The Cost of Living here in Antigua..

Okay......

I guess I have another post in me tonight!!!

Jim is attending a meeting at our new church...He's volunteering to teach English to Spanish-speaking people....

Though this makes me giggle...My "REPEAT-O POR FAVOR" man is going to teach ENGLISH...but...alas...He's a gifted teacher and it's another chance to reach out in this community for the short time we are here....

anyhoo...

Jim's not here...Aven & Tye are sleepin', and the other kidlets are watching a movie..that leaves me here....with you! hehe

So, wanna know how little or much things cost here in Guat???

Wanna know how much dinner for 6 people cost us tonight?

A dinner that someone else shopped for and prepared??

A dinner of fried chicken, corn tortillas, cut cucumbers, seasoned mashed potatoes, and a carrot/pea cold salad???

Any guesses????

If you guessed more than $20.00 - You were to high!

Yep...Here's the run down:

Clara the Maid/Cook: $1.20 (for the hour of shopping and cooking she performed)
Tortilla (homemade): $. 75 for more than we could eat tonight
Chicken: $4.00 for a whole chicken
Potatoes: $1.10
Vegetables: $3.00
Pimienta, butter, oil: $3.50

(We gave Clara the equivalent of $12.00 today to shop with and she brought $2.50 back in CHANGE! zoiks...)

and...we have tons of food leftover.....

MAYBE THIS IS WHY MR.EBAY HAS BEEN SCOUTING A GOOD DEVELOPING COUNTRY TO GET A SECOND ADDRESS IN FOR A FEW WEEKS/YEAR!!! hehe Not only would we experience a hefty tax-break but it's a very cheap place to vacation...not like the $8.00 cookies and $6.00 bottles of water at our favorite Magic Kingdom!!!

A BEAUTIFUL meal out FOR ALL SIX OF US... with tons of food.... at a gorgeous restaurant.... with waiters waiting on you hand and foot and even picking up Aven's bottle when she drops its (eek!) costs about $70....And you leave having felt like you actually 'experienced' dinner versus just getting through it like you do at restaurants at home sometimes...most restaurants are outdoors, and are VERY child-friendly...and they aren't as noisy at at home (I guess b/c they are outdoors and the noise isn't trapped?)

One of our favorite restaurant's here, an Argentian Steakhouse called "Ni-Fu Ni-Fa" even has a playground for the kids that is right next to the tables (which sit underneath a gorgeous pergola covered in vines, flowers!) so you can eat while knowing if you kid is about to fall off the monkey-bars or not!

Yep, prices are crazy low here for many things...though the more 'tour-isty' things are more expensive...

For example, it costs us about $35 to get a day pass at Hotel Antigua to use their heated pool and some sightseeing excursions are pretty pricey (though...I don't see us paying any more money towards excursions anytime in the near future!! giggle...PS I hate volcanoes!)

Electronics (for example at the Mall in Guatemala City) are a bit overpriced we found. Our video camera was in the (stupid) passport bag and we've been trying to find a replacement...but...it's about $300 more here (even after the conversion)...yuck!

And, fancy hotel prices are not incredibly high (like at home) but not ridiculously low either...

We are in the midst of negotiating with The Grand Tikal (the hotel we stay in at Guat City) for a few week stay in December (HOPEFULLY the tail end of our journey here!)...For an adjoining suite and standard room, they have it priced at $240/night..We are trying to get them down to $150 a night...though we haven't heard anything back yet! laugh... (Note: we've only reserved this house until the end of November...)

Our private home here in Antigua....one of the nicest homes within walking distance of things, in one of the better gated communities, it's rather new, fully furnished, etc...is $1,800/mo.

(Please do NOT think I'm bragging about paying this each month...We've been saving for this adoption for QUITE awhile...and since it's dragged out so long -since we lost our first referral- we're able to handle this extra expense....I'm even hesitant to post anything about money but I know this info might help someone out there's who's considering fostering...or coming to Antigua to climb the volcano!! NOT!...anyways...I'm not bragging...just being transparent even about finances a bit....)

Though, we know SEVERAL other families who are fostering here and paying more like $650 -$900/mo for their rooms.....but we needed a big place and super-highspeed internet for Jim so we needed a location like this....

It seems the 'necessities' of life here are cheap for us...anything that starts into a modern convenience, or a nicer living space....the prices start equaling out for us...

We can accomodate the increase pricing of modern conveniences....it's kinda what we're used to spending at home....

BUT it seems to explain why so many rural folk walk around town with exceptionally old shoes, or motor around on decrepit motorcycles, and very few people around here carry any electronics other than the occasional cell phone....and those are, seemingly, all pre-pay phones.

Why most Guatemalan's seem to LEAVE town around 5:30 on the chicken buses...they are going to live where it's cheaper.....not HERE where the 'got-it-to-good-to-be-true' foreigners stay.

sigh.

the paradox continues...

(PSSTT...don't forget to email Chase!!!! thanks!)

Andrea
I'll let you know how Jim's classes went....How many wanna bet that he gave his e-book away for free a few times tonight??? If any of his new students have internet, I bet it's a guarantee that he did....He's so sweet and just wants people to be free to make their OWN income...but...well...that's a THIRD post and at the point my children would feel neglected I suppose!
So...

bye!

I'm leaving now!

Really....I am.....

Goodbye!

( I REALLY need another English-speaking adult around here apparently!!!)

Sleep tight...

Adios....

Until tomorrow........