1. Guatemala
Some information

2. Economy Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America.
The distribution of income is unequal with the richest 20% of the population accounting for more than 51% of Guatemala's overall consumption.
More than half of the population is below the national poverty line, and 13% of the population lives in extreme poverty.
Nearly one-half of Guatemala's children under age five are chronically malnourished, one of the highest malnutrition rates in the world.
 Agricultural exports include sugar, coffee, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom, manufacturing products, precious stones and metals, electricity.

3. Currency Name of Currency: Guatemalan Quetzal
Exchange Rate: Q per $1
Make sure you do not bring any dollars that are torn, ripped, or very old. They will not exchange them.
Visas are widely accepted. Following is MasterCard and Amex.
ATMs—known locally as cajeros automático – are found almost everywhere, except in smaller towns.
Major banks in Guatemala include BAM, BanRural, and Bantrab
Make sure your pin number only has 4 numbers.
Make sure you include ATM and merchant fees or surcharges in your budget, if you plan to use a credit/debit card.
Don’t forget to notify your bank you are traveling out of country.

4. Places in Guatemala Antiqua – Where our hotel will be located
Perez – An indigenous village (in the mountains)
Chela – An indigenous village
San Miguel – An indigenous village
San Bernandino
Santo Domingo
Las Playas
San Juan

5. Guatemalan Main Dishes
Tapado, seafood soup with green plantain slices
Chiles rellenos, bell peppers stuffed with meat and vegetables, covered in whipped egg whites and fried
Gallo en perro, dog stew
Gallo en chicha, hen stew
Pepián de indio (19th century recipe), meat and vegetable stew in a thick recadosauce
Subanik, meat and vegetable stew in spicy sauce
Kak'ik, turkey soup with "ik" (a spicy chili from Coban
Caldo de res or cocido, beef and vegetable soup
Caldo de gallina, hen soup
Jocón, chicken stewed in a green sauce
Hilachas, shredded beef meat in a red sauce
Güicoyitos rellenos, stuffed zucchini
Pollo a la cerveza, chicken in a beer sauce
Pollo guisado, Spanish chicken stew
Carne guisada, meat stew
Chuletas fascinante - "Fascinating Chops", a breaded pan-fried pork chop
Ensalada en escabeche, picked vegetable salad
Pollo encebollado, chicken in an onion-based sauce
Estofado, beef, potato and carrot stew
Revolcado, tomato-based stew with spices and cow’s underbelly
Pollo en crema, chicken in cream-based sauce
Carne adobada, marinated preserved beef
Pulique, yet another kind of meat and vegetable stew
Mole de Plantain - fried plantain slices in a chocolate-based sauce (not a sweet dish)

6. Food
Note: We will be drinking purified water. Don’t forget to bring a water bottle.

7. Transportation If you wake up late If you miss the taxi
Team Transportation

8. Weather in July
A lot of rain (rainy season) falls in the months: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Mostly hot, a little cooler in the mountains
Humidity
Temperature

9. Clothing
A light jacket for the evenings, and when we are in the mountains is suggested, especially during the chilly nights.
Comfortable walking shoes are needed for walking distances and climbing.
Closed slippers are recommended for hygiene reasons. Open toe slippers can be worn indoors. High heels are not recommended.
Guatemalans are very modest and conservative. We should dress in the same manner.
Very light cotton materials, double layered clothing is suggested.
Because of heavy rainfall, a good umbrella or rain jacket will be necessary.
Because we will spend a lot of time in the sun, a hat, visor, sunglasses, to protect your head, face, and eyes will come in handy.

10. Hotel Posada Del Hermano Pedro
Antigua, Guatemala

11. Communication There is Wi-Fi at the hotel we are staying at.
It’s best to keep your phone on airplane mode till you are in a wi-fi area.
It would also be beneficial to turn off your voic feature on your phone till you return.
Make sure to check with your cell phone provider to see what the cost is for messaging, data, and calls while roaming in Guatemala.
There are 3 major cell phone providers in Guatemala; Movie Star, Claro, and Tigo.
You can take an unlocked phone and buy a SIM card to make calls.
Average calls to the US is about .10 a minute (using their providers)
We should have an emergency phone available for places where there is no wi-fi.
Take advantage of Skype, Facetime, Whatsapp, or any app that you can use to communicate using Wi-fi.
To call the US from Guatemala – (xxx – xxxx).
To call Guatemala from the US – xxxxxxxxx