Program Schedule Disclaimer: Actual order of activities will vary by program session. The day-to-day itinerary detailed below is typical for what you can expect to experience, but not set in stone as work and activities vary depending upon the needs of our local community partners, various celebrations and customs, as well as the weather. This itinerary is designed to give you an example of what a day-to-day schedule would look like and provide a clear idea of the program experience. It may be changed during the summer as staff sees fit and on the ground circumstances and opportunities change our course.
Day 1: Participants will arrive at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City (Airport Code: GUA) where our staff will meet you at the airport and we will travel as a group to the colonial town of Antigua. Day 2: In the morning, we will meet with a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer or a former Peace Corps staff member living in Antigua. They will brief us on development issues in Guatemala and talk about their experiences with Peace Corps Guatemala as well as the work of other non-governmental organizations (NGOs). From there, we’ll begin our journey to Quetzaltenango. On the way, we will stop to meet a group of Mayan women who will teach us the ancient customs of the Mayan wedding ceremony and meaning behind the colorful textiles that they weave. After their interactive presentation, you will have the opportunity to make tortillas and see how coffee was traditionally roasted. During our three and a half hour journey through the mountains on the Inter-American highway we’ll stop for lunch, and then continue the winding road north to our Home Base in Xela. After getting settled into the Home Base we’ll have dinner together and get to know each other more and have time to rest and acclimate to our new elevation, 7,655 feet above sea level.
Day 4: We will continue working on our community service project during the first half of the day. In the afternoon we travel to the oldest church in Central America, Iglesia de Salcaja, to learn about the time of colonization in this part of the world. While in the town of Salcaja, we will also visit the workshop of Don Enio Perez, a master weaver who will show us how traditional Guatemalan traje is woven. You’ll even have a chance to try your hand on a traditional loom. After dinner at the Home Base, Arturo Gonzalez, a former guerrilla who fought against the military during the civil war, will share his personal experience with us about living through the genocide of Maya people. Today, he works to promote human rights in the country. This discussion will provide a contrast for our subsequent visit with a former army general who fought on the side of the military. Day 5: We will return to the school where we’ve been volunteering to keep making progress on our project. In the afternoon we’ll meet with someone familiar with the work of the Peace Corps in the region to learn about the different programs that are being implemented in the villages surrounding Xela. After dinner at the Home Base, travelers can join a Latin dance class to learn some salsa and merengue or simply relax.
Day 3: We will begin our community service project at the local school in the morning, working from approximately 8:00 to noon. We will have a meeting with the students and teachers to discuss our project and learn more about their school. In the afternoon, we’ll take a guided walking tour of the colonial center of Xela in order to learn more about the community in which we’re living. You’ll also have some free time at the Central Park where you will absorb the local flavor and watch the flow of daily life that passes through the park. In the evening, travelers have the choice of watching a movie at the Home Base about the plight of the Mayan people or sitting in our garden patio and socializing over a cocktail.
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