Yeah, I've heard there is only a small number of Blacks in the City, so it shouldn't be embarrassing.

Although most of my Guatemalan relatives define themselves as ethnically Garifuna, many don't look it--Particularly those who I've met. Some of those who don't look Black have told me that outside of the areas where many Garifuna live, they would see Blacks who look Black be made fun of so, particularly when younger, they didn't exactly broadcast that they were Garifuna (or at least part Garifuna). Those most probably physically blended in with the majority in the City.

Did you hear that a survey just came out about which country is the happiest?

Guatemala won.

Ana_moc. Belated thanks for the information on the currency in Guatemala. What you write about the wages of your friend's domestic help $75 a month) is unfathomable for people in prosperous countries. Can one live on that in Guatemala?

About that survey, I haven't heard anything. Here in the city it's VERY rare to see black peopple, so I haven't heard of them being made fun of, but i'm sure it hapens sometimes.
I'm sorry, ,about the wages, did I say 75? actually it's more around 125 dollars a month (a little better huh) sorry for the exageration But still it's not very much. the thing is that when they are helping, they get their place to live (usually a small room) food and electricity and water, all that PLUS the 125 dollars a month, so if you think about it that way it's not soooooooooo bad. Also food is a lot sheaper here, so they can make it. And they are usually single and don't have kids, or they are older and their kids are married, so they don't need to support anybody else but themselves.

Ana_moc. Many thanks for the additional information. It sounds as if wages and prices may be broadly comparable to those in some of the former Eastern Bloc countries ...

Well I think that maybe you can compare those countries with Guatemala (and most of Central America) economicaly, although I think that the culture is sooo difrent, the weather is sooo diferent, I don't really know. I went to the Czech Republic, and I fund that some of the prices for food and clothes were very similar, but the pproducts they had were very diferent. Also the old cars and sertain things like that reminded me of home.

I just found this great website that has some really good information on safety tips and also on travel routes and things like that, I thought that the safety tips were the best (although some are to obvious) Guatemalaweb Home page This website has PLENTY of information, some things I don't think are true (like what they say about zone 1, you really have to be carefull there!) but most of it is true. I hope it's helpfull to someone. There is also cultural information and lots of mayan related information and little like games.

Im sorry, I was reading through all the posts again and I forgot to mention my favourite joke, Guatemalan Government.

Please don't think that we are al las bad as this man who is now the president of such a beautifull country. He has stolen lots of money and maybe he is involved in some drug traffic, but that is just him and his "gang" the rest of us poor civilians are mostly pretty decent.

Here in third world countries, many peopple aren't educated, so it's very easy to manipulate them. (the majority of guatemala's population either hasn't gone to shool, or never got past elementary. ) So this man, called Alfonso Portillo comes along and gets them to see that he is the best, he is going to give them each a whole sack of fertilizer, if he is elected, so naturally (and regretfully) he won the elections. Of course he gave everyone A sack of fertilizer, but what he doesn't tell them is that once you have put the fertilizer on the plant, the plant will need it to survivve. So the first crop comes out GREAT, but then unexplanably, they get back to their normal selves. So now that he stole all the money to make the roads to those little villages, how can they get all the fertilizer there? it has to be taken up by hand... but they still think he's the best and are willing to re-elect him for another sack of fertilizer... ohh politics is not my favorite subject, but yes, politically we aren't doing so good. But still, all that wont harm the tourists, come on down, the weather is great and the war is over! (dont get me started on Rigoberta Menchu!)