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XELA PAGES GUATEMALAN NEWSLETTER http://www.xelapages.com/ Issue #7, June 19, 1999 Current Subscriber - 700 ============================================== Copyright 1999 By Tom Lingenfelter -- Xela Pages NOTE: This Newsletter is sent to subscribers, friends, and business associates. This is NOT UCE or SPAM everyone on this list has contacted me in the past or subscribed to this newsletter. Xela Pages will NEVER provide its subscriber list to ANYONE. We respect
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This information was found in the 1994 Edition of the Rough Guide Guatemala & Belize. You can find more info on Rough Guide at http://www.roughguide.com Fiestas in the Western Highlands of Guatemala This list is just the village name and date. You can find a more complete listing with the Department name and Main Day of the fiesta on the web site. Also, due to different email program settings this list may not line up the way I wanted it to and could be hard to read. So, please goto the web site for a better view. http://www.xelapages.com
- under Highland Fiestas
Fiestas in June Village
Dates
Fiestas in July Villages
Dates
Fiestas in August Village
Dates
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Fodor's Belize & Guatemala: The Complete Guide With Beaches, Maya
Ruins and Dive Sites (1st Ed)
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Over the last several weeks I have been getting quite a few questions about the weather and what people should bring with them in the way of clothing and such. So, this past weekend I decided to put it all down on paper and email it to the group as well as put it on my web site. 1. Weather Forecast: The best forecast I could find online was the CNN weather center. They have several cities in Guatemala and give current weather reports along with a 4-day forecast. I have placed links to 5 cities on the front page of the web site, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala City, Huehuetenango, Flores and Puerto Barrios. If any of you know of a good weather web site with Guatemalan cities please email the URL to me! Quetzaltenango's weather is somewhat predictable with temperatures ranging from the mid 40's & 50's in the mornings and night, while reaching the high 60's to 80's during the day. The rainy season is May - September and you can count on it raining virtually every afternoon during this time. 2. Things to bring: Alarm Clock, Flashlight (especially if you are going to Tikal), Towel, Mosquito Repellant, Sun Screen, Prescription Medication, Something for stomach sickness I have personally tried the antibiotic Cipro and found it to work great in combination with Imodium AD! Sunglasses, Shower Shoes, Handy Wipes (they are very handy!) GuideBook, Email addresses of family & friends...etc. Clothing - Jeans, T-shirts, Sweater/Sweatshirt, Shorts, Swimsuit, Jacket, Rain Gear, poncho and a comfortable pair of shoes or boots. You will be walking around alot in Xela and many streets are cobblestone, but some are dirt, so think about your shoes. Traveling is dirty business so think ahead on what you are going to wear. There are plenty of Laundry Mats in town and most will wash and fold your clothing for about Q10/load. Spanish/English Dictionary - Not just for students! Money - While it is possible to use your ATM in Guatemala City or Quetzaltenango, smaller towns do not have ATMs yet. Quetzaltenango has 3 or 4 ATMs that accept debit/credit cards using the Plus System. You can also get cash advances on Visa or MasterCard at local banks. I recommended that you bring some money in cash US $$, the bulk of your money in traveler's checks US$$ and then maybe a debit/credit card for good measure. The easiest currency to change in Guatemala is US Dollars $. I sinceryly hope this helps those of you who are coming this summer! Tom +==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+==+
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Guatemala----the enchanted land of enormous volcanoes, colonial cities, ancient ruins of the Mayan people and the most colorful collection of textiles still woven and worn by the descendants of the Maya today. Two girlfriends of mine, both artists of Hispanic descent, went there to absorb the vibrations of the sacred, pre-Columbian site of Tikal and incorporate them into their work. I was there to take copious photographs and jot my impressions in my journal to use for future articles. The charming Asjemenou Hotel in Antigua was our base from which we took several trips around the country. Antigua's earthquake-damaged churches fascinated me, standing each in its majesty, roofless to the world and beset by the elements of time. The town is surrounded by three volcanoes, Aqua being the most prominent, visible every day above the Arco de Santa Catarina, at the end of our street, Fifth Avenue Norte. There are markets galore, courtyards reminescent of New Orleans, and
a wide selection of good, interesting and inexpensive restaurants.
I remember having the delectable specialty of the house, grilled tenderloin,
at the Posada de la Calle Real. We were serenaded by three guitarists
as we tried to make out all the witty Spanish sayings
We met Rolf from Sweden who was attending one of the thirty Spanish language schools in Antigua. You can have one-on-one instruction for five or six hours a day, live with a Guatemalan host family, sharing three meals and practicing your Spanish. What a total immersion program! Our first side trip was by air to Tikal. Teresa wanted to be sitting
on top of Temple No. 4 on her birthday, and she made it. This building
is the tallest structure in the pre-Columbian world. Cynthia made Teresa
a birthday cake out of Twinkies but built in the form of a Tikal pyramid,
and we put candles on each layer. I had longed to see these steep pyramidal
shapes topped by temples and elaborate roof combs. We spent five
days there so were able to see almost everything. Staying at the
Jungle Lodge, we were able to view toucans and parrots in the trees, peccaries
and an unusual species of lizard eating outside our door. The howler monkeys
which sounded more like jaguars to me, roared day an night. Lake Atitlan
was the setting of our second trip. With our base in Panajachel at
the Galinda Hotel, we visited the market at Solola, went to San Jorge and
burned candles in
I took a third trip to see the wonders of Copan in Honduras and the beautifully-preserved stele in Quirigua with an afternoon spent in Rio Dulce on the Caribbean coast. It is quite easy and inexpensive to get around Guatemala. There are shuttles or minibuses, which take you from the airport to your hotel in any of the towns mentioned. Wait and buy all your trips inside the country for the best prices. Rest before you go, because many of the side trips require you to rise at 4:00 A.M. Take American money and put it in a money belt. We were chicas sin quetzales when the banks were closed for three days to celebrate Army and Bank Days. But thanks to a friendly travel agent, Christian, who cashed my companions' travelers checks and changed my money into quetzales. Elated we bought a bottle of Chilean champagne to celebrate. Sandy Roberts
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Have a great trip!! Tom Lingenfelter - Editor
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