Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Toilets
You cannot throw
anything
into Guatemalan toilets, including toilet paper. Bathrooms are equipped with some sort of re-
ceptacle (usually a small wastebasket) for soiled paper. Toilet paper is not always provided, so always carry some. If you
don't have any and need some, asking a restaurant worker for
un rollo de papel
(a roll of paper), accompanied by a pan-
icked facial expression, usually produces fast results.
Public toilets are rare. Use the ones at cafes, restaurants, your hotel and archaeological sites. Buses rarely have toilets
on board and if they do, don't count on them working.
Tourist Information
Guatemala's national tourism institute,
Inguat
(
www.visitguatemala.com
) , has information offices in major tourist
areas. A few towns have departmental, municipal or private-enterprise tourist information offices.
Proatur
(
in Eng-
lish 1500) , a joint private-government initiative, operates a 24-hour toll-free advice and assistance hotline.
Travelers with Disabilities
Guatemala is not the easiest country to negotiate for travelers with a disability. Although many sidewalks in Antigua
have ramps and cute little inlaid tiles depicting a wheelchair, the streets are cobblestone, so the ramps are anything but
smooth and the streets worse!
Many hotels in Guatemala are old converted houses with rooms around a courtyard; such rooms are wheelchair ac-
cessible, but the bathrooms may not be. The most expensive hotels have facilities such as ramps, elevators and access-
ible toilets. Transportation is the biggest hurdle for travelers with limited mobility: travelers in a wheelchair may con-
sider renting a car and driver as the buses will prove especially challenging due to lack of space.
Mobility International USA
(
www.miusa.org
) advises travelers on mobility issues, runs exchange programs (includ-
ing in Guatemala) and publishes some useful books. Also worth consulting are
Access-Able Travel Source
(
www.access-able.com
)
and
Accessible Journeys
(
www.disabilitytravel.com
)
.
Antigua-based
Transitions
(
www.transitionsfoundation.org
)
is an organization aiming to increase awareness and ac-
cess for people with disabilities in Guatemala.
Visas
Citizens of the US, Canada, EU countries, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Japan are among
those who do not need a visa for tourist visits to Guatemala. On entry into Guatemala you will normally be given a
90-day stay. (The number 90 will be written in the stamp in your passport.)
In August of 2006 Guatemala joined the Centro America 4 (CA-4) trading agreement with Nicaragua, Honduras and
El Salvador. Designed to facilitate the movement of people and goods around the region, it has one major effect on for-
eign visitors - upon entry to the CA-4 region, travelers are given a 90-day stay
for the entire region
. You can get this
extended once, for an additional 90 days, for around Q120. The exact requirements change with each government, but
just for kicks, here's how it was working at the time of writing: you needed to go to the
Departamento de ExtranjerÃa
