Money

With just a few days to go until the big day, I'm starting with a couple last-minute blog posts about logistical things.

Money:

The Guatemalan currency is the quetzal. Bills come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200. As of January 6, the exchange rate was US$1 = GTQ 7.86. Do it in your head as 8 to 1.

ATM's are pretty common in Guatemala, so I would recommend that you make use of them rather than carrying around large sums of cash. You have to pay a bit in ATM fees, but it's worth it rather than having large sums of US$ being stolen. When you use ATM's, be careful; as everywhere else in the world these days, there is ATM fraud in Guatemala so check out your surroundings for modifications to the machine, cameras, etc. The best is to use ATM's located within businesses. When you initially come into the country, I don't think it's necessary to change money - those of you who are waiting in the airport can buy things in dollars or with your credit card, and I'll instruct the driver to have a bit of petty cash on him in case you need to make small purchases before he can take you to an ATM.

It's common in Guatemala to be charged extra for using a credit card. Those of you staying at Hotel Aurora or D'Leyenda Hotel in Antigua will incur a 10% penalty on your bill if you pay with a credit card. D'Leyenda people, I reserved your hotel by making a 50% deposit in cash so it would be great if you could reimburse that to me also in cash.

Keep in mind when you think about your spending that lodging at the lake is covered, except for those who I've talked to. Breakfasts every day except the day of the wedding are covered, dinner is covered on Friday night and of course the wedding lunch on Saturday. It's hard to tell you how much to budget since much depends on the activities you're going to do and how much you intend to buy.

Any other questions, let me know.