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AIRPORT
The most common way to enter Guatemala is via Aurora international airport at Guatemala City. "GUA" is the airport code you need to book your flight.

PASSPORT & VISA
Students from the United States, Canada and the Europe do not need a visa or tourist card in order to travel to Guatemala. A valid passport is the only document needed to enter the country. How do I get a passport? When you leave Guatemala, US$3 or Q20 will be charged for airport security fee.

PERMISSION TO STAY IN GUATEMALA
If you are planning on staying in Guatemala for longer than a month, ask the immigration officer to give you a 90-day permission at the airport or border. This will save you the hassle of having to renew your permission within 30 days. You can renew your permission by leaving and re-entering Guatemala or through the immigration office in Guatemala City (6a Ave Edificio 3-11 Zona 4 Extranjeria de Migracion 2361-8476/9). You have to leave your passport there for at least 2 days and come back there again to pick it up. If you are going to cross the Mexican border, you have to stay in the Mexican side for more than 72 hours to receive the permission.

Bus ride to Xela: Take another taxi to one of the bus lines. If you are arriving in the morning, take a taxi directly from the airport. Never walk from your hotel to a bus station because there are pick pockets in the area. Taking the taxi is very safe. The trip from Guatemala City to Quetzaltenango will take about five hours. Since the buses aren't equipped with a bathroom, we recommend that you use the one at the terminal. It is best to wait until the bus arrives at the terminal in Quetzaltenango to get off.

From the terminal, give us a collect call and we will come and pick you up. Our phone number is 7761-0798. Or you can take a taxi to your host family.

WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU CARRY VALUABLES AND MONEY ON YOUR PERSON WHEN TRAVELING

TIPS FOR YOUR FIRST DAY IN GUATEMALA
Bring a change of clothes and valuables in your carry on bag. Put money and passport in money belt or neck wallet. Guatemala City, like most capital cities in the world, has pocket pickers. To avoid amoebas or stomach infections, do not drink the tap water, eat salads or the food sold in the street.

REFUND POLICY
The refund is allowed until 3 weeks prior to the beginning of the class. There will be no refund after that date.

PHONE AND INTERNET
Students can use internet phone offered at various internet cafes around the town to call back home. We also offer a free cell phone renting service.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
Please bring a workbook for homework, English/Spanish Dictionary and textbooks. We recommend checking your local university bookstore for different publications and/or starting an interactive online lesson.

FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO READ ABOUT GUATEMALA BEFORE ARRIVAL, WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING
Online interactive Spanish lesson, Guatemala Country Guide, Inside Guatemala by Tom Barry (Politics, Social, Cultural, Ecological), I Rigoberta Menchú by the Nobel Prize Winner (Indigenous Culture and Struggle), Eternal Tyranny-Eternal Spring by Jean Marie Simon (Contemporary History & Politics), and Bitter Fruit by Stephen Schlesinger & Stephen Kinzer. If you are an advanced student who wants to study Guatemalan history we strongly recommend buying, Guatemala: Voces desde el Silencio, a Spanish language narrative edited by Mark Zimmerman.

PERSONAL ITEM TO BRING
Towel, water bottle, swimming suit, sunglasses, mosquito repellent, money belt or neck wallet, a small flashlight, alarm clock. Prescription drugs, Pepto Bismol, tampons, contraceptives, sun screen and other personal and pharmaceutical items can be expensive in Guatemala. More information on useful travel gears.

SUGGESTIONS
Bring photos of yourself, family and friends, and a map of where you live to show your Guatemalan family. If you want to bring gifts for your family, simple and inexpensive items such as wool socks, T-shirts from your city or school, pens, pencils, crayons, sewing material, accessories, towels and kitchen items would be considered generous.

WEATHER
Quetzaltenango is located 2,333 meters (8,000 ft.) above sea level. It is not the tropical area of Guatemala. We strongly suggest you bring warm clothes, hat, scarf, gloves, thermals and warm pajamas to sleep in, and a coat along with suitable footwear for the cobblestone streets. In the months of January-March, it can get down to 32f/ 0c at night with no indoor heating. In the mornings there is a fog and until it lifts it is very cold. Once the sun comes out, the temperature rises to 70f. April and May are warmer at nights, but you still need a windbreaker and long pants for the early morning. June through October is the rainy season during which afternoon or evening showers are common. Bring raincoat, goulashes, and warm clothes as it is still chilly. Link to the weather forecast in Quetzaltenango.

