I am going to guatemala (xela) flying into guatemala city...?

Question

my mum posted a question saying i was workign in an orphanage which was actually wrong. the place im going to is a guatemalan family{s home where i will study spanish with them for a week, ive been hearing all kinds of horror stories but also great things and dont know what to make of it, any help would be appreciated ;)

Answer 1

My family stayed with a family in Antigua last summer as part of a language immersion program. My wife and 2 children (age 9 and 14 at the time) went without me. They had a ball. It was a reality check for my kids, that didn't know how well they had it here in the states. The only thing that they hated was the plumbing situation. They used the toilet in the hotels and restaurants that were near. The people are friendly for the most part, but there are a lot of people living in poverty. Someone stealing something from you is about the worse thing that would happen to you. As a tourist you really are safer then the locals. They want and need tourism.
       I went to Guatemala a month after my family, with a family from Xela (Quetzaltenago). I flew into Guat. City, then spent a few days in Chiquimula, spent a day in Esquipula, a day in Antigua, and a week in Xela (Quetzaltenango.) Xela was,by far my favorite. It is still third world but with all the benefits of a major city. To my surprise, they even had a Walmart. There are night clubs, sushi bars, malls, coffee shops, fast food, everything. The only difference is that everything is dirt cheap. I almost felt guilty bargaining with street vendors after calculating what i was buying. I could go on, but to get to the point of my writing....you should go. The people and businesses love tourists. If you go to Xela, you can stay within 5 blocks of the center square and have a ball.

Answer 2

My family stayed with a family in Antigua last summer as part of a language immersion program. My wife and 2 children (age 9 and 14 at the time) went without me. They had a ball. It was a reality check for my kids, that didn't know how well they had it here in the states. The only thing that they hated was the plumbing situation. They used the toilet in the hotels and restaurants that were near. The people are friendly for the most part, but there are a lot of people living in poverty. Someone stealing something from you is about the worse thing that would happen to you. As a tourist you really are safer then the locals. They want and need tourism.
       I went to Guatemala a month after my family, with a family from Xela (Quetzaltenago). I flew into Guat. City, then spent a few days in Chiquimula, spent a day in Esquipula, a day in Antigua, and a week in Xela (Quetzaltenango.) Xela was,by far my favorite. It is still third world but with all the benefits of a major city. To my surprise, they even had a Walmart. There are night clubs, sushi bars, malls, coffee shops, fast food, everything. The only difference is that everything is dirt cheap. I almost felt guilty bargaining with street vendors after calculating what i was buying. I could go on, but to get to the point of my writing....you should go. The people and businesses love tourists. If you go to Xela, you can stay within 5 blocks of the center square and have a ball.