I will be leaving for Guatemala next week. I thought I would share my travel plans so far although they are subject to change. And like my AT plans they probably will change.
The return date for my plane ticket is at the end of November which would give me three months in Guatemala. I’m now unsure if I want to be gone that long. I’ll make up my mind after I’ve been there for a while. Changing my ticket will likely cost me more than the original cost of my ticket but maybe I’ll be able to find a good deal.
I plan to visit all the Central American countries on this trip. It looks like this can be done fairly cheaply by bus. I’m not sure if I want to spend some time in Guatemala first and then travel or travel first and then spend some time in Guatemala. Or maybe fit the travel in the middle of spending time in Guatemala.
One of the reasons I wanted to visit Guatemala was to prove to myself that I could live on my online income if I were living in a low-cost country. Based on my past experience living in Guatemala I think this is entirely possible. When I’m traveling my expenses will be higher but when I’m just relaxing in Guatemala my monthly expenses should be very low. That is why I want to spend at least one month just staying put in Guatemala.
I will need to find something to occupy my time while I am in Guatemala. I’ve decided not to take my laptop since internet access is widely available and cheap. This will be a little inconvenient since I plan to do a lot of writing while I’m there and I’ll have to visit an internet cafe any time I want to write. I suppose I could just write longhand in my room and transcribe what I’ve written later but that seems like too much trouble. The fact that I have a hard time reading my own handwriting makes that even more of a pain. One way or another I will get some writing done. I’ve planned on doing a lot of writing this summer but I haven’t written very much. Once I am in Guatemala I won’t have any more excuses for putting it off.
Another reason for Guatemala is to lose weight. On my past trips to Guatemala I’ve lost 10 pounds a month without trying. This time I will be trying which will hopefully lead to even better results. I plan to exercise regularly. If I can rent a place with kitchen facilities I plan on preparing almost all of my meals. That should help keep my expenses down and help me lose weight.
My flight to Guatemala leaves Wednesday morning but my flight from Kansas City arrives Tuesday just before midnight. In a strange coincidence my best friend is also going to be staying in Miami at that time. I considered sharing a hotel room with him for the night. The problem is that there is no public transportation at the time I arrive and taking a taxi to the hotel would likely cost more than the hotel room. I can’t justify the cost and plan to just stay at the airport. According to Sleeping in Airports it should be doable.
I’ll let you know how it works after I arrive in Guatemala. My flight arrives in Guatemala at about noon but I have a 4-hour bus ride to my final destination of Xela so I probably won’t get online that day. I plan to have an update from Guatemala on Thursday. There will be a couple more posts before I leave also.
I am very excited for you, and definitely look forward to seeing your updates on how things turn out.
Can you stay 90 days in GUA w/o a visa?
Two years I bussed from Guatemala City to Panama City and spent a little while in the different countries/cities along the way. It was a lot of fun, and the actual transport cost was quite low (I actually ended up spending more on local taxi transport than long distance bus).
I look forward to hearing more of your travels. What is your budget for the trip? Is it a safe place to go?
Andy, would love to hear all about your trip, I have also considered retiring early and going to a foreign country to spend less money. I frequentle watch HGTV house hunters for foreign countries, they often talk about the economy as well as housing. I’m excited to hear of your trip details, cost, various housing, safety, food, clothing ect. Have fun!
FB – You can stay 90 days in Guatemala without a visa. After that you just have to leave the country for a day and you can start a new 90 days. At least that is how it was when I was there. I should probably make sure that is still true.
Dreamer – I don’t have a set budget for the trip. When I’m staying put in Guatemala I wan my monthly expenses to be lower than my online income. That will be about $300-$400. When I’m traveling my expenses will be higher but I think I can keep my monthly expenses in line with what they would be at home.
There is a lot of crime in Guatemala but it is reasonably safe if you take some basic precautions.
Marilyn – I plan to post lots of details. If I leave anything out that you want to know feel free to ask.
You will have a great time in Guatemala. I also live on my online income here. Best of luck.