*Coronavirus update
Hello friends,
We are writing to address concerns around Covid-19 and how it might affect our plans to travel to Guatemala together this summer. A couple of people have withdrawn from the trip, and we understand that decision, but at this time, we are moving forward.
This is unquestionably a serious situation, and we want to be careful with your own health, as well as the health of our friends and partners in Guatemala. At the same time, we don’t want to overreact or live from a place of fear. It would be unfortunate to prematurely cancel a trip that could be nourishing for all involved, especially if we find that COVID-19 has largely run its course in the next couple of months. It’s difficult to make decisions with so many questions hanging in the air as to how this will unfold, and we are trying to avoid either under- or over-reacting.
The good news is that we don’t need to make decisions immediately, and we would like to give you the freedom of more time to see how things go, as well.
We have set a date to make a decision by April 25 regarding whether we will proceed with the trip or not. If the situation has stabilized, we will ask you to confirm with us by May 1, and make the trip deposit.
To everyone who has already sent in your deposit or full payment, thank you! If we find that we have to reluctantly cancel the trip, it will be returned to you in full, after April 25. As of now, some major airlines are giving full refunds for trips canceled due to the outbreak.
Thank you for your support of this important work. We are hopeful that we will have a good adventure together.
Best,
Sarah and David
In the summer of 2020, PEG Partners will be will be taking our third group of up to twenty people, led by David LaMotte and Sarah Robinson, to learn more about Guatemala and PEG’s work there, enjoy the rich culture and beautiful landscape, and explore how best we can have a positive influence on the world around us, in partnership and community across lines that sometimes separate us. The trip will focus on cultural exposure and understanding. Our time together will have educational components, and opportunities to get to know some of PEG’s Guatemalan partners and their work.
The itinerary includes Guatemala City, Antigua, El Tejar, Chimaltenango, Panajachel, and Santiago, Atitlán.
When:
We will travel to Guatemala on Sunday, July 12, and we will return to our homes on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.
If these dates don’t work for you this year, please sign the mailing list in order to keep up to date on future trips! You may also contact Sarah if you are interested in putting together your own trip, whether for your church, school, service organization, workplace, family, etc. Sarah is happy to help you make a trip to Guatemala into reality.
What to expect:
Though it’s not a guarantee, history would indicate a high likelihood that you will fall in love with Guatemala and its people. Guatemala, like every country, is full of individuals, but on the whole, you can expect folks there to be warm, welcoming, and kind. Guatemalan people are the best part of Guatemala. Beauty takes many other forms, too, however. The former colonial capitol city of Antigua features incredible Spanish architecture, the mountains and countryside are gorgeous, and Lago Atitlán has been called the most beautiful lake in the world.
Guatemalan food is delicious, and it is not too hard to accommodate most dietary styles (David is vegetarian, and loves it there). Guatemala is also a country with extreme poverty and a violent past, in which the United States has played a significant role. It continues to wrestle with thorny political, social, and economic issues. Learning about this history and present circumstances in Guatemala will be part of our time. To learn more about how PEG began and the work we do in Guatemala, please click here.
The itinerary will be fairly dense, but we try to keep a reasonable pace. We will visit a music program that PEG co-founded, a mentoring program for disadvantaged girls that PEG funds, a primary school for which PEG has been the principal funder, and UPAVIM, a community center, school, clinic, and women’s fair trade co-op in Guatemala City where PEG has supported various initiatives. We will also visit with our friends at CEDEPCA, who will provide a Monday morning introduction to Guatemala, to provide basic history and context.
We will also have some free time, including an afternoon off in Antigua (we can help arrange options or you can strike out on your own), and a day off in Santiago, where there are good options for rest and relaxation. Each night, we will have debriefing time, led by David, with an opportunity to process the day together, and ask any questions or raise any concerns folks may have. David will also bring along a travel guitar, and may share a song or two in the evenings.
Transportation within Guatemala will include buses, boats, and walking on cobblestone streets and paths. With that in mind, backpacks or duffels will serve you better than roller bags. Because of travel necessities, our itinerary will also include a couple of fairly early mornings. Unfortunately, due to the infrastructure of Guatemala, we cannot guarantee access to everyone with mobility issues, but are sensitive to these challenges, and will make an effort to include everyone to the degree that it is possible. Please let us know what your challenges might be when you apply for the trip.
Cost:
The trip fee includes meals, lodging, and some financial support for PEG’s work in Guatemala, and the partner projects we will be visiting.
The per person price is $1,250 for a shared room (we can match you with a roommate if you’re not traveling with one), or $1,500 for a single room. Children age 11+ are welcome on the trip and are the same price as an adult. If you would like to travel with a child 10 or under, please contact us.
We will be staying in various accommodations, ranging from quite simple (a convent in Guatemala City) to homestays with families in El Tejar, to the more upscale Posada de Santiago.
Please note, the trip fee does not cover the cost of airfare, which will be arranged by each participant (we are happy to help with advice on tickets).
Applying
To apply for the trip, please click here, and note that the form will take about 10 minutes to fill-out. Thanks!
Each individual adult should fill out an individual application, and indicate if you are traveling with another adult. Families with children, please indicate the number and ages of children on your application. After the group is established, we will connect everyone via email and send more information.
Thank you for your interest in visiting Guatemala with us! Simply by coming on this trip, you are supporting our work there, as a portion of your registration will go to fund these projects. If you have further questions, please check out our FAQ, and if your question isn’t covered there, drop a note to Sarah. We are grateful for your interest and support, and we look forward to knowing you better!