The
people of the Quiché region are very
conservative in dress. You will notice that
no one in Guatemala wears shorts unless they
are playing in a soccer game. We need to dress
and act accordingly. Avoid tight and exposing
clothing, and clothes that categorizes you
as tourists (shorts, loud shirts, fanny packs,
etc.). Loose, comfortable clothing works well,
along with some sturdy shoes. As well, conspicuous
displays of wealth will gain you unwanted
attention. Dress down, and leave expensive
watches and jewelry at home.
Photography
The
colorful dress of the indigenous Maya may
tempt you to photography, but you should always
ask first. Women especially are quite sensitive
to being photographed. At the work site and
the orphanage almost everyone will be happy
to be photographed, especially the children.
Save your film for them!
Children
It
is not recommended to photograph or interact
closely with children outside the work site
or orphanage. This has recently caused problems
between tour groups and local populations.
Per the U.S. State Department, "Avoid close
contact with children, including taking their
photographs, in rural areas with predominantly
indigenous populations. Such contact can be
viewed with deep alarm, and may provoke panic
and violence."
Food
& Water
The
staple diet in the highlands consists of
beans, rice, and corn tortillas. The largest
meal of the day is lunch, which is usually
served hot. Dinner is often eaten late in
the evening. If invited to a meal at someone's
house, it is considered rude to not accept
what is offered you. It is good to remember
that a few Pepto-Bismol tablets before such
meals can do much to prevent serious consequences.
At
the hotel in Chichicastenango we will eat
food that is substantially better than that
of the local population. Still, portions
are generally smaller than Americans are
used to, so you may want to bring some snacks.
Food at the hotel in Chichicastenango is
prepared sanitarily, and only purified water
is used.
Never
eat unpackaged food from street vendors.
Never
drink tap water. Any
drinking water that does not come out of
a sealed bottle should be viewed with suspicion.
When ordering in restaurants, specify "agua
pura" for purified water, and it should
be delivered in an unopened bottle. Don't
drink beverages with ice unless you know
the water used is purified. Don't brush
your teeth with tap water. The Center
for Disease Control has more resources
on this subject.
Sanitation
Always
wash your hands before eating. If water
is not available use alcohol-based wipes
or antibacterial gel.
You
should never put toilet paper into any toilet.
Use the trash can next to the toilet to
deposit toilet paper or any other things
that you need to dispose of.
Alcohol
& Tobacco
In
the rural areas of Guatemala drinking in moderation
is not the norm; either one drinks to excess
or not at all. Tobacco use is virtually unknown
in the rural areas, and smoking is prohibited
by most local evangelical churches. It is
important for us as Christian representatives
of the United States to set an appropriate
example. For these reasons alcoholic beverages
and tobacco may not be used during the working
portion of the trip.
Safety
Guatemala
is a fairly safe place as long as commonsense
precautions are observed:
Travel
during daylight hours in groups.
Be
extremely alert when crossing streets
on foot. Drivers will not even slow down
for a careless pedestrian.
Watch
your luggage closely, especially in Guatemala
City and Antigua.
Avoid
wearing jewelry and expensive-looking
watches.
Don't
display large amounts of cash.
In
the market at Chichicastenango, pickpockets
are common and quite good. Keep your wallet
close to the body, under your clothes.
As a rule, don't bring anything into the
market you would mind losing
Money
The
local currency in Guatemala is the Quetzal
(pronounced "ket-zall"). The
exchange rate is currently $1 to 8 Quetzales.
You can change money at the hotel or at
banks in Guatemala City and Chichicastenango.
There is an ATM in Chichi which is fairly
dependable as well. Don't count on being
able to use a credit card to make purchases.
If
you bring travelers cheques, American Express
cheques are the easiest kind to exchange
in Chichi. Generally, U.S. currency is quicker
and easier to exchange than travelers cheques.
Dollar bills can be used as tips in Guatemala
City in lieu of Quetzales. If you do bring
U.S. currency, make sure that there absolutely
no tears in the bills and no extraneous
marks. A torn bill is almost impossible
to exchange in Guatemala.
One
last thing...
Although
construction and Bible school are the tangible
goals of the trip, the really crucial tasks
are interacting with the local people, sharing
our our faith as well as our resources. As
Americans we tend to get single-mindedly focused
on the work. Remember to step back and slow
down. Life has a different pace in Guatemala.
Rebeka