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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1       Money Issues while traveling  - Tom Lingenfelter  
2.      Interesting Web Sites  
3       Recommended Travel Guides
4.      Godchild Project - Linda B. Jenkins
5.      Travel Reports from Pam Hanson
6.      Publishing & Advertising Information
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

TRAVEL STORIES WANTED!!

Tell us about your trip to Central America. Where did you stay?
How did you get there?  What were the best experiences and the worst?
Big, small, fun or sad we want to publish YOUR story.

SEND ALL TRAVEL STORIES TO: mailto:stories@xelapages.com
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Current Exchange Rate:  $1.00US = Q7.75
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1. Money Issues while traveling  - Tom Lingenfelter 
====================================================
 

"What is the BEST way to carry money in Guatemala?"  
"Where do I exchange money?"
"What is better Visa, MasterCard, AMEX or Debit Card?"

I receive these questions all the time and thought they were common 
enough to warrant a little bit more discussion.   The following are 
my observations you may agree or disagree.

Depending on what your overall travel plans are here are a few suggestions:

Cash (US Dollars ONLY) - Always bring some USD $$ they are the 
easiest to change.  If you bring other currencies you will have 
a MUCH harder time changing your money.  Small bills $5's and 
10's are preferable.  You can get change for a small bill easier 
if you are ever in a bind and do not have more Quetzals.  While 
most businesses do not readily accept US dollars as payment, some 
will for the "right" exchange rate.  In my experience that rate is 
NEVER as good as the bank.

Current exchange rate is hovering around $1.00 = Q7.75.

Travelers Checks  - The greatest thing about Travelers checks is 
the added protection they offer in case they are lost or stolen.  
However, not all businesses in Guatemala accept Travelers checks.  
The hotels and some restaurants in the more heavily traveled areas 
of Guatemala City, Antigua, Panajanchel, Chichicatenango, 
Quetzaltenango...etc will take them as payment. Many others will 
ask that you convert your checks and pay in Quetzals.  

American Express travelers checks are probably the most common, but 
Visa's Travelers checks are also popular and reportedly easy to cash. 

There are plenty of banks and "Casa de Cambio" (Exchange Houses) in 
Guatemala that will change traveler's checks or cash.   Some banks 
will give you a better exchange rate for "documentos" which are travelers 
checks, money orders…etc.  It is best to check with a few different places 
to see which one is paying the best rate before cashing your money. 

Casas de cambio are businesses that exchange money. Some have stand-alone 
offices that do nothing but exchange money.   While others are more 
informally run in conjunction with another business. They will often 
pay a much better rate than the banks.  

So many Guatemalans have family members working outside Guatemala 
and send them money each month that the best exchange houses are 
always full of locals changing money.  Locals usually know the place 
with the best rate!!
 
Most banks will have the "Tipo de Cambio" (Rate of the Day) posted in 
the bank lobby somewhere.  In the Casa de Cambio there is usually a 
person in the lobby at a desk with a calculator working out what each 
person receives.  He will give you a receipt, which you take to the 
window and make your exchange.  He also can tell you the "tipo de cambio."

The best way to find the highest exchange rate is to ask other travelers 
who have been around a while longer than you.  Your hotel may also know 
where the locals exchange their money.

In Quetzaltenango there are 2 large Casas de Cambio that I know of:

1. Multicambios - 15 Av. 4-32, Zona 3  http://www.xelapages.com/multicambios/
2. Casa de Cambio - 15 Av. @ 1 calle, Zona 3

Debit Card w/Visa or MC logo

As more and more of Latin America becomes wired this may SOMEDAY prove 
to be the BEST way to carry money while traveling.   ATM machines are 
popping up all over the place in most of these countries.  If your card 
is connected to the Cirrus or Plus Network you will have an easier time 
using ATM/Credit Cards.  You can tell if your card is connected to 
Cirrus/Plus by looking on the back and if the on of their logos is 
there, you are in business.

If you don't have a Cirrus card keep reading I will show you how to 
get one FREE + $20.00 from a new Intenet bank!

