Dirty Girl
TRIBE Member
has anyone been to Guatemala?
what can you tell me about it and about vacationing there?
what can you tell me about it and about vacationing there?
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Guatemala
- Thread starter Dirty Girl
- Start date
Dirty Girl
TRIBE Member
well i can now look up GAP adventure tours, so thats helpful, thank you 
did she go by herself or with friends?
did she go by herself or with friends?
AgentSanchez
TRIBE Promoter
Guatemala can be pretty hairy - my company doesn't let any of it's employees (who aren't from Guatemala) move around without an armed security escort, and this is not a useless precaution.
Klubmasta Will
TRIBE Member
i spent about 2.5 weeks in guatemala this year.
did ANTIGUA (pacaya volcano is an active volcano, you can walk right up to flowing lava), COBAN (semuc champey and the lanquin caves), FLORES (tikal and yaxha are mayan ruins that are incredible to explore) and then jumped over to neighbouring BELIZE for scuba diving the blue hole.
fantastic trip. semuc champey is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
it is by no means a *comfortable* trip, as it is hot and humid (with most places being too poor to have air conditioning) and there are lots of bugs, but it's worth it to see sites like the caves and the mayan ruins. the capital, guatemala city, is rampant with crime. our friends warned us not to go anywhere in the city alone, as it's open season on tourists and the cops don't care. (contrast this with costa rica, where the punishment for robbing a tourist in very harsh, thus resulting in a very safe environment for whities.)
jeffsus - your friend probably got robbed on pacaya which is near antigua. they warn against climbing unless you are with a group, as the locals will rob you.
did ANTIGUA (pacaya volcano is an active volcano, you can walk right up to flowing lava), COBAN (semuc champey and the lanquin caves), FLORES (tikal and yaxha are mayan ruins that are incredible to explore) and then jumped over to neighbouring BELIZE for scuba diving the blue hole.
fantastic trip. semuc champey is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
it is by no means a *comfortable* trip, as it is hot and humid (with most places being too poor to have air conditioning) and there are lots of bugs, but it's worth it to see sites like the caves and the mayan ruins. the capital, guatemala city, is rampant with crime. our friends warned us not to go anywhere in the city alone, as it's open season on tourists and the cops don't care. (contrast this with costa rica, where the punishment for robbing a tourist in very harsh, thus resulting in a very safe environment for whities.)
jeffsus - your friend probably got robbed on pacaya which is near antigua. they warn against climbing unless you are with a group, as the locals will rob you.
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Dirty Girl
TRIBE Member
yeh i wanna see the mayan ruins and stuff like that. thats my cup of tea.
what kind of bugs are we talking here?
like how dangerous is it? will i just get robbed, or raped and murdered too?
do you need shots (like hep) to go there?
and most importantly, who is danny trejo?
what kind of bugs are we talking here?
like how dangerous is it? will i just get robbed, or raped and murdered too?
do you need shots (like hep) to go there?
and most importantly, who is danny trejo?
Dirty Girl
TRIBE Member
Klubmasta Will
TRIBE Member
bugs: mostly mosquitos
danger: we saw single females travelling there, and it seemed perfectly safe. as long as you don't do anything stupid like stroll through downtown guatemala city by yourself (which would be stupid for anyone and which you wouldn't want to do anyway because there's nothing to see there but people getting robbed) or climb a volcano by yourself (which you wouldn't do because you'd get lost and/or burned to death), you should be fine. in the more touristy spots like antigua, coban and flores, there is enough backpacker traffic that you'd always have people to hook up with. from what i've heard, the only real danger is getting robbed, as opposed to raped/murdered. the local folk tell stories of a female tourist that got raped a couple years ago, and the very fact that it's a story leads one to think that it's a rare occurrence.
shots: you'll need a bunch, but i don't remember what. if they offer malaria pills, always say yes cuz they give you f*cked up dreams.
danny trejo - he's a mexican actor, recently played machete. not sure why he's being mentioned in a thread about guatemala.
Dirty Girl
TRIBE Member
thanks willie
yeh I think you would actually have to pay ME to go to mexico these days. its about as unappealing as they get right now.
has anyone, other than Collers gf who isnt here to comment, taken those Gap adventure tours?
im reading some bad reviews online.
are there other companies like that that anyone knows of or has used or recomends?
