Safety in Guatemala City, Guatemala What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?
People’s Opinions
We stayed with YWAM in Zone 7. We did not have any issues with safety but tried our best to set in place precautions to help make sure that our team members were not an easy target. That mostly included walking in groups and trying to keep a guy with the girls most of the time. Having a YWAM staff member with us for ministry helped us to be able to keep away from trouble since they knew the area better than us.
We lived in Zone 7 for almost three months, and had no problems. With Guatemala City, safety really depends on the zone you are in. We are an all girl team, and apart from catcalling there were never any problems. You do need to be smart though. Don’t go out at night, and always have at least one other person with you. Always take the least amount of things you can when you go out, just in case something happens. Don’t go wandering around. It is really easy to wander into a bad area if you don’t know where you are going. So, in all Zone 7 is pretty safe, but still use precaution. You are still in Guatemala City, so always be aware.
We stayed in Guatemala City a few nights to renew our Visas — BE SURE TO CHECK THE ZONE that your hostel is in (OR only select hostels in good areas of the city). Our squad was separated between two zones, both unsafe ones. Two of us were robbed at gun point walking back from the nearest grocery store in daylight by two men. This was the only incident we had, but our buddy-system was upped to more than 3 people for the rest of our time in the city. This happened in Zone 13. Guatemalans try to limit their time in the City because of incidents like this.
Guatemala City can be safe during the day but this would not take away future WRacers of taking all necessary precautions such as being aware of all your surroundings and always be in a group of two or more. The transportation can be at times overwhelming crowded and while the locals are friendly an extra awareness would be extremely suggested due pockets pickers. At night time is preferable to be already in the commodity of your lodging as risks of crimes increases.
Ministry Summary
The heart of this ministry is to bring the love of Jesus Christ to the streets in practical ways and transform the lives of the homeless.
Share your stories
Listen to their stories
Smile
Play cards or other games (soccer)
Washing feet
Braiding hair, nail polishing
Tutoring children
Giving of your time
“This would be an amazing ministry for future WR. It’s raw. You get to see and do practical things. Our ministry hosts/contact are a huge blessing.” Rating (1-4): 4
Ministry Summary in Guatemala City, Guatemala Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?
People’s Opinions
We were able to do ministry almost every day of the week outside the base and then helped with renovation of the base. Two days a week, we did kids ministry. one day a week, we did house visits. and every other week, we were able to work with at risk teens. The ministry was a great time to do a beauty for ashes event. The other times, we were helping with whatever job they would give us to keep up the YWAM base.
We stayed at the Guatemala City YWAM base for about three months. We absolutely loved our time there! Mostly, we helped out around the base to support YWAM during it’s DTS. We also had three days of ministry outside the base a week. Usually, we would have about 6-8 hours of work a day, which was great. The people here are amazing, and are like family to us now. On a scale of 1-4, this ministry would be a 5. We loved it there, and would highly recommend it to other teams.
Lodging
Lived at the ministry office location (a cute cottage)
Contact does not live with you
2 bedrooms, 2 bunk beds each room
1 full bathroom (hot shower) inside house for the ladies
1 outside bathroom/storage room for the men (no sink, guys use sink inside if they need it)
2 sofas, chairs, coffee table
hammocks can be used outside (it’s a nice compound)
place to wash clothes by hand and hang them
Lodging in Guatemala City, Guatemala Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.
People’s Opinions
We stayed at a house that was owned by YWAM. The rooms had bunk beds, bathrooms with showers and toilets, and a place to wash your clothes by hand. The guys slept in the same room as DTS students but the girls were able to have their own room to themselves. Lodging was still $6 per person per night.
We stayed at the YWAM base in Guatemala City for almost three months. We slept at the main base, and our team had our own room and bathroom. We are an all girl team, so we could stay at the main house. All the guys at the base sleep at another house a few blocks away. Lodging is $6 per person per night.
Food / Meals
Prepare you own meals; simple things such as spaghetti, tacos, chicken salad, mac & cheese, and sandwiches are the easiest but the sky is the limit.
Shopping is once a week at the supermarket
Veggies and fruit are cheaper at the local market, not the supermarket
Mango is a great sweet snack, and it’s cheap.
Food / Meals in Guatemala City, Guatemala What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).
People’s Opinions
We had most of our meals prepared at the YWAM base. The food was clean and no one got sick because of the food. On adventure days, we would head to a local mall to get wifi and American fast food.
Is there any food places you wouldn’t recommend and what places do you recommend to buy all the groceries that are good quality and has cheap prices?