In theory all Cirrus ATM Network cards, (Visa, MasterCard(MC) and 
Amex use Cirrus) are accepted in the Credomatic ATM Newtork of 
Latin America. Credomatic has ATMs in Guatemala, Honduras, El 
Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica & Panama.  You can find all 
their locations on the site listed below:

http://www.credomatic.com   - Pick the country you're visiting then 
click on Cajeros Automáticos (Automatic Boxes - ATMs). From this 
list you can see your card should be widely accepted.

When you need money all you do is find an ATM and withdraw enough 
money to get you to your next destination or through the next week!
  
What happens if the ATM does not work?  This is often a problem in
Central America.  As long as your card has the Visa or MC logo on 
it you can go inside most banks and get cash like you would 
on a credit card by making a cash advance.  However unlike a credit
card this advance will come out of your checking account.

Things to consider:  

Is my card part of the Cirrus/Plus ATM Network?
How much does my bank charge when I use outside ATMs?
Any special transaction fees?
Any cash advance fees?

GETTING A FREE CIRRUS VISA ATM CARD

Compubank has recently opened their doors to the Internet banking 
world with a lot of fanfare and hoopla.  I have actually because a 
big fan of theirs because of all the banking services they offer 
for FREE plus I love the convienence of Internet Banking.  
This can especially helpful for expatriates who need a 
US bank account. 

Here is the list:

No Monthly Service Charge
No Minimum Balance Required
No Per Item Charge
ATM Fee Rebate - up to $6.00/month
Free Last 12 Months of Check Images Can be Viewed Online 
Free Last 12 Statements Can be Viewed Online 
Free Direct Deposit Free Bill Payment
Free Domestic Wire Transfers
Free Direct Transfer
Free Visa Check Card (for customers who qualify)
Online Customer Service - 24/7/365
Free First Order of Paper Checks
Online Check Re-Order
Overdraft Protection When Linked to Another Account
ClickMiles Rewards - Use the card Get Airline Miles!
Low Minimum Opening Deposit of $100

For a limited time they are also offering to pay you to open an account.  
Compubank will give you $20.00 for opening up your own account.  
You must fund the account with $100.00 but if you do they will 
deposit another $20.00 on top of that.  

For complete details go here: 

[Editors note: May 2001 - Compubank was sold to Netbank.
Some of the features are the same but not all.  Take a look:

http://www.netbank.com

This type of account is great for anyone who is traveling for an 
extended period of time and needs to keep up with bills at home.  
You can pay your bills from any Internet Cafe!  It is also good for 
those Expats who live abroad and need a place to direct deposit 
Social Security or pension checks, pay expenses in the US and 
still has access to the money through the local Guatemalan bank.

At this time the bank is only accepting US Citizens but from 
what I have read they are working on a way to open the bank 
up to other countries.  

Bottom Line on Money: Bring Cash in US Dollars, for large amounts 
if needed use Travelers checks and bring your Visa or MasterCard 
just in case!

Happy Travels,

Tom

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Xela Pages Newsletter Archives are online!!!

http://www.xelapages.com/newsletter/

Read all the past issues plus other articles 
about travel in Guatemala!
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====================================================
2. Interesting Web Sites
====================================================

GUIDEBOOKS

Lonely Planet Guidebooks
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
Rough Giudes Guidebooks
http://www.roughguides.com
Fodor's Guidebooks
http://www.fodors.com/

AIRLINE TICKETS AND DEALS

Best Fares Magazine & Website
http://www.bestfares.com
Cheap Tickets
http://www.cheaptickets.com
Lowest Fares
http://www.lowestfares.com
British Travel Agency
http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/
Exito Travel
http://www.exitotravel.com

TRAVEL SITES

Garifuna World
http://www.garifuna-world.com/
Escaping to another country - Great Resource
http://www.escapeartist.com
Vision Travel - Antigua, Guatemala
http://www.guatemalainfo.com
The Revue - English Magazine in Guatemala
http://www.revue.conexion.com/index.htm
Guatemala Lifestyles Print Newsletter
http://www.go2guatemala.com
Guatemala Tourist Commission
http://www.tradepoint.org.gt/travelguate.html
Guatemala Web - Travel Info
http://www.guatemalaweb.com
Rio Dulce - Website
http://www.mayaparadise.com/
Guatemala Web
http://www.guatemalaweb.com
Lake Atitlan
http://www.atitlan.com
The Antigua Journal
http://www.theantiguajournal.com