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The first 5 days of her trip is being spent with her brother. He's a youth worker in Victoria but goes to Guatemala every year for a bit to help street kids there.
The guy is 6'4" and basically looks like a crazy long red haired viking biker, someone you don't want to mess with. He has lots of friends there and will be escorting her around. But he prepped her on safety issues like always carry $50 american on you to buy yourself out of a kidnapping ... seriously.
After 5 days she's going on her own and meeting up with a GAP tour that started in Mexico and then does Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
thanks willie
im reading some bad reviews online.
I'm surprised. GAP has a pretty solid reputation and my girl researches EVERYTHING to the point of it being ridiculous. I have many friends who've done GAP tours and have said nothing but good things about them.
Dirty Girl
TRIBE Member
I'd love to hear what she thought of it, if you happen to remember to post in here after she is back
Hey, I spent a few months in Guatemala 3 years ago. Its a beautiful, tough and interesting country. If you do go, make sure to spend a few days in Semuc Champey, Xela, and Lake Atitllan (San Pedro esp). Antigua is as close to a tourist trap as you'll find in Guatemala. There are some excellent Mayan caves near San Ignacio (on the guatamala/belize border) + Volcano hikes are good fun.
I never had a problem but met plenty of people who had been robbed (knifepoint, gunpoint, in absentia etc). The southwest + border areas and guatemala city were especially dangerous.
Its definitely not for the faint of heart, but guatemala is a cool place, definitely recommend.
I never had a problem but met plenty of people who had been robbed (knifepoint, gunpoint, in absentia etc). The southwest + border areas and guatemala city were especially dangerous.
Its definitely not for the faint of heart, but guatemala is a cool place, definitely recommend.
Bass-Invader
TRIBE Member
My friend is does a lot of work in that country. He says I would be killed if I went there because Guatemalan criminals don't fuck around, the government doesn't pay the police, and I'm a fuckhead. Stay away.
Dirty Girl
TRIBE Member
does anyone know how long the flight is from tdot to there?
i want to go now, stupid work.
i want to go now, stupid work.
Dirty Girl
TRIBE Member
Does anyone know any other reputable tour companies like that GAP one?
What can you tell me about Belize?
What can you tell me about Belize?
Klubmasta Will
TRIBE Member
you don't need a tour company. just figure out where you want to go, then buy your flight in and out of the country. once there, you can get around my bus, taxi or other means. it is easy to travel within the country, especially if you are visiting the notable cities and tourist spots, by visiting travel agencies within the country.
BELIZE is good times, but more of a vacation destination (especially the cayes) than an exploring destination. we stayed in caye caulker for around 4 days and did some amazing scuba diving in the blue hole and the belize barrier reef. it is a destination for divers, in my opinion. if you don't dive, it might not be the optimal choice.
BELIZE is good times, but more of a vacation destination (especially the cayes) than an exploring destination. we stayed in caye caulker for around 4 days and did some amazing scuba diving in the blue hole and the belize barrier reef. it is a destination for divers, in my opinion. if you don't dive, it might not be the optimal choice.
Just got word from my girl. She's loving Guatemala, says it's beautiful. A lot has changed apparently in the past 6 months. There a stronger police presence and everything is much safer. Her brother who's been travelling there for over 10 years is really surprised by these sudden changes for the better.
There is some kind of worm that crawls in your ear and will pretty much kill you.
That can be found around Tikal where the ruins are.
You need Typhoid, hep shots.
Dangerous place, but I was rollin around with a 9mm.
Actually my uncle told me not to go out alone in the city but of course I snuck out at night and tried to find a nightclub. The one I went to was dead so I told the taxi to take me where there were some women. He takes me to a stripclub. lol
A group of strippers robbed me of all my money! I had to make excuses why no one was getting Christmas presents. haha
Going again for a couple weeks this Christmas.
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Dirty Girl
TRIBE Member
There is some kind of worm that crawls in your ear and will pretty much kill you.
That can be found around Tikal where the ruins are.
.
lol isnt that from a movie?
Klubmasta Will
TRIBE Member
^ guatemala may be somewhat more dangerous than your typical vacation destination, but it will hardly spawn the wrath of khan.