About kgriff

Currently Lives:

Citizen of:

Some Forum Posts:

Guatemala: moving to Guatemala:

It is smart to rent first before deciding to buy land and/or build, especially if one hasn't spent a significant amount of time here in the past. Most expats (but not all) live in the City, Antigua, by the Lake, or in Xela, so visiting those areas would be advisable too. Joining FB groups dedicated to the expats in Guatemala is good also. If I can help in any way, please let me know.

Guatemala: 2 Mealy Amazons for sale:

How much and where are they located?

Guatemala: MEDICATIONS:

There is no pharmacy in Guatemala that supplies NDT (natural dessicated thyroid) medicine; Synthroid and its generic equivalent is all that's available here. I have to get mine shipped from the States.

Guatemala: Where to live near Antigua with kids:

San Pedro El Alto is a beautiful gated community within San Pedro Las Huertas but the internet is limited there. In fact, the internet is extremely limited in all of San Pedro Las Huertas. Claro is the main provider in the area and has not upgraded their infrastructure in a long time; their boxes are usually full and they will not guarantee to be able to make a new connection. They require at least a 1-year contract and usually require a down payment if you're not a local with a DPI. They often sell plans of 5 mbps or more yet are unable to provide more than 2 mbps consistently (they were charging us for 5 and almost every day for a month the speed was less than even 1). The other provider is Conexión and is available in San Pedro El Alto if there is a direct line of sight to the dish up on Volcan Agua, but not only do you have to pay for the equipment and the installation, the monthly fee is over $100. If good, reliable internet is important to you, this is the way to go although you have to weigh the pros and cons of the cost vs. reliability with this service. I teach English online and for me, Conexión was not cost-effective. The other main internet provider is TigoSTAR. Although it has its own problems, they are far less than with Claro and TigoSTAR doesn't require a contract. If you're lucky enough to live in a community where it's available, it's really (in my opinion) the service to use. I will never go back to having Claro because I don't feel as if Claro is an honest company.

Guatemala: exchange rate:

It varies by bank; each bank sets its own each day. Lately, to buy quetzales, it's been low, around $1 =Q7.44 - 7.50.

Guatemala: transferring funds:

Check with the bank in the States (if that's where you're transferring from). There are federal regulations about money transfers, including those of $10,000 or more.

Guatemala: Lost one:

Depends. Are the parents in contact with the 24 yr old son? Being that he's 24 there's not much that can be done. He's an adult. Perhaps allowing him to make his own mistakes for once is the best thing that can happen to him.

Guatemala: Calls to USA:

Tigo has plans that allow you so many minutes to call the US, Mexico, and Canada included in the monthly price. I think a cell phone plan from the States is more expensive, although you could compare by going to Tigo's website.

Guatemala: Apartament Rental Advice:

Many times utilities aren't included in the rent but, while you'll be responsible for paying them, you won't have to set them up or put them in your name. The only "utility" I can think of that you would put in your name is the internet/cable TV; everything else will likely already be set up in the owner's name and you'll just pay the cost each month. I second the idea to come and stay in a hotel or hostal for a week or so before settling on a place to rent long-term. Most places are not advertised anywhere except the door; it is very common for people to put a notice on the door that they have a place to rent. You'll likely find a nice place for a much cheaper price by walking around the city.

Guatemala: Importing a car:

The last I heard about importing a car was that you could only import a car/SUV that was less than ten years old. It's the 2017 model year, so that would mean the car/SUV would have to be newer than 2007. Of course, rules and laws here always seem to change, so it might be different now, especially with the change of administration we had in January. It doesn't seem to apply to pickup trucks, though, as they are deemed to be work vehicles and are not subject to the law.

Date Joined:

4/29/2013

Total Posts:

203

Posts/Day:

0.14