We ate all our meals at the YWAM base. The food is amazing by the way. We would pay them our food budget money and they would incorporate it into their base food budget. We paid $5 per person per day. There are also some great street food options (and a nearby McDonalds) for days when you feel like using personal money.
Transportation
Transportation in Guatemala City, Guatemala What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.
People’s Opinions
When we were traveling for ministry our hosts would give us rides to every place we needed to go. For any personal trips, Uber was the best option to get from one place to another. We did not have any issues with our Uber drivers and it made it easy to get around the city.
Our host advised us not to use the chicken buses around the city. The YWAM base has vehicles to take teams to and from ministry. We would pay $2 per person per day in transportation. We also were able to pay the base to drive us to and from debrief in Antigua. The people at the base are very understanding, and will so everything they can to help you get where you need to go. They also know some good taxi drivers and can give you their numbers. Other than that, our team would usually walk everywhere. There are a lot of stores and food places in the area around the base. Our team also took a trip to Belize for a few days. We use the FDN buses, which were the cheapest bus option, and had safe travels there and back.
Medical
Medical in Guatemala City, Guatemala Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).
People’s Opinions
There is a 24 hour clinic just a few blocks away from the house. The staff at the YWAM base can show you where it is. Different people on the team needed to go for different reasons throughout our stay. It was always quick, and relatively cheap. The only downside is that most of the doctors and staff only speak Spanish, but we were always able to work around the language barrier. There is a pharmacy in the mall right across from the clinic as well.
While we were in GC, one of our teammates came down with symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain/cramping, and fever… Our contact knew of a little medical clinic for our teammate to have a sample tested for parasites, it came back negative. Our contact also has a relative on his wife’s side that is a doctor/general physician; they took our teammate to an appointment with her and she was diagnosed with Salmonella, cause unknown. Our contact knows of places and has connections in the medical field, it was a very easy process with his help.
Communication
Communication in Guatemala City, Guatemala Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?
People’s Opinions
We had great cell reception while we were in Guatemala City. The YWAM base has wifi, and there are also nearby coffee shops with wifi. There are also tiendas all down the street that the base is on where you can buy more minutes for your sim card.
Financial
Financial in Guatemala City, Guatemala Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.
People’s Opinions
Our host showed us an ATM that was located in the mall to withdraw money from. Then the bank that YWAM uses was next to the ATMs. They wanted us to just deposit the money into their account. It made for a safe and easy process to be able to pay them.
In Guatemala City, you can only exchange currencies at the airport. The best thing to do is withdraw cash from ATMs. There are good ATMs everywhere. The 5B ATMs are usually the most reliable, however, they do have the largest fee. There are some in every mall, and there are at least three four malls near the YWAM base.
Translators
Translators in Guatemala City, Guatemala List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken
People’s Opinions
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Off Days / Fun Activities
Tecpan (Mayan ruins) Around a 50 Q charge for foreigners. (A few blocks from the central market area is the most amazing chocobanana store. It doesn’t have any sign on the door, though)
Lake Atitlan. Boat ride from Panajachel to San Pedro is beautiful. Sight-seeing and shopping
Mira Flores Mall
Ciudad Cayala, located on one side of the city. Very beautiful. (Need to take a cab)
Historic center (Centro Histórico) in the city. The palace charges an entrance fee to foreigners, so you can skip that. Two blocks behind the main cathedral is the cheapest market for souvenirs in the city.
The bus ride to Panajachel from Guatemala was one of the most unsafe.
Off Days / Fun Activities in Guatemala City, Guatemala What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?
People’s Opinions
We spent several adventure days exploring the malls around the YWAM base. Mira Flores is our personal favorite. Our team also took a trip to Belize, and stayed at the YWAM base on Ambergris Caye. We took FDN buses, and then a water taxi. On the way back, we stopped by Tikal, and saw the ruins there. All together, the entire trip cost about $200 per person. We also took the DTS students to the zoo one day. We paid to use the YWAM car, and also paid for the student’s tickets. Tickets were 30q per person and the gas money was about 20q per person. There is also a giant park near the base that I think is 40q per person to enter.
Travel from GC to Panajachel – You can coordinate a private bus for around 40 round trip through Casa Verde Tours or take public transportation which is way cheaper but alot longer ( 5 buses to get there) At panajachel we stayed really nice and cheap hostel (8 usd PP) private bathroom in each room. Hostal Sueno Real its right infront of the lake with amazing terrace views, a must go if you a near.
Other Important Contacts
Other Important Contacts in Guatemala City, Guatemala Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions
People’s Opinions
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Tips
People’s Opinions
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Additional Info
Additional Info in Guatemala City, Guatemala Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?