AIDG Intern Preparation Guide

This document contains information on the following topics:

Please read this entire document! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact Dorit Leavitt:

Email: dorit [dot] aidg [at] gmail [dot] com

A great map of Xela can be found at http://www.xelapages.com/mapa.htm

The AIDG Xela Map created by AIDG can be viewed the free program Google Earth, and has hundreds of data points in good resolution, including tool shops, material shops, restaurants, bars, markets, etc. The file is a .kmz file, and after it is downloaded, open the file with Google Earth. Have a nice flight!

Safety Concerns

Before coming to Guatemala or Haiti, one should be aware of the risks of living there. Violence in both countries is a serious issue. While we do not want to scare you away from these beautiful countries, we do want you to be well-informed. From the US Department of State:

"Guatemala has a developing economy, characterized by wide income disparities. Hotels and other tourist facilities in the principal tourist sites most frequented by visitors from the United States are generally good to excellent. A peace accord, signed in 1996, ended a 36-year armed conflict. Violent crime, however, is a serious concern due to endemic poverty, an abundance of weapons, a legacy of societal violence, and dysfunctional law enforcement and judicial systems."

"Haiti is one of the least developed and least stable countries in the Western Hemisphere. The availability of consumer goods and services is barely adequate in the capital, Port-au-Prince, but other parts of the country experience chronic shortages. Most consumer products are imported and expensive. Some tourism facilities in the large cities and resort areas are satisfactory, but many are rudimentary at best, and are difficult to find in most rural areas and small towns."

Please check out the following links before you depart:

For Guatemala: Up-to-date travel safety information and general notes

For Haiti: Up-to date travel safety information and general notes

To stay safe, here is a partial list of common sense and street smart suggestions:

Do not travel at night. Some hostels suggest not being out past 10pm. If you must travel past 9pm, travel with a group of at least four other people and take a taxi when possible.
Never be in a public bus or shuttle alone. Get out if everyone else gets out.
Females: do not travel past dark (7pm) alone.
Do not wear jewelry or expensive/inappropriate clothing.
Do not show that you have expensive electronic equipment; i.e., don't dangle a big camera around neck or have a fancy camera or computer case.
If you bring a laptop, be OK with the fact it might get stolen, and back up all of your information before bringing it.
Carry a whistle with you, and potentially pepper spray (may be purchased in Guatemala)
Do not carry your passport on you. Make a color copy and keep that with you at all times.
Use a money belt for your cash and/or credit card

Health

Check out the following websites at least one month prior to your departure date to assure that you have all the necessary immunizations (and that they have time to become active before you arrive) and that you are aware of health risks in country:

Here are some general health tips:

Schedule a travel consultation with your doctor at least one month prior to your departure date. Some immunizations take time to kick-in, so more than a month may also be necessary.
Have all the required immunizations before you arrive.
Bring all necessary personal medications (allergies, prescriptions, etc.).
Some American doctors recommend bringing an antibiotic, Cipro, for stomach illness--consult your doctor with questions.
Make sure that you have either travel insurance or that your medical provider insures coverage overseas.
Alert AIDG staff of any allergies or medical conditions you deem appropriate, and carry documentation in Spanish of any allergies.
Drink only bottled water.
Do not eat street food.
Wash hands frequently.
A good item to bring is hand sanitizer.
Bring sun block and sun hat

Weather

A synopsis of the Xela weather, courtesy of XelaPages:
"Being in the highlands, Quetzaltenango is blessed with a mosquito-free, generally cool climate, ranging from 0 to 30°C (32 to 85°F). The dry season begins in November and ends towards the end of May. During the winter months (November-January) it is quite cold, and since buildings here do not have heating, it is recommended that you bring warm clothes to sleep in, and for the day-time, clothes that you can layer well (t-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, jackets, hats, scarves and gloves). Between June and November, Quetzaltenango has frequent rain-showers in the afternoon after generally sunny and warm mornings. A warm wool sweater and a rain jacket or umbrella is recommended if you are out in the afternoons. During the daytime, light dress (shirt, pants, shorts, etc.) is fine."

A synopsis of the Cap Haitien weather, courtesy of TripAdvisor.com:

"Haiti's second largest city, Cap-Haitien, has a tropical climate with fairly constant temperatures year round. The day time temperatures in the city average in the mid to high 80's, with slightly lower averages in the winter and slightly higher ones during the summer. The low temperatures in the city usually average in the high 60's to low 70's at night, but can get down as far as the high 50's in December and January, the area's two coldest months.

The season with the most rain in Cap-Haitien is the spring, with April and May being the wettest with an average of about two inches each per month. The rest of the year gets very little if any rain, making the city a fairly dry and hot place."

What to Bring, Donations, How to Prepare

To Bring:

PASSPORT
Rain jacket
Rain pants (if you are riding a bicycle)
Hat (to protect against the sun)
Snow hat (for when it gets cold a night)
Shirts, both short and long-sleeve
Work jeans (Carharts, old jeans, etc)
Warm fleece/jacket
Hiking/ working boots (closed-toe, supportive)
Salsa shoes (optional)
Bathing suit/towel (if you want to jump in a waterfall/hot spring)
Sun block/protective clothing
Whistle
Duct tape
Flashlight or headlamp with fresh batteries (the power does go out occasionally)
Camera (batteries, uploading cord, any accessories)
Prescriptions, eye care, etc.
First aid kit-include bug bite anti-itch lotion (when visiting tropical areas) and aloe vera!
Cell phone-only bring if it is a GSM phone (one with a removeable chip). Otherwise, 5 intern phones already exist. Additional phones cost about $30 (and include 100 minutes of initial airtime).
USB flash memory stick, if you have one
Laptop (we have several computers but welcome interns bringing their own; risk of theft is equal to that of any big city in the US). Please contact us if you have any questions.
Specialty foods, or other snack foods that you can't live without
Sheets (size semi-matrimonial), although all the beds at the intern house have sheets, more is better.
Books, journal
Musical instruments
No jewelry or flashy clothing

Electricity runs on the same voltage as the USA, so no electrical output adapters are needed. Xela has drug stores, pharmacies, and new and used clothing stores, in case you forget anything or would prefer not to carry it on the plane (i.e., an umbrella).

Donations:

Office supplies ( staplers, pens, pencils, white-out, etc.)
Old or new shop tools (see www.aidg.org/donate.htm for a full and updated list of needs)

How to Prepare for Guatemala:

Read up; Bitter Fruit, CIA in Guatemala
Practice your Spanish (watch Spanish TV)
Get in shape: Xela's elevation is around 7,500 ft.

How to Prepare for Haiti (more coming soon):

Read up
Practice your French and Creole

Country Specific Information

Below are documents containing country specific information that we suggest you print out and carry with you on your trip. Included is how to get from the airport to your destination, directions to AIDG offices, lodging suggestions and country specific safety reflections If you cannot for any reason open these documents, please contact us so we can get you a copy before you leave.

Guatemala

Haiti (coming soon)

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