After many years and many repeat visits to Guatemala, I find myself heading next month off with social engagements which oblige me to bring along a business suit and black leather shoes. I've never had to think of the following question before: How much money should you pay for a shoe shine on the sidewalk in a major Guatemalan city? What's the high end of the going tariff?
Many thanks to anyone who can answer this question from personal experience.
Q3 is really low and I'd personally suggest against paying that, even if they offer it out of desperation... go for at least Q5, Q10 for a good job.
There's also a difference in whether they use just "crema" or "tinta." In the latter case it's going be a bit more.
Thank you both, bajasur and enroutesiglio. I appreciate your passing on your knowledge.
You must be a tight gringo to even care about how much a shine cost in a developing country...seriously...embarrassing..., How much did you spend on the shoes, curiously? And how about that nice suit?
You could always bring a can of polish with you too, so you don't have ti support the poor old chap making a living on the street shining shoes....for gods sake.
Keep in mind most the polish a street shine carries is alcohol based, and will dry out your leather, if they even are leather...
This is based on my experience. The last I paid was q2 in Antigua a few months ago. Sometimes they charge q2 to Antiguenos but ask q3 from Guatemalans from the capital or other cities. You can sit there and watch what other people pay first. The police often get a lot of shoe shines and always seem to remain standing during the service. It was q2 in other cities I have been to, as well, like Chimaltenango, Guatemala City, and Quetzaltenango. The lowest I was ever initially quoted was q1.50 and the most was q40 (forty). I can only think of one time when someone refused to do it for q2, even if they initially asked for a lot more. How much "should" you pay is up to you. Usually they do a very good job and I do not mind giving a decent tip, which often they don't even expect. The most I ever heard anyone get charged was a tourist from Alabama who paid $10 lol. Later one of his Guatemalan friends found out and was looking to cause trouble with the shoe shine boy.
One time in Quetzaltenango I had some nasty doggy doo doo on my shoe. I had wiped off the large pieces in the grass. The shoe shine boy was yelling at me q2 and I told him look at my shoe first. I told him if he wanted to charge extra or not even do it at all, that was ok. He said he would do it for 5.
The shoes I usually got shined were black tennis shoes. Also, one of my Guatemalan friends who had relatively large boots would pay q3. She said it was an extra quetzal since they were much larger than a normal-sized shoe.
Mr. Moto, your reply reminds me of the story about the new colonial magistrate right off the boat from Britain. It was his first day on the bench, and his predecessor had wished him well and ran down to the dock just as fast as his legs would take him, to get on the same liner for his trip back to merry England before it cast off.
The new boy's first trial involved a case of procuring. He had no problem whatever finding the chap guilty, but was at a loss as to the customary sentence in that colony. So he sent the bailiff running off to the docks with a note for the departing magistrate: "What do you give a pimp here in Lower Bongoland?"
From his chambers window, the newby heard the ship's whistle and saw lines being cast off down at the docks.Just then his bailiff ran into chambers, somewhat short of breath and carrying a note with sage advice based upon years of experience from the departing magistrate:
"Young man, it would be extremely churlish of you to pay any of our local pimps anything less than half a crown."
Think about it, Mr. Moto.
