Our Guatemala Saga!

[susanmt]

Marina asked on my 'sunsuits' thread to update where we have got to with our plans for going to Guatemala next year. For those of you who don't know, my dh has got a sabbatical from work for 4 months next year, and we are going to Guatemala for 3 months to study Spanish, and with a view to going back to volunteer out there longer term. We're also spending 3 weeks in Canada with BIL on the way home.

This is where we've got to :

Booked flights and got tickets!!!
Itinery is as follows : 4th feb leave home. Weekend 4th-6th feb is my Dad's 60th so big family do. 10th feb fly Glasgow - Vancouver. Yes I know its a circuitous route but we are spending 3 weeks there on the way home and so this was cheapest! 14th feb, fly Vancouver-LA-Guatemala city, arrive morning of 15th.

We start language school on 28th feb. It gives us a chance to recover from flights, get acclimatised, introduce kids to the culture etc. We're staying with friends until then.

We fly Guate-Vancouver on 7th May and home on the 28th.

Ordered vaccinations
we all need : hepA, typhoid
all but dh need : hep B
children also need : bcg
dd2 also needs : mmr
dh and I need : tetanus booster

dreading taking dd1 for them. She knows!!

Got insurance
took a while to get someone who will cover my kidneys, but did in the end.

booked language school and paid deposit
so now it seems official!!

am getting together the things we need to take

sunsuits etc!!

have started potty training ds
needs to be done ..... I don't fancy handwashing nappies for 2!!

Thats it so far. I'll update you with other stuff if you like when we do it. We're all getting really excited about it.

Si, por favor, Susana!
Had forgotten that this trip was a shorter sabbatical/reconnaissance mission...hope it goes really well and leads to the longer stay you are looking for.

This is so exciting! Thanks for the update.

btw - A family in my church have jsut come back from missionary work and potty training worked brilliantly because the weather was so hot. Naked toddlers all trained under 2!

how fab- I livied in guatemala for 4 months about 10 years ago.. loved it... would go back again tomorrow.... have a great time!

It's a beautiful beautiful country with beautiful people. Definitely go to Tikal.

sounds brilliant susanmt,i'd love to do that!!
mucha suerte

Hola! Susamnt! Definitely keep us updated, what an experience for you all.

I know its a fab place, I've been twice and dh once, and we love it. Part of the idea of this trip is to try and set up a project so we can go back and work for a number of years. We'd love to go to Tikal, Sofia, but don't know how practical it will be this time, with the kids and everything. MAybe we can leave them with our friends for a few days. We did go to Copan (Honduaras) the last time we were there, and it wass amazing!.

Why and where were you when you were there mancMum? I love hearing from people who have been, not a lot of people know anything about it and its nice when people know where we are going!! We're going to be studying in Xela and also visiting friends in Estanzuela (Zacapa) in the east.

Latest update - we have booked our first round of jags for Thursday and the children are having their bcg skin tests on Friday. Got to get the jags over with , its the thing that is stressing me out the most!

The children had their BCG injections today. They were really good. One more thing crossed off the list of thing to do. We're about half was through the vaccinations now! It's seeming realler and realler!

Well done them, the BCG is pretty painful IIRC. your forward planning is tiptop, Susan!

Hope you have a wonderful time. I went to Guatamala on an Exodus trip about 11 years ago and loved it. We did go to Tikal, which was fantastic, but it's quite hard work getting there by road (or it was 11 years ago). We also narrowly avoided being held up by armed bandits twice too in the jungle, but I won't go into that as it's probably not relevant now! Frightening at the time but made a good story to tell at home afterwards !

You can fly to Flores though can't you? There is a little airport there and I know when we were there you could certainly fly from Mexico into Flores for a day trip to Tikal, so presumably you could fly internally there in Guatamala too? Would certainly be the easiest way if you took your children, or if you didn't but wanted not to be away too long.

I did all the usual tourist things when I was in Guatamala - went to lake Atitlan and Chichicastenango, stayed in Antigua, climbed one of the volcanoes near Guatamala city (truly amazing experience sitting on top at night watching it go off). I wasn't there for long though, but I did love it.

Where is Xela by the way?

Hope all your preparations continue to go well and you have a fantastic trip.

Actually to add in my twopennorth I would definitely recommend going to Tikal if there is any possible way you can do it. It is one of the most breathtaking sites in my opinion. A lot of it is to do with it's jungle setting - (Palenque in Mexico is also in a jungle setting, but not the same as it's all in one clearing). At Tikal you have to walk along paths through the jungle to get between different parts of the ruined city and there's nothing but jungle around you (and the sound of howler monkeys etc) and then suddenly a Mayan temple looms in front of you. It's just awe inspiring and it was the highlight of my trip.

Distraced, its great to meet someone else who has visited and has an interest in Guatemala, its not a place a lot fo people fom the UK have visited.
We went to Copan in Hondurs last time we were there, in 1999 and it was fabulous, all the pyramids in the jungle. I Much as we would like to go, I don't think it will be on this trip. Part of our reason for going in the spring is to have some meetings with the Anglican Church in Guate, as we plan to go and live and work there for a number of years. So we will have a chance to go when we are there long-term.
We also did all the tourist stuff - Chichicastenango, Antigua, Atitlan and loved it. One of the nice things is that I have an old university friend who now lives there (married a Guatemalan and they now have 2 girls), so we will be able to spend some time with them as well. And of course we are going to be studying spanish. Xela is in the highlands, NW of Antigua, and is also known as Quetzaltenango. It will be good as it is hot through the day but chilly at night

What is an Exodus trip that you went on. I've never heard of it before! Is it some kind of arranged tour to let you see all of the good bits?

I'm so jealous! I went there 10 years ago and it was fab. We only travelled through Guat on our way from Mexico to Belize (we couldn't afford to fly, we went cross country on rickety old US school buses. We camped in the jungle right on the border. The guide took us right into the jungle and there were loads of ruins! We also went to Tikal on our way through. We loved it, although the time we were there was slightly marred by the complete lack of international phone lines, it being my Mum's 50th b'day & I'd said I'd ring her to say hi on the day. By the time we got to Belize and found a phone she was on the verge of calling Interpol!

Got a phonecall from our freinds out there last night - they are all excited about it so so are we. Just as well - my kidneys are playing me up and I was thinking I would never get there, and then I spoke to someone out there and got all excited!

Am trying to decide what to do about taking nappies as dd2 is allergic to most disposables and I can't carry 4 months worth of Moltex! I'm worried her fleeecy minkis will be too hot for her - maybe should ask over on the nappy thread!

I don't think they bother much with nappies locally! (not where we are going anyway!)

I'm hoping to do a family website while we are away. And update you regularly!