GUATEMALAN UNIVERSITIES

Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
http://www.usac.edu.gt/
Universidad del Valle de Guatemala 
http://www.uvg.edu.gt/
Universidad Francisco Marroquín
http://www.ufm.edu.gt/

Futbol de Guatemala
http://futbol.guatemala.org/

Guatamalan Receipes - Spanish
http://www.quetzalnet.com/recetas/recetas.html

TRAVEL ADVISORY SITES

US State Dept. Foreign Entry Requirements for the world.
http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html
US State Dept - Travel Advisories by country
http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html
Canadan Travel Advisories
http://voyage.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/destinations/menu_e.htm
British Travel Advisories
http://www.fco.gov.uk/
Center for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
Guatemalan Embassy
http://www.guatemala-embassy.org/

=======================================================
3.  Recommended Travel Guides
=======================================================

You can buy these guides directly from Amazon.com simply by clicking
on the Web Address. 
(URL may be too long, make sure you copy entire URL to find guides)

NEW - Lonley Planet - GUATEMALA
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0864426844/trafficman

Lonely Planet Central America : On a Shoestring (3rd Ed)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0864424183/trafficman

Lonely Planet Guatemala, Belize & Yucatan LA Ruta Maya (3rd Ed) 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0864424248/trafficman

Rough Guide to Guatemala by Rough Guides, Mark Whatmore
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/185828323X/trafficman

The Rough Guide to Guatemala and Belize (3rd Ed)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/185828189X/trafficman

Fodor's Belize & Guatemala: The Complete Guide With Beaches, 
Maya Ruins and Dive Sites (1st Ed)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679033092/trafficman

To see all my recommendations goto:

http://www.xelapages.com/guides/

=======================================================
4. Common Hope Project - Linda B. Jenkins
=======================================================

Arriving at 5am after my long flight from the San Francisco Bay Area
to Antigua, Guatemala I was presented a hand-drawn map.  I walked the
3 miles to my destination, the Common Hop Project site.  Once there, I
quickly washed my face and hands the face to wake me up the
hands 'cause I'm a nurse and know that's what one does to stay
healthy!!! I then went on to put in a full day's work..  So?? you
may ask.  Well few thought I'd live to see the summer, let alone have
the stamina to undertake such an arduous journey and then put in a
month of volunteer service.

I received a letter about the Common Hop Project-whose mission is to
provide health care, education, housing and sponsorship of needy
children-just as I was to undergo surgery to remove a cancerous kidney
about a year ago.  I felt this letter a promissory note that all would
go well and that again I could go to help the needy of Guatemala.

The cancer was encapsulated in just that one kidney but "the size of a
baby" according to one doctor.  No one thought I would be able to make
the trip just a few months after the operation.  In fact, doctors
said, statistically I should be dead.  I'd already undergone breast
cancer surgery.  I suggested perhaps they didn't know the power of
prayer.

After the surgery, a letter went out to friends who offered help in my
recuperation.  It suggested rather than giving things such as food or
flowers, It would please me most if they would donate funds toward my
trip to Antigua and the Common Hop Project.

With help from area Rotary Clubs, my church and many individual
members of my church I was able to purchase videos, props and
educational materials to take along to enhance my teaching.  The
support I received was a very humbling part of the experience as well
as a big part of the healing process.  People were so generous.  This
outpouring of love strengthened my determination to go to take
advantage of the gift of life as well as the gifts of friends and to
work as hard as possible to show my thanks.

However, a set-back occurred when a tumor on my esophagus was
discovered a few months after surgery during the follow up CAT scan. 
This is being watched and another surgery remains a possibility.
Despite my personal problems which also included the death of my
mother from cancer and life saving surgery on my second grandchild at
4 days of life I did make the trip over the summer and put to use
nursing and teaching skills garnered over 30 years in the field.

