I've traveled to South America before, and although I've taken the
pills along, I've never used them. The locals always found silly what
alarmed my doctor back home. Naturally, I took their advice not his.
I avoided dawn and dusk mesquito swarms, and managed to avoid malaria.
Even so, it's obviously not a disease I want to get, but the pills do
have their side effects.

What's the malaria reality in Palenque, Tikal/Flores, Sayaxche, and
south in the Mayan highlands?

Also, what's the exchange situation in these towns during the x-mas
holidays? Can we exchange traveler's checks, use credit cards, etc?

atufft@sbcglobal.net (Alan) wrote in message news:<76ebadd8.0312142256.33898e99@posting.google. com>...
> I've traveled to South America before, and although I've taken the
> pills along, I've never used them. The locals always found silly what
> alarmed my doctor back home. Naturally, I took their advice not his.
> I avoided dawn and dusk mesquito swarms, and managed to avoid malaria.
> Even so, it's obviously not a disease I want to get, but the pills do
> have their side effects.
>
> What's the malaria reality in Palenque, Tikal/Flores, Sayaxche, and
> south in the Mayan highlands?

I don't know the actual malaria infection numbers in Tikal/Flores, but
I remember that place being one of the only places in Guatemala that I
was actually bitten by mosquitoes, regardless of what the guides will
tell you. Take your chloroquine; avoid the risk.

> Also, what's the exchange situation in these towns during the x-mas
> holidays? Can we exchange traveler's checks, use credit cards, etc?

Cash is king (well hidden, of course). Traveler's checks can be
difficult to exchange outside of Guatemala City and Antigua. I found
credit cards to be fairly useless outside of the major metropolitain
areas, but then it's been a couple of years since I've been back.

Have a great time! I heard Christmas is a great time of year to be
there.

-Ben

In article <329a38c9.0312151019.2ed67adc@posting.google.com >,
drumzspace@hotmail.com (drumzspace) wrote:

>atufft@sbcglobal.net (Alan) wrote in message
>news:<76ebadd8.0312142256.33898e99@posting.google .com>...
>> I've traveled to South America before, and although I've taken the
>> pills along, I've never used them. The locals always found silly what
>> alarmed my doctor back home. Naturally, I took their advice not his.
>> I avoided dawn and dusk mesquito swarms, and managed to avoid malaria.
>> Even so, it's obviously not a disease I want to get, but the pills do
>> have their side effects.
>>
>> What's the malaria reality in Palenque, Tikal/Flores, Sayaxche, and
>> south in the Mayan highlands?
>
>I don't know the actual malaria infection numbers in Tikal/Flores, but
>I remember that place being one of the only places in Guatemala that I
>was actually bitten by mosquitoes, regardless of what the guides will
>tell you. Take your chloroquine; avoid the risk.
>
>> Also, what's the exchange situation in these towns during the x-mas
>> holidays? Can we exchange traveler's checks, use credit cards, etc?
>
>Cash is king (well hidden, of course). Traveler's checks can be
>difficult to exchange outside of Guatemala City and Antigua. I found
>credit cards to be fairly useless outside of the major metropolitain
>areas, but then it's been a couple of years since I've been back.
>
>Have a great time! I heard Christmas is a great time of year to be
>there.
>
>-Ben

Also going to Guatemala next year. What about ATM's for cash
withdrawals? Do they exist out of Guatemala City and Antigua?
Kerry

The centers for disease control usually has detailed comments on
different regions of the various countries, their data is probably
pretty good. That should give you some idea of which parts of the
country are higher risk, and whether the country as a whole is high risk.

http://www.cdc.gov

I would note that southern Mexico also has Dengue Fever, not sure if
their are any drugs that you can take to protect you from that.

Richard


Alan wrote:
>
> I've traveled to South America before, and although I've taken the
> pills along, I've never used them. The locals always found silly what
> alarmed my doctor back home. Naturally, I took their advice not his.
> I avoided dawn and dusk mesquito swarms, and managed to avoid malaria.
> Even so, it's obviously not a disease I want to get, but the pills do
> have their side effects.
>
> What's the malaria reality in Palenque, Tikal/Flores, Sayaxche, and
> south in the Mayan highlands?
>
> Also, what's the exchange situation in these towns during the x-mas
> holidays? Can we exchange traveler's checks, use credit cards, etc?

