Travel to Guatemala: Travel Guatemala with Americans for UNFPA

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Travel Guatemala with Americans for UNFPA

			DAYS: 8 GRADE: I define HIGHLIGHTS: Antigua UN headquarters Guatemala City Interview with Minister of Health Visit Population Council and meet youths at risk MayaWorks project UNFPA Family Planning UNFPA Midwife Program & Hospital Lake Atitlan boat trip Mayan villages around Lake Atitlan Coban Orchid Nursery & Lanquin Caves UN Foundation project Visit Maya Kekchi villages San Jeronimo town and Spanish colonial sugar mill. ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels/Lodges MEALS: As noted  [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch,   D-Dinner] Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services Send to a Friend Print this Itinerary

Update: We have confirmed that the U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala, Stephen McFarland, will host a dinner or reception for our delegation! Participants will have the opportunity to converse and ask questions of Ambassador McFarland in a congenial and relaxed atmosphere. This is just the latest addition to a trip which will be a truly insightful and meaningful experience for the delegates.

The dramatic scenery and culturally rich highlands of central Guatemala are unique. Verdant forests, fertile loamy soil, beautiful cratered lakes and volcanic peaks accent a land where ancient Mayan traditions are part of contemporary life. But all is not perfect in this natural paradise, for amidst the Mayan and Spanish colonial towns poverty and disease are endemic to large sections of the population. In contemporary Guatemala there are many problems for women and children. The causes are numerous: poverty, the lack of family planning and health services. The UNFPA and the UN Foundation address many of the issues, but the emergence of this deeply rooted society into the modern world is not without turbulence. Guatemala needs the help of these organizations and their dedicated staff who spend their lives in the pursuit of a greater common good. And for these dedicated individuals to succeed, they need our support. We make real-life connections with people, walk their land, listen and learn of their lives. The Americans for UNFPA Leadership Delegations are designed for people who do make a difference. Join us, add your voice to the global village and travel with a purpose to Guatemala.

6 day extension available to the northern jungles of the Peten region with visits to the village of Flores, Mayan ruins Tikal and El Mirador (via helicopter) and the beautiful Rio Dulce.

DAY 1 :  ANTIGUA: ARRIVAL, UNFPA & UNF INTRO
On our arrival at Guatemala City airport, we are met and transferred from the airport to our hotel in Antigua. For early arrivals (before 3pm) some sightseeing will be included during the hotel transfer - watching the celebration of Lent in Antigua, with processions over flower petals and dyed saw dust carpets in the streets. This evening we have arranged a private meeting room for our briefing conducted by Americans for UNFPA, UN Foundation escorts and local UNFPA field officers. After the briefing we retire to the restaurant for our evening meal. Overnight and evening meal Casa Santa Domingo Hotel [D]

	Colorful, colonial Antigua

DAY 2 :  ANTIGUA: UN BRIEFING - POPULATION COUNCIL
This morning we drive to Guatemala City, where we have arranged a UNFPA briefing presented by UNFPA field office staff, followed by an interview with the Guatemalan Minister of Health. Equipped with an overview of the issues facing Guatemala and UNFPAs role in protecting the health and rights of Guatemala's women and children, we return to Antigua. In the afternoon we visit the offices of the Population Council, which collaborates with UNFPA and the UN Foundation on its initiative for adolescent girls, for discussion and further insight. Several of the girls who participate in the project will be on hand to meet with the delegates and tell their own stories. We dine at our hotel in the company of Population Council staff.  Overnight Casa Santa Domingo Hotel [BLD]

Mayan men in Solola, Lake Atitlan

DAY 3 :  SOLOLA: MAYAWORKS & UNFPA FAMILY PLANNING
Leaving colonial Antigua, we climb into the dramatic and rugged and Highlands, headed toward Solola, perched on a ridgeline above the spectacular Lake Atitlan. Said to be "the most beautiful lake in the world," it is the home of many Mayan villages, preserving centuries of culture and tradition. 90% the residents of Solola are Cakchiquel Indians who proudly retain their heritage where both men and women routinely wear traditional Mayan dress.  En route, we pay a visit to MayaWorks and the Womens Microloans Project at Xetonox Maya Cackchiquel village. MayaWorks is a non profit which markets the work of Maya artisans who otherwise have no outlet for their handiwork. But MayaWorks is much more than just an outlet for Mayan products. It is community development in action, run by and for women who were previously living in grinding poverty. Spearheaded by the women, MayaWorks has given the entire community self-confidence and hope for themselves, their children, their family and their village. If time allows, we will visit the village school and eat lunch with the community. On arrival in Solola, we visit the UNFPA community family planning project. This evening we are again joined by an UNFPA field officer for our evening meal. Overnight Hotel Atitlan [BLD]

Women from Lake Atitlan.