CHANGING MONEY
Local banks are generally able to cash dollars or travelers checks Monday - Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 am to 1:00 p.m. Most of banks only accept travelers check issued by American Express. Travelers checks issued by others such as VISA are NOT recommended. Bring your passport, copies are not accepted. Given the problem of changing large bills in local markets and tiendas, we suggest you request bills no larger than Q20 or Q50 when changing money. We recommend that you bring an ATM card for its convenience (Don't forget your PIN!). There is an ATM machine next to Banco Industrial. It is located half a block up from the church in central park on 11 Avenida. There are two ATMs near the Mont Blanc building, one in the Banco Industrial and the other at Bancor. The machines are marked to accept only VISA and PLUS cards. If you only have a Mastercard or Visa, you can go to the Credomatic office in the mall in Zone 3 named Mont Blanc. Many banks are now connected to Western Union and money can be sent from any other Western Union office in the world. You need the order number and the location it was sent from in order to pick the money up here.
There is a 10% service charge on all credit card transactions in Guatemala.  Debit cards do not have this charge and we strongly recommend bringing some method of cash withdrawl other than just credit cards.

CULTURAL AWARENESS
Please be aware that you are living in another culture. We ask that you observe the same norms of behavior and respect as you would in any professional situation in your home country. Although we expect certain standards from host families and we are happy to make adjustments if these do not exist, we can not import a "first world" or a Northern living environment to Guatemala and we ask you to understand this limitation. Although most of the families have been working with students for several years and have experience working with people from other cultures, it is important to respect your families beliefs. Inviting friends to sleep over is not appropriate. If you would like someone to eat at your house it is a good idea to ask your family first and offer them some compensation. Also, if you choose to eat out it is polite and respectful to let your family know ahead of time. It is common courtesy to say "muchas gracias" when you get up from the table. The appropriate response is "buen provecho" which translates roughly as "good appetite."

HEALTH
Stomach Aliments: One of the most common ailments students deal with is diarrhea and this usually occurs within the first week. Many times the body is simply adjusting to its new environment, food and fluids.
Flea bites: While most of people do not have any problem with fleas, some people tend to attract so much attention from fleas. If you happen to be one of them, let your family know immediately to spray your clothings and bed. You can also purchase the spray called Oko at pharmacies for around Q25.
If the problems persist more that two or three days, it could be evidence that the student has picked up bacteria, parasites or amoebas. To know what is causing the diarrhea, we recommend having a feces sample analyzed in the lab (Q16) at Bionalisis (17 Avenida 4-42 Zona 3). The lab is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m M-F, and for a limited time on weekends. A print out of your results will be available later the same day. It is advisable to then visit a doctor, (approximately Q50) to give you an exam, analyze the lab results and offer a prescription.
We recommend that you do not eat food sold in the streets or markets and that you do not drink tap water, eat salad or uncooked vegetables unless you believe they are safe.
We also recommend that you get covered by a value travel insurance.

Note: Malaria pills (cloroquina) are not necessary in Xela. However, you may want to consider them if you plan to go to the coast or the Petén. You may buy them over the counter in a local pharmacy; the dosage is customarily 500 mg at a time once a week, starting one week before your trip until three weeks after. Also taking vitamin B1 (Anything with Thiamin) five days before you arrive in an area that has mosquitoes discourages them from biting you, as well as other insects.

SAFETY
Theft in Guatemala is generally no more prevalent than most other places in the world. Like everywhere in the world, please take proper precautions, particularly in crowded places such as markets or buses. If students keep things in a money pouch, it should be under clothing. You may want to consider using Globalbagtag that lets you trace your bag worldwide 24/7 via the internet. Note: We highly recommend carrying a copy and not your original passport so as to avoid paying $50.00 and waiting 3 days in Guatemala City to receive a new one in the case that you lose it! Keep your passport in a safe place. When travelling, carry with you a photocopy of your passport. Xela is a relatively safe city, probably more than most in the U.S. or Canada. Students generally feel safe walking around until 9PM or later. However, after dark following the "stay away from deserted streets that aren't lit" rule is always a good idea. Please remember to look both ways before crossing the street, as pedestrians do not have any manner of claim to the road. In fact, we recommend paranoia as a companion while traversing the streets here. We encourage students to walk each other home after nighttime activities. Always remember that a taxi is a good value for the safety it can give.

GETTING AROUND IN QUETZALTENANGO Maps
Guatemalan addresses consist of the street/avenue on which the building is found, the nearest cross street/avenue and a building number.
Although disconcerting at first, it is pretty easy once you feel you way around. Local buses are good for long distances and only cost 1 quetzal. However, most places can be reached on foot in less than 30 minutes. The buses basically go in two directions: to the Minerva terminal or the Rotunda and all pass by Parque Central at some point. It is always best to ask. Buses going to Minerva terminal can be caught in 8a Calle at the intersection of 12 Avenida. They either go out 4a Calle (El Calvario) or up 14 Avenida and nearly all pass through or near La Democracia. Going to the Rotunda, buses stop at 10a Calle near 11 Av.