Richard Ferguson <raferguson@att.net> on 15 Dec 2003 suggested:

> The centers for disease control usually has detailed comments on
> different regions of the various countries, their data is probably
> pretty good. That should give you some idea of which parts of the
> country are higher risk, and whether the country as a whole is high
> risk.
>
> http://www.cdc.gov
>
> I would note that southern Mexico also has Dengue Fever, not sure if
> their are any drugs that you can take to protect you from that.
>
I'm glad you pointed out the dengue fever, caused by a virus, as
it has become a much greater problem in recent years than malaria in
that area. I was about to point this out when I saw your post. Oh, and
it isn't just Southern Mexico anymore, it has crept up both the pacific
and gulf coasts, and I personally know a few people that have recently
been infected in Sinaloa and Sonora.

As you correctly state, there is no preventive for dengue fever,
and even more annoyingly, it is transmitted by DAY-biting mosquitos.
Also, there is no treatment for dengue, except for symptom management.
Oh, and since there are four different known types of dengue virus,
getting it once does not mean you can't get it again, in fact you are at
a much higher risk of getting dengue hemorrhagic fever on a subsequent
infection. So, it's a nasty disease that I'd advise everyone to avoid.


--Douglas

Kerry Langley <dlangley@shaw.ca> wrote:
> Also going to Guatemala next year. What about ATM's for cash
> withdrawals? Do they exist out of Guatemala City and Antigua?

You can find them in larger cities as well as touristy places like
Panajachel. I've never been around Tikal so I'm not sure about up there.

miguel
--
Hundreds of travel photos from around the world: http://travel.u.nu/

Kerry Langley wrote:

> Also going to Guatemala next year. What about ATM's for cash
> withdrawals? Do they exist out of Guatemala City and Antigua?

Hi,

there are few in the really bigger cities (in Xela I have counted 4 of
them), but be aware of the fact that most of them accept only Visa, and
only if it is issued by specific (cantral-american) banks. But normally
it is not a problem to withdran money with your card and your passport
in the bank and not at a ATM. So I never had cheques with me, credit
card worked fine.

--
Saludos, Andreas
Help for children in Guatemala:
http://www.tobanik.cloos.li/sources/flyer_en.pdf

mnc@admin.u.nu (Miguel Cruz) wrote in message news:<uvzDb.3573$I6.2596@nwrddc03.gnilink.net>...
> Kerry Langley <dlangley@shaw.ca> wrote:
> > Also going to Guatemala next year. What about ATM's for cash
> > withdrawals? Do they exist out of Guatemala City and Antigua?
>
> You can find them in larger cities as well as touristy places like
> Panajachel. I've never been around Tikal so I'm not sure about up there.
>
> miguel

I've used ATMs in Esquipalas and Chiquimula,Guatemala. As long as your
card is a member of the CIRRUS network, it should be able to be used.
Here's a URL with the locations of ATMs in
Guatemala.http://www.guatemalatravel.com.gt/1/master.htm If you have a
VISA card you should be able to get a cash advance in the banks in
Flores, no ATM though.

Sandi

"Douglas S. Ladden" <dslHatesSpam@thesaei.org> wrote in message news:<Xns9452E2909DFFCdivine1Ladden2defaul@216.148 .227.77>...

> >
> I'm glad you pointed out the dengue fever, caused by a virus, as
> it has become a much greater problem in recent years than malaria in
> that area. I was about to point this out when I saw your post. Oh, and
> it isn't just Southern Mexico anymore, it has crept up both the pacific
> and gulf coasts, and I personally know a few people that have recently
> been infected in Sinaloa and Sonora.
>
>
>

We're also having problems with Dengue in Honduras. I'd expect Dengue
in Guatemala since it has appeared both north and south of the country
in Mexico and Honduras.