermont basins, the most spectacular of which is that containing Lake Atitlan. A narrow, lowland plain stretches up the Pacific Coast. In the north-west, lies the low tablelands of El Peten, much of which is covered with tropical rain forest. However, an increase in logging continues to threaten the forests survival (over 40% has been lost since the early 1970’s). It is in El Peten that Guatemala’s best Mayan ruins can be found, with new sites being uncovered on a regular basis. In the east, there is a short stretch of Caribbean coastline bordered by flatlands.

Climate

Guatemala is known as, “The land of eternal spring”. Temperatures are mild and vary little during the year. Average High of 77F and Low of 55F.  October to May is the dry season. Rainy season is May to November but this doesn’t affect all areas and more often means sunny mornings with rain beginning around 4pm. The climate also varies according to altitude. Temperatures fall sharply at night in the highlands.

Language

Spanish is the official language but over 20 distinct indigenous languages are spoken, mainly in the Indian heartland’s. In many remote Indian villages Spanish is very much the second language and some elders do not speak it all.

Money

Currency is the Quetzal (Q), and is quite stable against the dollar, around Q8.15 to US$1 (MAY 2003). Do not accept torn notes. Dollars are accepted and changed in all banks. Most major credit cards are accepted by hotels and some shops although a surcharge of up to 7% can often be added. Traveller’s cheques can be exchanged at most banks and are accepted in the larger establishments. We recommend travellers to bring dollars in cash, some traveller’s cheques (Visa or Amex) and a credit or bank card that can be used to withdraw extra money in an emergency. Visa is more widely accepted than MasterCard. You need your actual Passport with you to cash traveller’s cheques and to take money out from the bank on Visa. Many cash machines in Antigua, the Capital and Flores can give you cash on a VISA, MASTERCARD, PLUS, CIRRUS cards. Cost of living is low, though the increase in foreign tourism has led to price rises in popular areas. In remote areas, it is a budget travellers dream.

Religion

60% are Roman Catholic (though much of this is Maya pagan worship), 30% are protestant, mostly affiliated with the evangelical churches.

Time

GMT -6 hours

Electricity

110/220 volts AC, 60 HZ. American style two pin plugs.

Brief History

Early history does not fit into the relatively modern borders of Guatemala, as the region was a part of the huge Mesoamerica area (from north-central Mexico to Panama) that has a history so eventful that several volumes would barely do justice to it. The following can only be described as a taster and more detailed information should be sought from the books listed at the start of this booklet.

The first recognisable culture to settle in the area was the Clovis around 10,000BC who occupied parts of the Western Highlands. By 2000BC there were signs of what archaeologists deem the Pre-Classic Maya settling and using common agricultural methods and making pottery. However it wasn’t until the Late PreClassic (300BC - 300AD) that there was a significant increase in the speed of developments. Large pyramids were built at El Mirador, Tikal and Rio Azul by groups who, were until recently believed to be peaceful farmers inspired by star gazing priests, but are now known to have been bloodthirsty, warring rivals. Despite their rivalry, mutual trade was important and evidence of lengthy trading routes between the Mesoamerican cultures has been discovered. Much debate continues to rage over what ignited this growth, with some archaeologists believing that foreign people came from across the Pacific (maybe from the fabled city of Atlantis) or even from Africa. There are strong Negroid features in the huge stone faces carved by the Olmec civilisation of Mexico, but no conclusive proof that there were links between the continents.

Whatever the cause, the Maya civilisation boomed from 300-900AD. An incredible calendar, called the Long Count, was developed which allowed them to record history over a period of 5128 years. We are currently nearing the end of a Long Count period on December 10th 2010 with resultant speculation on the meaning of these enormous cycles of time. A form of glyph writing was in common use and many of these stone carved images are still intact at many of the Mayan ruins. Powerful dynasties controlled the various city states and the influence of the Olmecs over

Mesoamerica was replaced with that of the awesome Teotihuacan civilisation in central Mexico. Definite evidence exists of Tikal trading goods and swapping warring techniques with this new power. Elaborate building projects were undertaken at all Maya sites, including Tikal, Copan and Sayaxche.

This glorious period suffered a hiccup from the middle of the sixth century. Teotihuacan mysteriously faded away, Caracol defeated Tikal and building work stopped. However, the Maya cities readjusted to their new freedom from the Teotihuacanos and flourished a s never before into the Late Classic period. Prosperity and grandeur were the order of the day centres reaching new heights of sophistication in art, architecture and astronomy. Then, almost as quickly as it had grown, the Maya system mysteriously disintegrated. Many theories have been put forward, including overuse of resources and an increase in sun-spots reducing fertility. The truth  may never be known, but it is certain that wars became more frequent, trading links fractured and building and historical recording work ceased.