Ordinarily teams of workers are sent to work at the Common Hop Project
but executive director John Huebsch  accepts a couple of skilled
volunteers a month.  Because of my knowledge of health issues and a
command of the Spanish language, I was chosen.

I gave classes that the clientele wanted or that seemed to fit their
needs.  Since I've been a childbirth educator one of my on going
classes were for the pregnant women.  Unfortunately it is still mostly
'women's work' in the poorer, less educated population.  

One of my best teaching tools was a T shirt I had made before I left
with a baby pictured in utero, with all the anatomical organs visible.
Wearing it, I could use my own body, making the explanation much more
real than a poster on the wall.

I also showed videos I had produced which included scenes from a
birth.  A housekeeper at the project who attended my class, pregnant
with her eighth child, came up to me with tears in her eyes.  She
thanked me, saying she never really knew what happened before.  What
teacher wouldn't be grateful for that student!!

Another effective class was one on regular breast self-examinations,
which I taught to 20 social workers who each had family case loads of
50-75 families. The importance of such self-examinations was clearly
brought home to them since I, and the woman who helped me, both had
discovered our own breast cancers by this method.

Outside of the classroom I was also assigned a 15-year old deaf boy
whom I discovered had artistic talent.  I was able to connect him with
a street artist whose work I admired.  It turned out the street artist
had a college degree in art plus a deformed leg.  Both these men
gained from their shared experience.  It was gratifying to see the
boy's self-confidence grow because of this simple act. 

I also made a home visit to take gifts from a friend to the girl whom
my friend was sponsoring through the Common Hop Project.  On this visit
I learned the social worker's wife worked with family planning.  A
perfect fit for some of the other video material I had been able to
bring with me.

Through Common Hop, families are taught such things as how to raise
plump, saleable chickens, rather than scrawny ones fed table scraps. 
For families to participate in the program, the children must go to
school every day and succeed.  To be eligible to receive one of the
houses U.S. volunteers help construct, a family must put in 500 hours
of sweat equity.

This was my 6th visit to Guatemala.  I had plans to go again next
year, with a surgical team, until I learned that was the time my 3rd
grandchild was due.  The head of the team has promised I will be the 
first asked on his next trip.  I believe that my health, my supportive 
husband, family and friends plus my faith will allow me to continue 
to serve others in this way.

I can't tell you how important to me the friendships I formed by
actually going to the site are.  These hard-working people are so kind
and extremely thankful for what they receive, and the staff and
long-term volunteers at the Common Hop Project are the best ever.  It
warms my heart each time I think of them.  

The Common Hop Project can be reached at P.O. Box 14298, St. Paul, MN
55114, fax 651 917 7458 or email info@mn.commonhope.org or
http://www.commonhope.org

Respectfully submitted by
Linda B. Jenkins, RN, BSN, PHN, ACCE
jenxl@aol.com    http://www.birthprep.com

+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+
Guatemalan Discussion Board - Ask & Answer Questions
http://www.trafficman.com/boards/ 
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====================================================
5. Travel Reports - Pam Hanson
====================================================
Copyright 2000 by Pamela Hanson. All rights reserved. 
No copies may be distributed without permission.
hansonpm@fmmail.uc.edu

News from Guatemala, September 19 2000                  
Greetings, friends and family. 

Thanks to those who responded to the test message.  This is my first 
time at an Internet cafe and I'm noticing how long it takes to process 
email on a relatively slow computer.  So, I probably will be selective 
about reading replies - if you need me to read something promptly 
please say so in the subject line. I had been looking forward to 
meeting new and interesting people on my trip - both Guatemaltecos 
and fellow students.  I was not disappointed in my hope - as I 
came up to the gate at the Cincinnati airport I heard my name 
called  - there was Marta from my writing class!  She and her 
husband were seeing off their daughter who was flying on the 
same flight to Guatemala city and would be studying at a language 
school a short distance from Xela, the city where I am!  She met a 
friend in Houston, and they joined me at my hotel in Guatemala City 
on Saturday night.  At the airport we also met Paul, from Arizona, 
who was going to the same hotel, and as I guessed, the same school 
as me, since I got the hotel's name from the school's website.  So 
my worries about traveling alone on the bus to Xela were unfounded.  
And, in fact, the bus was nicer than expected - regulation Greyhound, 
somewhat worn. 

