Guatemala Itinerary

Here is the itinerary for the Guatemala trip. It will be March 12-19th, 2011 and costs $1599. Email me at kjholt@indiana.edu if you're interested! For more information about The Village Experience, check out their website at www.experiencethevillage.com


Service Trip to Guatemala
*prepared by The Village Experience

(Saturday) – Arrive in Guatemala City. Transfer to hotel in Antigua. Welcome dinner in the evening. Overnight at hotel.

(Sunday) – Morning walking tour of Antigua and time to shop the local markets. Visit colonial ruins, churches, convents, and museums and learn the history of this magical city, which was once the capital of Guatemala. Free time for lunch. After lunch, embark on a tour of Finca Filadelfia to see a large- scale coffee operation. At an altitude of between 5000 and 6500 feet the FILADELFIA Coffee Estate produces one of the finest coffees on earth, and product from FILADELFIA has won the "Cup of Excellence" award twice. 200 acres of "arabica" coffee has been grown here for several generations under environmentally and bird friendly conditions. This beautiful farm of 900 acres is developing into an ecological tourist resort, which eventually will have hotel accommodations. On this interesting tour we will show our guests how coffee is
grown from seed in the nursery and take them through the many phases of processing. The adventurous have a chance to breath in the cool fresh air of our mountain forest reservation at an elevation of 8000 feet with an incredible bird’s- eye view of the Antigua valley. The trip by mule or jeep will take you through tree plantings of white pine, cedar, cypress and even redwood and Douglas fir brought in from California a few years ago. Zip-line through the jungle in the afternoon! Return to hotel in the evening.


(Monday) - Volunteer day with Vamos Adelante. Vamos Adelante provides education, health and nutrition services to poverty-stricken individuals in over 18 villages in the region of Esquintla, Guatemala, in addition to supporting various projects throughout the country. There are currently no other permanent development organizations working in this isolated part of Guatemala. Vamos Adelante has established schools and health facilities in several local villages, and currently provides educational materials and school equipment to 3,000 children at 19 schools. Enjoy lunch in the village and help to implement an income-generation project for the community. Return to hotel in the evening. Overnight at hotel.

(Tuesday)– Continue volunteering with Vamos Adelante. Return to hotel in the evening.

(Wednesday) – Continue volunteering with Vamos Adelante. Return to hotel in the evening.

(Thursday) – Spend today in the famous town of Chichicastenango. ChiChi is known as one of the biggest markets in all of Central America. Enjoy a tour of the area in the morning, lunch, and then free time to shop the market. Transfer to Panajachel in the afternoon and check into hotel. Panajachel is home to Lake Atitlan. A natural treasure is the sapphire-blue Lake Atitlán, surrounded by 3 dormant volcanoes in the Western Highlands. Located around the lake’s shore are 14 picturesque indigenous villages, which are home to Kakchiquel and Tzutuhil families and where Mayan dialects are the first language. At 320 m deep, it is the deepest lake in Central America. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Overnight at hotel.
(Friday) – Spend today exploring Lake Atitlan. Embark on a full day boat ride and visit small fishing villages dotting the lake – visit fair trade groups in San Juan la Laguna, learn about the Mayan deity, Maximon, in Santiago de Atitlan, and enjoy lunch and shopping in San Pedro la Laguna. Return to Panajachel in the afternoon. Free evening. Overnight at hotel.

(Saturday) – Return to Antigua in the morning. Upon arrival, visit local coffee farmer, Don Filiberto. Board a chicken bus and head to his village to explore his coffee farm, meet his family, learn how to make tortillas, and purchase his fair trade coffee. Don Filiberto and his family are part of Common Hope’s “Income Generating Plan.” Return to hotel in the afternoon. Overnight at hotel.

(Sunday) - Transfer to Guatemala City to catch flight back to the United States.



Inclusions:
8 nights accommodations
All in-country transportation
Breakfast, lunch while volunteering, welcome dinner/farewell dinner
Walking tour of Antigua
Tour of Finca Filadelfia with Zip Lining
Coordination of all volunteer activities
Tour of ChiChi
Boat ride on Lake Atitlan
Visits to fair trade groups in San Juan la Laguna
Community tour with Don Filiberto
Spanish speaking guide
Village Experience guide
Donation to Vamos Adelante