A few centres in the Yucatan continued to thrive for another century or so, but the whole region slumped into a dispersed number of feuding groups, with no-one group holding sway. When the small Spanish conquest force arrived in 1523, under the command of the sinister Pedro de Alvarado, the sporadic resistance they met, mainly from highland Quiche tribes, was easily quashed, with the battle of Xelaju seeing the defeat of 30,000 Quiche warriors. Land was packaged into large estates and the Indians were used as forced labour.

Following the introduction of the church to Guatemala, there was a period of severe religious persecution, the ugly details of which have been lost.

Antigua was established as the capital in 1553 until a massive earthquake destroyed it and the present capital, Guatemala City, was founded in 1773. Guatemala claimed independence from the Spanish in 1821. Creoles gained power and the Maya lot worsened as the few Spanish safeguards against the extremes of exploitation were removed. Coffee and banana plantations spread, enslaving the Indian workers in appalling conditions via debt creating taxes. In government, power has continued to swing between left and right factions dedicated to preserving the elite and repressing the Indians, with few exceptional leaders. Two men who did make a difference were Arevalo, from 1945-51, and Arbenz who introduced sweeping social welfare reforms and some protection for the poor. They also redistributed some of the large estates among co-operatives of peasant farmers, a very popular move...except in the offices of the CIA. Worried at Arbenz’s social tendencies, they organised a coup with ex-military generals and forced him out.

Violence, instability and wholesale corruption followed. Military suppression of anti-government feeling became extreme and resulted in death squads roaming the countryside in a campaign against the Indian masses. Whole villages were destroyed and their menfolk killed. Eventually, the US cut off aid to Guatemala in protest and this led to the election of a civilian president in 1985, but little changed. President Serrano began moves towards peace when he initiated talks with the URNG guerrillas that had constantly harassed government forces, especially in the highlands. By the early 1990’s progress had been made but it was the intervention of General Bhoutros Bhoutros Ghali, from the United Nations, that gave the talks the impetus needed to overcome blockages. President Arzu, elected in 1995, committed himself in the election process to signing a peace deal with the URNG. In early 1997, agreement was reached on constitutional reform, the re-integration of guerrillas into civilian life and an amnesty for crimes committed on both sides and the deal was finally sealed bringing to an end a tumultuous period and bringing real hopes that Guatemala can move forward at last.

Natural History

With such diverse landscapes, Guatemala has superb habitats for numerous species of wildlife. Sea turtles can be seen on the Pacific coast, with the mangrove swamps hosting herons, white ibis, jabiru, kingfishers and racoons. In the highlands, birds dominate, with the tiny hummingbird, vultures, eagles and the exquisite quetzal can all be seen with patience, along with foxes and small cats. Guatemala’s real treasure though lies in the primary rainforests of the Peten. The giant ceiba trees (revered by the Maya as the pillars holding up the sky) are a sight indeed, reaching up over 50m. There is an almost uncountable number of species of plants and animals in this area, in addition to being a prime source of medical raw material. Jaguars, armadillos, ocelots, deer, peccary, pumas, tarantula spiders, crocodiles and the unavoidable howler monkey (whose anguished roars fill the forest canopy and send chills down your spine) are just a few of the delights that can be experienced with time and a good guide. Toucans, scarlet macaws, parrots and parakeets are also plentiful. Worth visiting Guatemala for on its own.

Special Events

Rather than having to plan your trip around Guatemala’s festivals, you will be hard pressed to avoid seeing at least one of them, no matter how short your stay. However, there are a few that really stand out:

Holy Week  Easter, nationwide, but Antigua (book early)and   villages around Lake Atitlan particularly impressive.   Mammouth colourful parades.

Nov 1  All Saints Day, nationwide

Dec 24/25  Christmas, nationwide from noon

Music

The marimba, a type of wooden xylophone, is the underlying sound in most traditional music. This is combined with drums made from hollow logs or deer skin, maracas and flute. Merengue, a firecracker fusion of Latin and American rhythms is very popular.

Immunisations

Visitors to Guatemala are typically advised to make sure they are up to date with their TYPHOID, HEPATITIS A, TETANUS & POLIO vaccines. Malaria is a risk in areas below 1,500m and we suggest you take your Doctor’s advice, based on your travel itinerary, on whether or not you need to take anti-malaria medication. For immunisations in UK consult your Doctor or British Airways Travel Centers: 01276 685 040.  For more information consult Centre for Disease Control www.cdc.gov/travel/camerica.htm or Scottish Centre for Infection & Environmental Health www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk.

Clothing

While in Guatemala City and the highland areas wear spring clothing and a sweater at night. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended. At archaeological sites, beaches and rainforest areas light coloured, lightweight, all cotton clothing, sunglasses and a hat are recommended.