We arrived without incident and went to the school, where we were assigned 
to our families.  My family lives half a block from the school, so I can 
sleep till the last minute.  I have eaten several new foods - plantains 
steamed and fried, "tamalitos" - fried corn mush, a form of thin oatmeal. 
Today for breakfast we had cornflakes and quesadillos. I am pleasantly 
surprised at how well I am able to converse in Spanish - albeit 
ungrammatically.  I pretty much flunked the past and future tenses 
on the assessment test!  So my teacher, Daniel, is starting with a 
review of grammar.  We work for 5 hours with a 30-minute break - both 
oral and written exercises.  It's amazing how tired I get - lots more 
mistakes after the break.  Yesterday I made the mistake of not eating 
a snack and I couldn't concentrate at all by lunchtime.  Now I know why 
those school lunches are so important. 

Xela is in the highlands, so it is not hot.  Also, it is the end 
of the rainy season so it has mostly been rainy.  Even when I'm 
not cold, I feel cold because of the gloom and damp.  This internet 
cafe is the warmest place I have been so far.  Good thing I brought layers. 

Well, I've been online for over an hour, so I will conclude for now.  
Thank you for all your prayers.  I hope to communicate once or twice 
a week - it's been very grounding to hear from home. 
Love 
Pam 

News from Guate, September 24, 2000                  
Estimados amigos (esteemed friends), 

Now I'm an old hand, having completed a whole week here in Xela.  
I have had my bout with turista, completely reviewed the preterit 
and the imperfect tenses, done lots of hand laundry, and learned 
about social and political conditions in Guatemala.  

I do love the one-on-one instruction.  Even grammar is not boring 
this way.  I can understand everything my teacher, Daniel, says 
to me - not true for everyone I encounter on the streets, so I 
suspect he's slowing down a bit for me.  We intersperse the study 
of verb tenses with articles and other parts of speech, and also 
read the newspaper and humorous short stories.  
      
The weather improved slightly - the sun came out for two whole 
afternoons - but it still tends to be cloudy and damp.  My bath 
towel never dries out.  One of the guidebooks compared Xela to 
the manufacturing towns in the north of England - "dour" and gloomy.  
The comparison seems apt.  And although I have a room to myself, 
it is not so comfortable as to invite me to hole up there! Given 
the above, it seemed desirable to have a break from Xela over 
the weekend.  So Paul (my fellow student from Phoenix) and I 
determined to take an overnight trip and visit two of the nearby 
villages.  (I think Paul is an angel in disguise - it's clearly 
providential that I met him.) 

We set off early from Xela on a chicken bus - so-called because 
of the frequent presence of live fowl on their way to market.  
These buses are "retired" US school buses, which provide all the 
2nd class service here.  

They are brightly painted to make up for any minor deficiencies 
in function or comfort.  They are surprisingly capacious - due 
to the conductor's insistence than every bench seat can hold at 
least 3 adults and possibly a couple of children, and that the 
one-foot aisle between each pair of seats can hold another person.  
Naturally, the overhead racks are full of colorful (in every sense 
of the word) packages, from our daypacks to the parcels wrapped in 
the eye-catching cloths woven by the indigenous (Maya) women.  On 
top of the bus is the heavy luggage - large baskets of produce or 
the aforementioned fauna trussed for market, sacks of rice, corn or
beans, and the occasional frame pack of a gringo.
      
Our hearts were light.  The sun was shining, we had secured a place 
on the bus and were pleased with our intrepidity in undertaking this 
adventure.  The scenery was wonderful, volcanic peaks lushly 
carpeted at the end of the rainy season.  The road wound around 
the mountains so that the view was constantly changing.  We 
discovered another reason for the buses to be "chicken" buses - 
the way the drivers drive!  Passing on a blind curve was common 
place, and they tried to make up time on the downslopes.  But we 
didn't care - we were living!

