Youth Advocate Programs Donor Trip to Guatemala
November 10 – 17, 2022
SUMMARY
Welcome to the Youth Advocate Program’s (YAP) donor trip to Guatemala! This unique trip blends leisure, adventure, fun, cultural immersion and education that showcases the work done by Siembra Bien and YAP’s historical commitment of solidarity and support for human rights, development and youth leadership in Guatemala. All within the context of the country’s vibrant culture and traditions.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Thursday, November 10, 2022
Bienvenidos a Guatemala! Today you will arrive into Guatemala City and be transported to La Inmaculada Hotel. Check into your hotel room and relax before this evening’s Welcome Dinner with the whole group.
Overnight: La Inmaculada Hotel (Guatemala City)
Day 2: Friday, November 11, 2022
Today is a full day of sightseeing in Guatemala City! After breakfast, the group will be met at the hotel reception by a private guide to begin a full day tour of Guatemala City. Today’s tour will cover some of the main monuments including the Cathedral, Central Square and the Relief Map. Your sightseeing today may include visiting the Popol Vuh museum of Mayan art, the Ixchel Museum of Mayan Textiles, the Miraflores Museum of Archaeology and the National Museum of Ethnology & Archaeology.
Overnight: La Inmaculada Hotel (Guatemala City)
Day 3: Saturday, November 12, 2022
The group will begin their day with breakfast at the hotel before departing for your site visit in Zone 18 to see the programs that YAP supports, firsthand.
In the early evening a Reception of wine and cheese can take place La Inmaculada Restaurant. Once the Reception is over, the group will reconvene for dinner at a local restaurant.
Overnight: La Inmaculada Hotel (Guatemala City)
Day 4: Sunday, November 13, 2022
Your guide will meet you at your hotel to transport you to Lake Atitlan. On the way, you will stop at Chichicastenango Market, one of the largest markets in Latin America. It is also one of the most vibrant and lively markets in Guatemala and is only open on Thursdays and Sundays. Vendors set up early in the morning and sell a little of everything. You will find beautiful textiles and traditional garments, wood carvings, leather goods, handmade jewelry, pottery, candles, plants and so much more! Get a feel for the local culture while shopping for souvenirs for your loved ones at home.
After visiting the market in the morning, you will have lunch at a local restaurant as you continue your journey to Lake Atitlan to check in to your hotel. You will have the afternoon free to settle in to your hotel and explore the town or relax in the hotel’s gorgeous gardens.
You will then enjoy a local dinner and unwind beside beautiful Lake Atitlan.
Overnight: Casa del Mundo (Lake Atitlan)
Day 5: Monday, November 14, 2022
After breakfast, head out for a lakeshore walk, village tour and boat ride! Your guide will meet you at your hotel, then you’ll embark on an exploration by foot and boat passing through numerous villages dotting the water’s edge, where Mayan locals work in the fields, wash clothes in the lake, and fish from their hand-carved ‘cayucos’ (wooden boats). After lunch, you’ll visit either the village of San Juan La Laguna or Santiago Atitlan, the choice is up to you.
San Juan is a quiet village dedicated to artisanal weaving, medicinal plants, delicious coffee, and small galleries and shops. Here you can watch indigenous weavers mix natural dyes from locally grown plants and flowers, and then see the women use a back-strap loom to create intricate textiles, thread by colorful thread. Santiago is busier, with its bustling market, a street crowded with regional handicraft shops and small galleries, and the opportunity to visit the current location of the liquor-drinking, cigar-smoking Mayan folk saint, Maximón. After a visit to the village you choose, you’ll be transferred back to your hotel by boat.
In the evening you will enjoy a group dinner.
Overnight: Casa del Mundo (Lake Atitlan)
Day 6: Tuesday, November 15, 2022
After breakfast at your hotel you will travel to Antigua. While in Antigua, you will meet with one of the youth of the Siembra Bien program. You will enjoy lunch and continue with your program visit.
In the afternoon the group will hike to Cerro de La Cruz, a small, manageable walk. However, there are tuc-tucs at disposable for people who prefer not to walk. At the top of the hill, you will have incredible views of the volcanos of Antigua.
Tonight, you will have a Guatemalan cooking class! Work side-by-side with a local chef as you learn you how to make some of Guatemala’s most traditional and authentic dishes in this fun, hands-on culinary experience. Your cooking class starts with a brief introduction and historical overview, including the interesting fusion of Spanish and Maya influences on modern-day Guatemalan cuisine. In this fully participatory class, you’ll cook with vegetables, meats, herbs, and spices hand-selected from Antigua’s thriving indigenous market. Dishes may include pepian, pulique, or jocón, three pre-Columbian stews that have been officially named as part of Guatemala’s cultural heritage. (Actual dishes in your class will depend on your taste and availability of ingredients.) Your session concludes deliciously as you enjoy the unique flavors of the dish you just prepared! When the meal is over, you’ll be transferred back to your hotel.
Overnight: El Convento Boutique Hotel (Anituga)
Day 7: Wednesday, November 16, 2022
After breakfast your private guide will meet you for your optional walking tour through Antigua. On this tour you will visit the Antigua Cathedral, the Merced Monastery & the San Francisco Monastery. For longer distances between sites tuc-tucs can be utilized.
You will conclude your walking tour a local restaurant and have the rest of the afternoon at your leisure before the group Farewell Dinner.
Overnight: El Convento Boutique Hotel (Anituga)
Day 8: Thursday, November 17, 2022
Today you will be transferred to Guatemala City for your international departures or continue on with your travels.
