I will be following your post with great interest. --- You will agree with me, I am sure, that we need to take a good inventory of what we like and do not like, need and do not need, what is important to us and what is not important. Wherever we go, we must adapt to new ways of living. --- I have lived in La Antigua for about 2.5 years, and I am ready for some changes. I will not miss Antigua's cobblestoned streets. They are difficult to walk on even for goats. The narrow, crowded, uneven, and often broken sidewalks are no picnic either. I am an old fart with a cane, and I need a break. Xela is a far better place for walking than Antigua. I love movies. The nearest cinema to Antigua is in Chimaltenango (30 minutes), followed by Guatemala City (about 90 minutes by chicken bus, it take a while just to get out of the city). Xela has nice movies at La Pradera. The nearest Walmart to Antigua is in San Lucas, about 20 minutes away. Xela has that beat too with a store of its own. There is not a decent supermarket in Antigua, the nearest being in Chimaltenango and San Lucas. (We can cross out Chimaltenango, frankly.) Xela has at least three top-notch ones. Antigua is at the southern edge of the Highlands, and Xela is surrounded by Highland villages. San Francisco El Alto, for example, has a superb market! And let us not overlook the huge market in Xela. The textiles are fantastic! As I remember, taxis in Xela charge about 1/3 the Antigua rate. Antigua has great cultural activites, and I hope Xela is somewhere in its league. I notice that Xela has a school of the Alliance Francaise. If it is like other Alliance schools, it probably has French films and activities. Both cities have service clubs, Scouting, and other groups of interest to me. Both cities have ample opportunies for volunteer work. I have met fine people in both cities. Making new friends is part of the appeal of a move. In this forum I read about expats forming clubs in Xela. I have some ideas along those lines too. I cannot speak for everyone in Antigua, but my Internet signal sucks rocks. Since the City Hall is against towers and satelite dishes, no improvement in the near future is expected. From what I hear about Xela, Claro has an excellent Internet package. --- At the moment I am in Costa Rica. I will return to Guatemala within a month and, ASAP will head for Xela for a few weeks. I am eager to check out the apartment market. PLEASE keep us advised of your progress.

Post a Reply

20abuse

Choosing an expat health insurance provider is an important decision. Get a quote from our trusted expat health insurance partner, CIGNA. With Cigna Global Health Options, you can create an international health insurance plan that's perfectly tailored for the needs of you and your family.

Learn More Get a Quote

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The markets are good but a nightmare after about an hour....
to deal with. The noise & claustrophobia of a 1000 peeps pushing & shoving to grab a deal is highly stressful for this gringo! But the markets have the best prices for sure. The Wamart is sufficient & crowded enough for me to shop at.

Post a Reply

10abuse

I am addicted to markets, and I;ve been to them all over Latin America. San Telmo and Mataderos in Buenos Aires are two of the best but the one at Chichi is something else. -- Xela eXpat and Travelers Community = This is a group you can find on Facebook. I imagine most of the 300+ members live in Quetzaltenango. Very helpful people. Good luck!

Post a Reply

10abuse

While there please check out how much firework activity is there for us, if you wouldn't mind listening. We are suppose to come back in 6 mos and still not certain where to go.
Thank you! Kitaniga

Post a Reply

00abuse

LOTS fireworks popping off.....even at 6 am. It's like the city wake up call. Thank goodness there's lots of basic hostels yo stay in to find a more suitable apartment....longer term.
I stayed @ XELAJUCASA.COM last year. Nice apt or studio there near center. Look at the website. About $100 weekly inc linens & electrics & bottled h20

Post a Reply

10abuse

Choosing an expat health insurance provider is an important decision. Get a quote from our trusted expat health insurance partner, CIGNA. With Cigna Global Health Options, you can create an international health insurance plan that's perfectly tailored for the needs of you and your family.

6 am everyday LOUD FIREWORKS. OR A CANNON FIRING. DRIVES ME CUCKOO.

Post a Reply

10abuse

I was there for 6 months about a year ago. I liked it OK, but the streets are nothing to write home about. I remember when I visited Antigua a couple of times I was impressed with how much smoother and easier to walk on the streets were than those in Xela. Of course, I never got out of the tourist area near the central square in Antigua.

It gets downright cold there at night in the winter, but I liked that. There's 3 or 4 universities there, and also a local soccer team that the locals are pretty crazy about.

The only thing I didn't like was the class of mostly college-aged social justice warrior gringos that hangs around there with the NGOs and the Spanish schools, but that's probably because I am a curmudgeonly old man. Besides, these types are easily enough avoided.

You get out of Zona 1 and the area around El Parque Central and you'll see maybe one a week. That's one gringo TOTAL a week. You will need some spanish to do that, of course.

There are also some gangs in some of the Zonas, or so I was told. You just stay away from those areas.

If you're heading that way and want to hire a reliable Spanish tutor/guide message me and I'll put you in touch with my old Spanish teacher, Lucia.

Oh, about those fireworks. Forget about avoiding them entirely. They start firing off what sounds like a cannon every hour or so around a week or two before Christmas to celebrate the feast of the Madonna or something. You get used to it. Sort of.

Post a Reply

20abuse

I have lived in Antigua for about 2.5years. I hate the streets. Almost every available square meter is cobblestoned with loose cobblestones. I have seen people fall, break the heels of their shoes, twist ankles, etc. The sidewalks are little better. They tend to be very narrow. of constantly changing heights, and complete with cracks wide enough to swallow a Volkswagen. It is so much easier and safer, in my opinion, to walk down a street or sidewalk in Xela..

Post a Reply

00abuse

This is the first time I've ever heard someone say that the roads are worse in Xela than Antigua.

I agree 100% with DRThomas. In fact, even though I'm only in my early 50's, I use a cane whenever we go walking on the cobblestones of Antigua. It's already saved me several times from a nasty fall or sprain!

Post a Reply

00abuse