Traveling to Chosavic, Guatemala - advice needed

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uncleknife

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May 25, 2000
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My College age son, is going to Chosavic, Guatemala, Febuary or March 2008 & I need some advice for my peace-of-mind.

I am asking for input on what personal articles of clothing, shoes/boots, hats, bug protections, etc. that he should (and can legally) bring with him, to keeps him safe.

He has not yet been given any type of check list (other that get passport & shots).

He will be there about 10 days, living in a remote village to help build a bridge with the "Engineers without Borders" due to seasonal flooding that isolates the village from schools, hospitals, etc.

I want to ASSUME, that the group leader, (who has been there before to make arrangements with the local government), will provide safe food & water.

I am thinking about getting him a Katadyn Exstream Purifier Bottle for his personal use.

I don't know if he will be allowed to bring or carry a knife, but I was planning on senting him with a Victorinox Treker, (or a multitool) & a Cold Steel Bushman in a custom kydex sheath. - all of which, I already have.
 
Don't ASSUME anything. My daughter went to the Carribean on a study tour and they ended up sleeping on a floor with mosquito nets with holes. Get a good pump water purifier like a MSA or Katadyn. A multi-tool, a large folder.Take a mosquito net. A hammock. Bug stuff. Cotton shirts with long sleeves that can be rolled up. Long pants with zip offs to make them shorts. Talk to a doctor about prescriptions for infections, diarhea, malaria and other tropical diseases. Machetes and knifes can be bought on site. When you buy clothing be sure it is not military looking (camo).
 
Get him two things that he will thank you for (they're the first two things I purchased when I traveled through southern Mexico and Guatemala - the third was a machete):

1) a Mayan hammock http://www.hammockjungle.com/index.html

2) mosquito net for the hammock
http://store.abadak.com/hamone.html or http://store.abadak.com/monetco.html

If you get him a Katadyn Exstream Purifier Bottle, you might want to get him an extra cartridge - it's only good for 26 gallons which he might easily go through in 10 days. Personally, I'd recommend an MSR filter: http://www.msrcorp.com/filters/miniworks_ex.asp
But it's most important that he uses it - if he's not inclined to take the time to pump water into a nalgene with an MSR than the Katadyn may be the better option. I'd recommend a dropper bottle of bleach as backup - that's what I resorted to when my water filter broke in Guatemala (it wasn't a MSR filter that broke in case you're wondering - MSR filters are virtually bombproof).

You might also consider getting him an MSR Whisperlite International - unless his food sources are secure, the best way not to get sick is to cook your own food. Whisperlite International's will run on anything - even the syrupy kerosene-like gasoline that he's likely to find there.

EDIT: and like Zman said, the military look is no good in guatemala - people tend to have very bad associations with that look
 
I agree with the non-military look. This includes anything that even resembles olive drab green...and nothing camouflage! After many decades of civil war, everyone there is incredibly sensitive to anything that looks military.

I also agree with checking into anti-malarials. The best there is out there is a French drug called Malarone. I used this in Cameroon back in 2004. It is supposed to be at least 98% effective against all forms of malaria. Consult your family doctor about this.

Although you may not think so, getting good, pure water in la selva is a problem. I agree with the water purifier. Send him along with a good Swiss Army knife. They are quite common in that part of the world. In fact, you hardly ever see any other kind of folding knife! As far as anything bigger, let him pick up a good machete off the local economy. You can get very good quality machetes there very inexpensively.

Ron
 
The Katadyn Exstream bottles aren't actually very good. What you save on up-front purchase price you will quickly spend on replacement filters. The filters are only good for 100 litres (26 US Gal).

I've got a KatadynVario model and although they're more expensive, they're really worth the extra (IMO), and they still don't break the $100 mark. The filter is good for up to 1800 litres according to the blurb. The MSR Miniworks EX that akennedy73 linked is also a great little filter for around the same price as the Vario.
 
You may want to check out a copy of Jeff Randell's book Adventure Travel in the Third World. It has lots of great information and tips about travel south of the boarder.
 
10 days is cake. I'd send him with a small, dependable water purifier just in case, and a SAK. That's a great thing your son is doing, btw, uncleknife. Those folks down there can really use all the help they can get. My dad goes down about every other year to do dental work in a clinic there. As for other effects ..... get him a lightweight Tilley hat. If nothing else, he'll look as cool as I do when I wear mine, and that's a good thing. ;-)
 
Thank you all for your advice, it is truely appreciated

MNBlade, thank you also for your kind words, We are very proud of him & his giving heart.

I guess I was just thinking about finding the least amount out time & hassle & the sport bottle purifier seemed like a dunk & go way to stay hydrated. I wasn't trying to cut corners or cost on his health. I will go with your recomendations & buy a purifier pump & the dropper of bleach.

I don't know how much time he will have to himself to pump his water, but I guess, this way, he can protect others as well with the purified water.

I have not flown in a long time, will he have any trouble with any of this stuff (knives, tools, a bottle with bleach etc. in checked luggage?
 
Having lived in Guatemala for a couple years....:D....I'll do my best to give advice. ;)



Do not take anything "fancy"...customs will seize it...or someone else will steal it. Trust me.
(no electronic gadgets, no nice clothes, no fancy shoes - keep everything plain jane)


Small okapi-type folding knives are available down there in the markets for cheap and will be plenty knife for a young guy unlikely to be separated from his group.

The water purifier might be nice...but what about the bugs in the food? And when using the toilet? And shaking people's hands?

A better solution would be to tell him to only drink the "bagged" water and/or sodas. That's what we did...even if warm.

The problem is not just the "bugs"...but the heavy amount of chlorine they put in the water - something the purifier will not remove. The locals have built up a tolerance to it...in the 10 days, your son will have only just begun. :D

A mosquito net is a great gift. :thumbup: Make sure he knows how to repair it!



Things to get down there:

machete (will be able to bring it back with him - no problem)
good straw hat - the sun is killer...even in winter
pair of tall rubber boots - cheap - leave 'em there when done.



Sounds like a fun trip!

Tell him to avoid buying food in the market or on the street :barf:
Best to go to restaurants, mom-n-pop diners, etc...or bagged snacks.


I spent time in Uspantan (north of Chosavic), San Cristobal (east of Uspantan), Coban (north of San Cristobal) and various other places.


Guatemala has some very rich Mayan history - should be very rewarding!



Ask any questions you like...it's been a while...but probably not much has changed. :D
 
yeah...we chugged the pepto regularly...even the watered-down local stuff was great. :D
 
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