Gated Communities

Before I came down I said I don't want to live in a 'gated community', a home behind a gate, presumably with other foreigners.  It seemed so... unfriendly, separate, exclusive. The antithesis of why I wanted to move to Guatemala.

But...  they're all that way! Locals and foreigners alike. Everyone wants their privacy, security, space. 

As you walk down the streets, the entire street is comprised of 8-10' walls and gates. Usually the gate is solid metal, or maybe solid wood - usually not something where you can see into the yard. Or, the 'wall' is comprised of the side of a house, one to two story. Virtually everyone here has a gate. Behind the gate there may be a very simple lean-to home, or a beautiful home and gardens.

Our home has a wall around the gardens, but our main bathroom is part of the exterior wall, on a street, Calle del Embarcadero. Across the street from us is the gas station, my least favorite feature of this home. Noisy, especially last week, but they started closing at 10 PM so it's not too bad... just the 6AM opening can wake us up when they start playing some music and when the buses up to Solola start honking.

So in the previous post where I showed a video of the traffic, it was from the last window seen here.

Bottom level is our home. The first two windows are the
guest room bathroom. The next six are our master bath/closet.
They face Calle del Embarcadero (seen here, cobblestones)
and the gas station (seen in my last post). 

From the end of our bathroom windows onto the wall around
our gardens. 

Looking up the street. Typically, solid walls with homes or
tiendas.

As you enter our heavy door from the street, this is what
you see. Our entry is on the right. 

As you look toward the door to the street, this is what you see.
Our entry to our apartment is on the left. (There is an apartment
above us, a small house across the yard, and a larger house in
back). 

We needn't have worried, then about being in a 'gated community'. We feel safe and secure, and enjoy our pretty space and gardens, just like our neighbors can.