[curlyqgyrl]

Sorry, I'm sure this has been covered...
but did you use a phone service or get a certain kind of card?
Last time we were in Guat, I left a $35 15 second message......I used whatever the phone said at the Marriott...
Gracias!

[ej-momtobe]

From here to Guat, pick up a $10 international phone card at the drug store.

[my3guats]

We used a phone card from Sam's. We used it to call to Guatemala and from Guatemala home. During our adoption of Isaac we made many many calls to Guatemala, embassy, attorney, adoption supervisors, etc. It was an easy and pretty reasonable way to call.

[lcpd]

We got a phone card from Target. In the Marriott we would call the operator and have them connect us to an AT & T operator. The minutes seemed to tick away so quickly, but it worked for us!

[mom2be1271]

To call from here to there what country code do we dial?

Michelle

[crathke]

The country code for Guatemala is 502.

I just used my cell phone when I was in Guat; it was no cost to "turn on" the international calling feature with my plan. I wasn't billed any differently because the calls were included in my minutes, and if I called someone who had the same plan (which my entire family does already), it didn't even count against my minutes for the month.

Better still, there were no country codes, etc, for my family to remember. It was the same for them as if they were calling me across town.

[DPline]

I always used an AT&T prepaid card at the Marriott. It worked out to about 50 cents a minute. Not a great deal, but for the convenience of being able to call from the room and the ability to just push a button for the AT&T operator, then dial the phone number and the card number, it was worth it to me.

[curlyqgyrl]

Thanks for the ideas! I just called my cell company, and for $4 for the international plan, I can CALL TO Guat for 26 cents a minute!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then they said to go the the ____________(don't know if I can name the company??) store and get a loner phone for dh to bring down with him. I don't know how much it costs though...

[mattecook]

Erin
Will you keep me posted on this cell phone. I am wanting to be able to call and receive calls while I am there as Emma will still be here.

Ami

[adoptguatemalablog]

We still travel to Guatemala. Kristina was in Guatemala for 14 months fostering. We bought a cell phone from BellSouth (very common there) and calls to the USA were $0.10/minute. There are some really inexpensive phones there as well and they are pay as you go.

I wrote an article on Cell Phones in Guatemala at the Guatemala Adoption Blog. You can read it and leave your suggestions there as well by Clicking Here. I would appreciate any insight you guys could leave there for future readers!

[A_ROSE024]

What about making collect calls home? Would that be cheaper than calling directly?

[Mieyasmommy]

I think you can rent a cell phone. They also have calling cards but I got one that wouldn't work. I had bought a prepaid calling card but when I tried to use it, it didn't work!! I called the company and they said they were down - and down, and down!! So, like an idiot I called from here to Guatemala direct and OH BOY did we have quite the phone bill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think it was over $2000.00!!!!! My husband went for pick-up and I called him just a few times a day and we talked a half hour to an hour each time. He bought a card at the Marriott and he called me from the lobby in the Marriott, but it was so hard to hear him with all the noise from the lobby. When we start our next adoption next year, I will be sure to rent a cell phone or something for pick-up!

Take care,

Mieyasmommy
Our Timeline
Referral: 2-26-05
I171H: 6-2-05
DNA Match: 7-8-05
Pre-approval: 8-10-05
Entered PGN?? Agency told us we did.
OUT of PGN: 8-22-05 - WRONG - LIE BY AGENCY, not even DONE WITH FC OR IN PGN YET!
Hired Adoption Supervisors: 9-9-05
Out of FC: 9-20-05
Entered PGN: 9-21-05
OUT of PGN: 10-03-05
Escuintla BC: 10-24-05
PINK: 11-1-05
Home: 11-16-05
Readoption: 2-13-06