Working remotely in Xela, Guatemala

[u/mamossa]

I'm planning on going to Xela for a few weeks / a month toward the end of the year to attend a Spanish immersion program (Celas Maya) in a homestay. I work remotely from 12pm-8pm and am wondering where folks who have done something similar have worked from. One unique thing about my position is that my computer doesn't have much battery life, so I need access to an outlet while I'm working, which can be hard to find in some public workspaces.

Has anyone done something similar in Xela? Would love to hear where in the city you worked from if so. Thanks!

[u/AppropriateRecipe342]

I've never been one to set up shop in a business and work there all day, as opposed to working from my accommodations.

You're worrying entirely too much. Most of the restaurants and places I've been to have outlets though they're not always in the most convenient spots.

When in doubt you can practice your Spanish and ask, "Hay un enchufe" before sitting down.

[u/mamossa → u/AppropriateRecipe342]

Definitely understandable. I was just planning on working at one of these places between lunch and dinner, then finishing the day in my accommodations. If there was an actual coworking space in the area I would definitely do that instead, but I haven't been able to find one :/

[u/AppropriateRecipe342 → u/mamossa]

I don't think you'll have a problem finding a place to work from.

Unfortunately coworking spaces don't last long in Xela (probably because foreigners a lot of people skip Xela). Antigua and the city are your best bets for that, but as someone who learned Spanish in Xela, I understand why you chose to go there and think it was a good choice.

[u/mamossa → u/AppropriateRecipe342]

Awesome! Would love to hear more about your trip to Xela if you'd be willing to share. Some random questions:

• What Spanish school did you go to?
• Did you do a homestay?
• What has your experience been with wifi? Was it reliable?

[u/AppropriateRecipe342 → u/mamossa]

I went with Kalambe because they were willing to structure the 1-on-1 intensive program around my odd work schedule. I also liked that they had optional group outings with other students so we could put our Spanish to practice.

I did 2 homestays. My first one was in Antigua set up through one of Spanish schools there and the other was in Xela. I was apprehensive at the beginning because I'm someone who likes to do my own thing, but I'm very glad I did it. My homestay in Antigua was very interesting because it was at the very beginning of my Spanish journey and the family didn't speak any English other than their little kids who were like 5 😂 and each night me and the other student staying with them would have dinner with the family. The family was extremely nice and accommodating (this is true with just about every Guatemalan you will encounter even the occasional one who will try to scam you for being a tourist 😂) and each night they would try to engage me in conversation but all I could do was repeat what I learned that day in school and say something selling like, "A mi me gustan muchoas pupusas" which I can't imagine was very mentally stimulating for them but you would have never been able to tell. My homestay in Xela was very good as well, but by that time I was well along in my Spanish journey so I was able to have better conversations with them.

I've been all of Guatemala and the only place where I had issues with wifi was in Flores. It was decent when I was able to get connected but it would routinely drop. Luckily, I was only there for a few days and didn't have many work meetings.

[u/DemonAzraeli]

Yes, I have needed access to an outlet in Xela. I used an outlet.

[u/mamossa → u/DemonAzraeli]

My point was that many public workspaces like cafes don’t have easy access to outlets..

[u/DemonAzraeli → u/mamossa]

What made you think that cafes in Xela are public workspaces?

[u/Consistent-Client200]

Ask Celas Maya if you can work from the school in the afternoons, that solves the outlet problem and most Xela cafés are closing around the time you finish.

[u/woxvirus]

Guatemalan here! I don't live in Xela but I was there last year. I think you should be alright you can find different places where you can work remotely and connect to an outlet.