See more pictures: Antigua&Iximché
Atitlán&Xela
Visits to students
PROGRESA, the Guatemala Friends Scholarship/Program, is a joint project of Guatemala Friends Meeting in Guatemala and
Redwood Forest Friends Meeting in Santa Rosa, California. Together, we have been helping students in Guatemala attend high
school and college since 1973. In recent years, we have been searching for ways to expand and deepen a connection with
Guatemala for Quakers and others in the US, many of whom have supported our efforts over the years. To this end, in February
2002 we decided to begin offering study tours which would give participants a chance to experience Guatemala at a deeper level
than is generally possible.
In February 2002 we conducted our first tour of the Guatemala Highlands and have conducted several successful tours since
then. Like the previous tours, the March 2008 tour will be limited to no more than 12 participants and specifically designed to give each participant a deeper
understanding of Guatemala's rich Maya and Spanish heritage and of the current realities in the country.
We will begin in Antigua, a charming colonial city which was an early capital of the country. Antigua, situated in the fertile Panchoy Valley and surrounded by three volcanos, is about an hour's drive from Guatemala City. From there, we will travel to other locations in the Central Highlands, visiting grass roots projects which are managed by former students and some other local organizations. Participants will be able to interact directly with the people running the projects, to ask questions and to learn first-hand about the challenges and rewards of their service work. We will also visit historic and scenic sites and there will be free time to shop and explore on one's own. With luck, we will see some of the processions that take place in the weeks before Easter. The group will be led by one of the bilingual Guatemalan members of the Progresa office staff. If the tour size warrants, he will be assisted by a member of Guatemala Friends Meeting.
Panoramic view of the city of Antigua from the Cerro de la Cruz (The Cross Hill)
The total price of the tour is $850 for double occupancy and $1000 for single occupancy. The price includes a $50 tax deductible donation which will be used to sponsor a specific student in the name of the tour group. The student will be selected after the tour is finished and participants will get at least one letter and a picture of the student sponsored. The remaining $800 cost of the tour includes all in-country transportation, lodging, and meals, transfers between the international airport in Guatemala City and Antigua at the start and end of the tour, as long as the arrival and departure happen on those dates. Airfare from/to Guatemala is not included and is the responsibility of the participant. Some of our participants on previous tours arrived early or extended their stay after the tour in order to study Spanish or visit Tikal, the famous Mayan ruins. If this interests you, let us know and we can help you make contact with recommended Spanish schools in Antigua. We can also recommend a travel agent in Antigua to help with pre/post tour in-country travel and transportation.
February is a beautiful month to visit Guatemala. The climate will be temperate. Days are generally warm and nights are cool, even
cold at the higher altitudes. There is no rain this time of year. Altitudes will vary from 4500 feet (in Antigua) to almost 8000
feet (in Quetzaltenango and Zunil). We will be traveling between sites in a comfortable van. While we do no extensive hiking,
we will be walking on cobblestone streets or unpaved roads. Participants for whom the altitudes or the walking might be a concern
should check with their personal physicians.
If your have specific questions, please feel free to contact either Loren Lacelle at progresar@hughes.net or
lacelle@conexion.com.gt or Martha Dugan at mardugan@earthlink.net
or Mary Thompson at marydee2@cox.net
We hope that you choose to join us for a unique visit
to a fascinating country.