Survive - Guatemala - page 604

Though Antigua has a palatable - if subdued - scene, affection and action are still kept behind closed doors; the chief
exception is the gay-friendly club La Casbah. In Guatemala City, Genetic and the Black & White Lounge are the current
faves. Mostly, though, gays traveling in Guatemala will find themselves keeping it low-key and pushing the twin beds
together.
Gay.com ( www.gay.com ) has a personals section for Guatemala and The Gully ( www.thegully.com ) usually has
some articles and information relevant to Guatemala. The best site, Gay Guatemala ( www.gayguatemala.com ) , is in
Spanish.
Health
Staying healthy in Guatemala involves some common-sense precautions and a few destination-specific ones.
Before You Go
Step number one would be getting the recommended vaccines. Discuss these with your doctor, but the vaccines that are
usually recommended for travel to Central America are hepatitis A & B and typhoid. If you are planning to spend time
handling animals or exploring caves, consider getting vaccinated for rabies.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes can transmit two serious diseases - malaria and dengue fever. Malaria tablets are available and recommen-
ded if you are planning to travel in rural areas at altitudes lower than 1500m, especially in the rainy season (June to
November). It's worth noting that there is no malaria risk in Antigua or around Lake Atitlán. The best prevention against
mosquito-borne diseases is to avoid getting bitten. In high-risk areas this means a DEET-based insect repellent (bring
one from home), long sleeves and pant legs, avoiding being outside around sunrise and sunset and checking window
screens and mosquito nets in hotel rooms for holes where mosquitoes can enter.
Healthy Eating
By far the most common health issue that travelers to Guatemala experience is stomach-related. This can range from
serious diseases like cholera to simple cases of diarrhea. Watch what you eat, drink and generally put in your mouth.
Here are a few simple guidelines to keep you out of the bathroom and on the road:
» Wash your hands thoroughly before eating or touching your face.
» Eat only in places that appear to be clean (conditions in the dining room are sometimes a good indicator of what's go-
ing on in the kitchen).
» To ensure the food you eat is fresh and freshly cooked, eat only in busy places around mealtimes.
» Peel, cook or disinfect fruits and vegetables.
» Be very selective when it comes to street food.
» Avoid tap water unless it has been boiled thoroughly or disinfected. Ice in more expensive restaurants is made from
purified water, but order drinks without it if you want to be really cautious.
» If you do get sick and it lasts longer than a few days, take a stool sample to the laboratory (even the smallest towns
have them) for analysis. You'll get a possibly alarming readout of exactly what kinds of bugs you have. Any pharmacist
will be able use the readout to prescribe the appropriate medicine.