Shopping

There is a wealth of arts and crafts available in Guatemala. The survival of traditional local costume means that the weaving skills needed to make them are still being learnt by the younger generations. The highest quality and the best prices can be found in the villages of origin, but it is unlikely that you will have the time to visit all of them. Several centres have become established hubs for buying the region’s offerings. These include Antigua, Panajachel, Chichicastenago and Huehuetenango, where with good bargaining skills, prices can be very close to those at source. Traditional clothing is widely available, including some original, old pieces, but the weavers are starting to produce more westernised items too. Side-products include bags, hacky sacks and wallets. Other products that are worth checking out, particularly in Antigua, are jade and silver jewellery. It is worth going to a highland market just for the experience as they are microcosms of Guatemalan life. Shops are normally open from 8am-noon and 2-7pm. Mayan sites open at 8am and close at 5pm.

Medical Emergencies

Centro Medico Hospital, 6 Av, 3-47 Zona 10, Guatemala City, private but reasonable prices and English speaking doctors.

Casa de Salud Santa Lucia, Alameda Santa Lucia Sur7,  Antigua, tel: 8323122, speaks English.

British Embassy

Avenida La Reforma, 16-00, Zona 10,  Edif Torre Internacional, 11th Floor. Tel: 3675425.

Airport Departure

You can ask you groundhandlers to reconfirm your return flights 72 hours before departure. Departure tax of US$30.

Safety

Guatemala City has a bad reputation for crime and while the dangers are probably overstated, you should take extra care there against petty crime in particular. Zona 1 is rife with handbag snatchers. If you go hiking in the area surrounding Antigua or any of the rural countryside you should always go with a guide. If you do wish to visit the look out point above the town in Antigua there are tourist police who will escort you as in the past this has been targeted by muggers.  On the whole Guatemala is an extremely poor country so there are always likely to be opportunist thieves around. Exercise caution as you would in any UK city and you should avoid such problems.

Communications

Email is widely used throughout Guatemala. You will find internet cafes in all popular tourist destinations and in some of the more remote places. Even the smallest towns have mail facilities which are reasonably efficient. Airmail to Europe takes around 14 days, if sent express.

There are few public phones so calls need to be made from the Telgua or Telefonica office in all major towns. Calls are expensive to Europe.

Useful numbers:

From Guatemala to the UK: 00 44 + UK area code less the 0 + number

To Guatemala from abroad: international code is 502

International operator: 171

Media

The major daily newspapers is La Prensa Libre. Two English language weeklies are available, Guatemala Weekly, on Saturdays and Guatemala News, Friday, and both are free. Newsweek and Time are widely available. BBC World Service is on Mhz 5.975, 7.325, 9.915, 9.590, 9.640, 15.220, 17.840, 8.325. Guatemala has five local TV channels and ten satellite channels, dominated by American programmes.

Food and Drink

Your eating experience will probably vary greatly depending on where you are. In the cities (particularly Antigua) and popular tourist centres there are superb restaurants offering a wide range of food, including vegetarian and Chinese. In small towns and villages, the food becomes more basic and usually includes tortilla, beans and eggs with some tough meat added. Re-fried beans (frijoles) are very common and look like a thick black paste, very tasty. Snacks include tamales, a cornmeal pudding sometimes filled with chicken or beef that is wrapped in a banana leaf, and chilli rellenos, stuffed chilli peppers.

Stick to bottled water throughout the country even though some major hotels have “Agua Potable” (drinkable water). Beer in Guatemala is OK, with Gallo being the most popular, but try Moza if you can find it, a tasty dark beer. Rum is cheap, but the locals stick to the local brew of aguardiente, a potent clear spirit that is the cause of much drunkenness at festivals.

Tipping

Generally a 10% tip is appropriate for restaurants. Some of the finer Restaurants may expect 15%. Sometimes this is already included in the bill. $1 for Hotel Porters and $0.5 for hotel maids per night.

Travelling with Children

Guatemalans love children and if you are travelling with children you will probably attract special attention which can often be of great help. Food can be a problem when leaving the more touristy areas of Antigua and the Capital. It is wise to always have a stock of bread, biscuits & other snacks when traveling in case the food at stops is not to your child’s taste. Easily peeling produce like avocados and bananas are easily available and provide a nutritious and filling snack.

Things to be careful about

Women should think twice before wearing clothes that are too provocative. Guatemala is a very Catholic, rather conservative and still very macho country. You run the risk of offending or attracting un-wanted attention. Men should never go shirtless as this is rarely seen in Guatemala. We also suggest that you do not wear any expensive jewelry while traveling in Guatemala. Most people here earn around $100 a month and therefore it is advisable not to openly display wealth. It is important to take basic precautions to ward away the possibility of theft such as keeping day packs, money belts etc in front of you as you walk.