ON THE ROAD
- Check the route to your destinations and the location of filling station.
- The highways on the central and eastern highlands are norrow and have many curves.
- On some of the highways at higher altitude, you may run into very dense fog.
- The Atlantic highway may be dangerous due to heavy traffic and fast driving.
- To plan your trips get help from the time and distance maps .
LODGING
Guatemala and Quetzaltenango have a wide variety of lodging possibilities; there is a wide range of prices. Depending on the zone visited. If you reserve, even a few days ahead, you may get a better rate.
WORKING HOURS
Both government and private offices generally open at 8:00 a.m. The municipality opens at 9:00 a.m. Shops generally open between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. In the country's interior everything generally start working at 8:00 a.m. Government offices generally close at 4:00 p.m. the municipality at 5:00 p.m. and private offices at 6:00 p.m. and shops, depending on their location, between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m.
The time to eat are: breakfast between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m., lunch between 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. and dinner varies between 6:00 p.m. in the interior to 9:00 p.m. in major cities.
FOOD
Guatemalan dishes are not easy to find in the capital city. There are dishes form specific regions that reflect the true Guatemalan cuisine. Some of these are: sweet or salty tamales; jocón, which is chicken in a green sauce mainly of coriander and green tomatoes; pepián, beef stew with vegetables and a sauce based on roasted seed, sesame and guaque peppers; suban'ik is chicken, pork and beef in a red sauce, based on annatto, which can be hot; grilled steak accompanied by rice and guacamole, which is avocado mixed with onion, salt and oregano. Look for restaurants with indian names or ask where to get them at your hotel. Occasinally hotels serve these on specific day. In the interior it is easier to find them, generally the food is spicy but not as much as Mexican food. As for desserts we recommend; arroz con leche (rice cooked in sweetened milk and cinammon sticks), torrejas, sweetened papaya dessert, and chancletas, which are made of breaded guisquil and raisins, baked .
ELECTRICITY, WATER, TELEPHONE AND POSTAL SERVICE
The electricity, wihch you will usually fin, is 110 volts AC and 60 hz. The most used power outlets are the two rectangular prong tupe. If your equipment has three or round prongs, and adapter must be used; most of the hotels will let you borrow one. The water you will find in hotels, in general in the capital city and in departamental capitals, is safe; in other places we recommend you drink bottled water.
Both telephone and postal services were privatized recently, and you will find both in larger towns in the interior. The postal service requieres postage stamps both for local and international mail. Telgua is a corporation which you can use for your will find coin phones and in the capital city both coin and card phones.
CURRENCY, BANKS AND CREDIT CARDS
The currency in Guatemala is the Quetzal, named after the natinal bird. Coins are in denominations of one, five, ten and twenty five centavos and of one quetzal; the bills in denominations of one, five, ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred and two hundred quetzales. Thes bills also differ by their color and the printed figure. To the month of July 1999 the exchange rate is seven Quetzaltes and forty Centavos to one Dollars and may vary according to the currency market.
The Banks are private and the majority have branches in the interior; in the departamental capitals you will find some internacional services; in smaller towns only savings and checking services. Their schedules generally are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. To travel in the interior of the country we recommend you carry cash. The majority of hotels in the interior will accept credit cards and a for travelers checks only the banks and hotels in the capital city will accept them.
With regard to credit cards, these have generalized use, and the known international cards are accepted.
