Contemplating how to get all your belongings to Guatemala? The answer might be driving them there. No, it is not the easiest, nor the safest thing to do, but it could work for you. Especially if you speak Spanish and live a little bit closer than say… Maine.

To get a car packed full of stuff into Mexico, you’ll want to take a trip to Transmigrantes Mireya, a company who arranges all the paperwork for bringing a car, loaded down with personal belongings into Mexico. This is a crazy experience in itself, as you can read from the personal travels shared by our fellow blogger at this link. You actually have to give away your title and have it taken to the Guatemala border so that you are unable to sell your vehicle while in Mexico!

Be prepared to have your vehicle searched before you leave the US and again after you have crossed the bridge into Mexico.

If you are thinking about driving through, then definitely make sure you read this candid blog about the trials of driving through Mexico to Guatemala. Benjamin, the author, takes you through his trip day by day as he makes his way from Texas to his new home in Guatemala.

Outside of Guatemala but looking to buy some Guatemala coffee that hasn’t been processed by The Man (Starbucks)? Check out the new online shop from La Azotea.

La Azotea uses the Arabica variety of coffee, and actually reserves some of the good stuff for local and internet sales, unlike most companies which send the good stuff to their major suppliers and leave the not so tasty coffee for the local crowd. Azotea is an environmentally friendly plantation that uses an organic pest control system, if you are worried about pesticides.

La Azotea is hosting their coffee selling online endeavors through www.AroundAntigua.net. You can currently purchase ground Guatemala coffee as well as whole bean coffee. In addition, they also sell cacao powder and organic chocolate.

Prices are reasonable, considering you are getting premium coffee straight from the source, but if you are shipping to the US you will pay $16.95 in US dollars for your package (provided you purchase under $60 worth of goods). Your shipment should arrive within 1–3 days of purchase.

This is a good way to directly support a local Guatemala business, while at the same time getting some tasty coffee for yourself!

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.)

When it comes to life satisfaction we are right in the top section, where on a scale of 1–10 Guatemalans are 7.4 on the ‘satisfied with their life’ scale. (US citizens claim to be 7.8 percent satisfied…)

The ecological footprint measures the amount of resources used per head in each country, and here is what makes the United States fall behind on the HPI index (they use more than 4 planets worth of resources!). Guatemalans, on the other hand, use less than 1.

So, how long you live, how satisfied you feel, and how much you respect our planet’s resources and live within your means dictates how happy you are, and Guatemala is up there on that list!

Visit www.happyplanetindex.org for more information on this interesting study.

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 more expensive tourist towns, such as La Antigua, but prices there don’t even begin to compare with the expenses of Panama City. Other hotspots such as Lake Atitlan are relatively cheap, but there are more undiscovered jewels in Guatemala where renting a villa is a fraction of the price of renting in Costa Rica.

If you are all about exploring Guatemala and getting the best possible vacation at a good price, check out the beach town of Tilapita, or Monterrico. Also growing in popularity is the Lago de Izavel, which is actually the largest lake in Guatemala. Rio Dulce is a popular place to stay for those who come to see this region.

If you are interested in planning a trip to Guatemala, but not sure where to start, let my contacts help you out. I’ve got connections for real estate, long term rental, vacation rental, villas and more through my connections with the Gringo Network.

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 access the internet all at the same time. (Hooray for working WiFi!) It is a great place to get together with friends, enjoy a cappuccino or dessert. If you have friend in town as well, they may enjoy a little taste of home at Mickey D’s in Guatemala!

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, as it is a member of CA-4). Renewing your visa costs 115Q and you have to bring your passport (duh!), a copy of your birth certificate and a copy of a credit card in your name. Drop off the items at the immigration office in Zona 1 and come back 3 days later to pick up your renewed visa.

There are a number of agencies designed to help expats, and eager locals, who charge as little as 100Q and as much as 300Q per passport to do this renewal for you. If you don’t live in Guatemala City, this might be the way to go as multiple trips, or 3 days in the capital doesn’t appeal to many.

Your other option is to apply for a long-term of permanent visa. You can apply if you are not wanted by any federal agencies in the US and if you have income that you can prove to the Guatemalan government. It is even possible for foreigners to obtain residency in Guatemala, but that requires massive amounts of patience and will.

Whatever you do, try to keep your visa current. Overstaying your visa costs you 10Q per day.

Of course… there are other, more creative ways that some foreigners have sneaked around the laws and immigration offices to avoid fines (read, not entirely legal activity). Ask around and you’ll hear plenty of tales that go hand in hand with the corruption ever too present, and helpful, in government offices.

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 don’t have cash.

While crime is an issue here, as it is in any country, it is best to carry cash, and carry it on you. The likelihood that you will get robbed on the street is less than that of the hotel maid rifling through your stuff.

If you need to use an ATM to take out cash in Guatemala, make sure you plan ahead. The limit on a machine is 2000Q, so if you need more than that plan to head to a couple of different machines. You will also want to avoid ATMs around the 1st of the month, which is when everyone gets paid. The lines are IMPOSSIBLE!

Another problem with ATM machines is that they are frequently out of service. This can be frustrating, yes, but what is even worse is that while they don’t actually give you the cash, they alert your home bank in the States that the money has been withdrawn. So, even though you have never gotten it, you may see it reflected as a withdrawl on your account. The best advice I can offer is to make a note of any problems you have, including the date, time and location of the machine, and call your home bank to give them a heads up. This can save a lot of trouble down the road, and help to get things worked out quickly.

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!

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 are brave enough (or maybe stupid enough) you can actually go to the pharmacy, tell them your symptoms, and get them to give you whatever medicine they think you need! (While I say it’s stupid… I have done it before… )

Of course, you always want to use caution when getting medicine, and the best thing to do is always get checked out by a doctor first, get a prescription, and get the needed medicine. If, however, you already have an Rx from the States or your home country, and you know exactly what you need, just go on in and ask for it by name.

*Remember to pronounce the name of the drug with your heaviest Spanish accent. Medicine names don’t change, but they sure sound different. If all else fails, show a bottle of your old pills and go from there.