“Moon: Living Abroad in Guatemala” ($19.95, Avalon)
As author Al Argueta notes, there are plenty of books on the market about living abroad in Mexico and Costa Rica but virtually nothing about Guatemala, which he finds surprising given the country’s “striking beauty and increasing popularity with foreign visitors.” The reason for the “vacuum of information,” as Argueta puts it, is that the country is not on the typical North American’s radar. About the size of Tennessee, Guatemala has volcanoes and mountains, coastal scenery, cosmopolitan cities, black sandy beaches, rain forests and a near-perfect climate. People can live here on a budget “significantly less” than in the United States without sacrificing a comfortable standard of living, Argueta writes. Then again, he doesn’t downplay the country’s considerable problems: its vast disparities between the wealthy and the poor, for example, or its rising crime rate, partly a legacy of its long civil war. Argueta gives thorough background information on the country’s history, social climate, economy, people, culture, customs and etiquette. The book is divided into two long chapters: daily living and prime living locations. It describes types of residency (temporary, pensioner, permanent), housing considerations, health and safety, employment and finances, travel and transportation and the best places to live. The resource section, which includes listings of governmental organizations and primary and secondary schools, is also quite thorough. Chicago Tribune
