When In Guatemala, Bargain For Bargain - But Remember Your Duty.
When in Belize, do as the Belizeans do. Shop in Guatemala where the prices are embarrassing low. We were driving to Tikal to visit the Maya ruins and decided it was a good time to visit nearby Isla de Flores, a popular tourist destination known for its shopping opportunities.

We arrived in Santa Elena on Lake Petén in time to shop at the market. Shopping at ethnic markets is one of my favorite things. Loaded with my two interpreters and a supply of quetzales, the Guatemalan currency named for the national bird, I vigorously (and mercilessly) worked the bargaining system. Even though a quetzal represents only 14 cents U.S., when in Guatemala, we think like Guatemalans, and a quetzal saved is a quetzal available for una cerveza (a beer). U.S. currency trades at about 7.20Q per U.S. dollar at the Belize/Guatemala border. The money changers give a slightly lesser rate for Belize dollars because they are not marketable anywhere but Belize, so the experienced traveler will save their U.S for the transaction.

The Santa Elena market is very large and was disorienting to me. Thanks to my personal guides, I found ethnic bedspreads, hammocks, and decorations for the tourist lodge cabañas we are constructing near our home in the Belize jungle.

Hot and tired after shopping, we found a plain but clean hotel and rented one room with three large beds and one with two for a total of Q155 ($22US). I was so excited by the find that I didn't notice the single knob in the shower. There was no hot water. (It didn't matter. The water wasn't that cold.) We found a pleasant open-air restaurant on Lake Petén. Our five dinners, including garlic shrimp for Jim and excellent white fish ceviche for me, plus six Brahvas (my Guatemalan beer of choice) for us and six soft drinks for the others, cost Q385 (about $70U.S.), including a decent tip in a country where tipping appears to be a practice for tourists only.

In the morning, we crossed the bridge to Isla de Flores, typically called 'Flores', a well-promoted tourist destination because it is surrounded by Lake Petén. Flores is characterized by small multi-colored buildings and lots of gift shops offering local handicrafts. Serious bargaining is de rigueur. It is best to have an adequate stash of U.S. dollars or quetzales. Credit card usage typically requires a surcharge of 7 to 10%. The prices in Guatemala are low compared to those in the U.S. and Belize, even after adding the hideous 35% duty when bringing goods into Belize. I found blankets and an irresistible, life-size hardwood carving of an iguana. Jim and I were satisfied we'd made a generous contribution to the Flores economy. Merchants willingly provide receipts for reduced prices if a buyer were inclined to save money at the Customs desk. I can't imagine who'd ask for such a thing!
Tamales or Bollos

Caracol vs. Tikal | Panty Rippers or Mariposa Magic | When in Guatemala | A Day at the Zoo