Guatemala advice: cell phones

We had dreams of escaping noise and technology here in Guatemala. We parked the cars and threw our cell phones in a drawer. It has been great not to drive for several months, though we admit to bringing one laptop (and Jennie misses her Tivo). However, we discovered in the first week that living without a cell phone here is almost impossible. A lot of tiendas and merchants in the market rent their phones, but few will do so for international calls, and those that do can charge Q5 per minute or more. Within a few weeks we each bought phones, and they have been great. Jennie needs one to coordinate her field work, we use them to communicate with each other (and organize dinner parties via text messages), and we are able to call friends and family in the US.

We’ve bought Tigo* cell phones. They’re surprisingly common and cheap here. For Q125 (about $16) you can get a phone that comes with Q 175 worth of minutes. No contract or monthly fees. No paperwork at all; they didn’t even take our names**. Local calls cost Q 0.70 a minute (calling the US isn’t much more expensive), but they actually bill by the second. You add more credit (called “saldo”) by buying cards for Q5, Q10, Q 25, Q 50 or Q100. Your credit does expire, but if you buy more you get your expired credit back. When it expires depends on the denomination of the card you use to recharge it (the higher the amount the longer it lasts). [Your credit used to expire but as of mid July they've stopped that.] Some tiendas will add saldo to your phone by texting it from their phone, instead of giving you a card. If you buy a card, you should scratch it and punch in the number before you leave the store. Every once in awhile you get a bad card, and the store won’t take it back if you left.

There’s one major gimmick, if you activate the card on certain days (Double, Triple, and Quadruple days) it’s worth double, triple, or quadruple it’s face value. The rub is that calls also cost double, triple, or quadruple on those days too. So you do best if you add money to the phone on those days but wait until a normal day to make any long calls. Unlike in the United States, receiving calls and texts are free (and you can receive calls even if you don’t have credit). I’m very pleased with the phone itself. It fits the description of the cell phone I wanted to buy in the states but couldn’t find. It doesn’t take pictures, play games or music, or fold up, but it is sturdy and simple; the charger is tiny; and a charge lasts a long time.

You see cards for the phones for sale in many small stores in remote villages. Some stores also advertise electronic recharges for those people who live in villages or houses without electricity. No wonder everyone seems to have a cell phone.

Jennie adds:
*There are several cell phone providers in Guatemala – Tigo, Claro and Movistar. Claro seems to have good rates, but Tigo has the best coverage hear here in the middle of nowhere. (My English and spelling are failing me after two months of mostly Spanish…)

**Tigo gives a free gift with cell phone purchase. We have a Tigo hat and watch. Other items include umbrellas, towels, blankets and backpacks. I totally covet a Tigo umbrella, as you can’t go anywhere without one during the rainy season.