DAY 4 :  LAKE ATITLAN: BOAT TRIP & UNFPA MIDWIFE PROGRAM
Travel by boat to Santa Catalina Palopo, a Mayan village on the banks of Lake Atitlan. From the boat, gaze at the verdant and dramatic volcanoes which ringing this gem of the highlands. Look for village women washing clothes along the shore, and for local fisherman plying the waters in their dugout canoes. On our return we visit the UNFPA midwife program in Solola and a local hospital involved in UN projects. Return to Guatemala City in the afternoon for a discussion of the days events with our accompanying UNFPA field officer over dinner. Overnight Vista Real [BLD]

DAY 5 :  COBAN: ORCHID NURSERY & LANQUIN CAVES
This morning we transfer to the airport for our 30 minute charter flight to Coban in the beautiful Alta Verapaz region. Coban, set amidst dramatic mountain scenery, is the jumping off point to the Lanquin Caves and Semuc Champey. This was one of the regions most affected by Guatemala's civil war. Upon arrival in Coban we visit the Vivero Verapaz Orchid Nursery famous both for its monja blanca (white nun orchid), which is Guatemala's national flower, and some species of miniature orchids so small, you must they can only be observed through a magnifying glass. We then visit the Lanquin Caves (Grutas de Lanquin). The caves consist of deep limestone caverns through which flows an underground river with various lagoons and unique rock formations. A religious shrine is contained within and the caves are considered sacred by the local indigenous people. Thousands of bats make their home here and the spectacle of their nightly exodus en mass from the cave to feed in the nearby forest is a site to behold.  This evening our UN Foundation escort will brief the delegation on issues and programming for girls and adolescents in the Coban area. Overnight Mansion Santo Domingo de Guzman [BLD]

	The Alta Verapaz mountains and the morning mist

DAY 6 :  COBAN: UNFPA/UNF PROJECT, CHAMELCO MAYA KEKCHI VILLAGE VISIT
This morning we visit a project supported by UNFPA entitled "Abriendo oportunidades para las ninas y adolescentes indigenas", or Opening opportunities for indigenous adolescent girls. This project is an attempt to alleviate hardship and create opportunities for indigenous children and adolescents in the region through educational, economic and health programs. In the afternoon we visit San Pedro Carch and San Juan Chamelco Maya Kekchi villages (3 hours). The descendants living here are Maya-Kekchi, and the town of San Pedro Carch is famous for its traditional silver jewelry. The textiles produced in San Juan Chamelco utilize the "tzu'bil" technique of braiding or twisting with designs featuring ducks, pineapples and butterflies. Evening meal with UN staff.  Overnight Mansion Santo Domingo de Guzman [BLD]

DAY 7 :  GUATEMALA CITY: SAN JERONIMO & SPANISH MILL
Returning to Guatemala City, we visit the historic town of San Jeronimo and tour the baroque church that houses the miraculous image of the patron saint of Masaya. The buildings architecture is simple and elegant, with one tower on the facade and an apse topped with a dome. The church was damaged in the earthquake that shook the city in mid-2000, but has recently been completely restored. We also tour a Spanish colonial sugar mill. Enjoy a farewell meal hosted by two local UNFPA officers. Overnight Vista Real [BLD]

DAY 8 :  FLY: RETURN HOME OR DEPART ON EXTENSION
Transfer to the airport for international flight home or, for those who have booked on the extension itinerary, for our flight to Flores, in the northern Peten region. [B]

Questions? Ask Our Program Directors.

. C o n t a c t Jeff Stivers 1(800)345-4453