We changed at Los Encuentros for Panajachel - a town worth visiting, 
for though touristy, it is on the beautiful Lago de Atitlan, which is 
in a caldera, a collapsed volcanic cone.  The bus emptied out in a 
town square, and upon inquiring for Panahajel, we were told that we 
would find it "abajo" - down there.  Naively, we set off on foot.  
After quite a few feet, we consulted the guidebook and found that 
we had been set down in Solala, and that "Pana" was 10 km down the 
mountain.  Feeling hardy, we remained optimistic, and in fact enjoyed 
some spectacular views that we would have missed from the bus.  
However, my light walking shoes were not intended for such a hike,
and after about 6 or 7 km, though I had adjusted my socks and 
tightened my laces, I began to get blisters on my toes.  Several 
chicken buses had passed us at high speed, when a private bus 
stopped a few yards ahead to let someone off for a pit stop.  
We looked at each other and agreed to ask for a lift the rest 
of the way.  It turned out to be a church group on the way to a 
day at the beach. 

We hired a launch for a short voyage on the lake, then treated 
ourselves to a nice meal in a restaurant overlooking the street.  
Our families in Xela, though better off than many, are pretty poor 
by US standards and the food is pretty basic.  So we had something 
special to tide through the next week - and still quite cheap 
compared to what we would pay for something similar in the US.  
Then we found a mid-range (in price for Guatemala) hotel and had 
a siesta.  Again, we found it refreshing to be in surroundings a 
bit more like what we are used to at home - including a real shower.  
In the evening we watched the sunset, then sat on the veranda.  
Paul practiced his verbs and I read sub-voce from the Spanish Gideon 
Bible in our room.  Luke's tale of Christ's birth reads just as 
well in Spanish as in English!

Today we got up at six to watch the sunrise over the lake, had 
a delicious (included) breakfast of pancakes and eggs at the 
hotel, then enjoyed the luxury ($3 instead of $1 on the bus) 
of a tourist shuttle to Chichicastenango, a famous market town.  
We wandered the market, spent an hour sipping in a sidewalk cafe, 
then had lunch in a "comedor", a little eatery where mom cooked 
in the back and junior waited tables.  

The local color in Chichi was just as incredible as the guidebooks 
said.  The market was a regular warren of stalls, apparently going 
on forever.  It reminded me of what I've read about the bazaars in 
North Africa - I could see how one could easily disappear forever 
in there.  However, it did not have the sinister feel of the bazaars 
of fiction.  The edges were more devoted to tourists with endless 
displays of Maya textiles, while in the most central portion were 
the things needed by the locals for daily life.  In the heat and 
smoke of the cooking fires of the vendors, we saw live turkeys 
and chicks, litters of puppies, staple foods, household wares, 
new and used clothing, old flatirons and shoe lasts, and much more.  
Maya women discreetly nursed their babies or carried them, 
completely covered up, slung in blankets on their backs.  
Guatemala still has a very strong indigenous Maya culture, and we 
could have sat forever watching the street scene.  Each village 
has its own unique weaving patterns, and each woman adds her 
own variations, so colorful does not even begin to describe it. 
We kept saying to each other, about the scenery and the people, 
"we're not in Kansas anymore".  

It was an incredibly satisfying weekend, leaving no doubt in 
our minds that we have seen something of the real indigenous 
culture.  And to top it off, we are now seasoned chicken bus 
travelers who can confidently get anywhere in the Guatemalan 
highlands we want to go! So, this is your Guatemalan correspondent
 signing off for now.  Tune in to the next dispatch for an 
update on the evil San Simon, the drinking and smoking saint, 
who is still worshiped in some of the villages.

Pam Hanson
hansonpm@fmmail.uc.edu
===============================================
6.  Publishing & Advertising Information
===============================================
Xela Pages Guatemalan Newsletter is published online.
http://www.xelapages.com/newsletter/

If you would like to advertise in this newsletter send request to
mailto:tom@xelapages.com Cost will be $5.00/issue - until further
notice

Have a great trip!!

Tom Lingenfelter - Editor
http://www.xelapages.com/
mailto:tom@xelapages.com 
==============================================