About Guatemala - Chapter 2 - Language, Climate and Gastronomy

Language

Spanish is the official language in Guatemala and is spoken by 93% of the population. There are also 21 Mayan tongues officially recognized as languages in the country.

Weather

Guatemala has a warm climate all year, temperatures peak at an average of 22 to 32 degrees in April and May. Despite this high temperature, you won’t suffer hot weather, because humidity levels are determined by altitude, and many locations have low humidity including Antigua, Guatemala City and Lake Atitlan.

Guatemala has a rainy season, which runs from May to October, with the worst of the rain falling in September and October. The best time to visit Guatemala in terms of weather is between December to August, in terms of anything else, all year long!

Cuisine

Most traditional foods are based on Mayan Cuisine with Spanish influence. Guatemalan food is made with corn, pepper, hot peppers, and beans as main ingredients. Many dishes are prepared without cooking oil, usually, the ingredients are placed on the comal or wrapped in plantain leaves. Some of the most popular and tasty dishes to try are:

• Kak’ik
• Pepian
• Jocon

Although desserts are terrific to try if what you are into is something sweet, you can start trying:

• Rellenitos
• Buñuelos
• Canillitas de leche

Time

Guatemala is on the equivalent of Central Standard Time in North America, six hours behind GMT. There is not much seasonal change, it gets sunlight around 6 am and sunset around 5:30 pm in December or 6:30 pm during June.

Internet

Web services are well established in Guatemala. Wi-fi is very common in all the main tourist centers, most hotels, hostels, restaurants, and cafes. Connection speed is usually fairly swift in the urban areas but could be less potent in rural areas or towns.

Laundry

Almost every town has at least one laundry; most of them wash and dry a pound around $3 to $4 USD. Self-service laundries are not common. Hotels and hostals also offer laundry facilities; the low budget places often have a pila (sink) where you can wash your own clothes.

Holidays

Guatemala has important holidays for 11 months, either due to history or to relevant historical facts. From January to December, the only month without holidays is July. Although in Antigua and some other places, they celebrate (town holiday) on July 25th.