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Knitting, Weaving, Kumihimo & Relaxation Retreat
Guatemala City, Antigua, Chichicastenango, Panajachel & Lake Atitlan
February 5-15, 2012 (11 Nights Lodging)
You should arrive Guatemala City (La Aurora International) and be shuttled to the Westin Camino Real, Guatemala City. You will stay in
Guatemala City one night before you travel to Antigua where you will spend 5 days/4 nights. From Antigua you will travel to Panajachel/Lake Atitlan for 6 days/5 nights. We will be staying in beautiful hotels that
you will all enjoy (check hotel web sites. See "Lodging" below). Irene will introduce a KAL project and Karen will be available for Kumihimo. We have two day excursions planned and have allowed plenty of
time for you to explore, on your own, the many treasures of Guatemala. See the information below for each of the cities that should serve as a guideline to inspire your own exploring. We anticipate this to be
another dream that we can share with all of you! We will offer one session only. Read on and enjoy!
Antigua, Guatemala
About Antigua
Antigua has history. Rocked by earthquakes, conquered by conquistadors and dethroned as the capital of Guatemala, this city has a story to
tell. Everywhere you look you will see the remains of what was once the metropolis of Central America. This is where the first printing press in Latin America was established in 1660 and has now become the Museo del
Libro (on the north side of central park). The first University of Central America, Universidad San Carlos, also had it’s original residence here at 5a Calle Oriente #5 and has now been converted into the Museo de
Arte Colonial with a one of a kind exhibit of colonial art ranging from epoch paintings to architectural prints. Only a few blocks away, the Church of La Merced boasts Central America’s largest fountain amidst the
impressive ruins of an old convent.
The city’s outstanding scenery, beautiful hotels, and fine restaurants attract both resident and visiting foreigners who have come to appreciate all that Antigua has to offer. In 1979 Antigua was declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site and today several foundations are hard at work to preserve and maintain the architectural treasures it holds.
Best Time to go:
November through March is the dry season in Guatemala and this is a nice time to be able to enjoy Antigua and all it has to offer.
Spend a day visiting the ruins around town
 Just wandering around Antigua you will be sure to run into more than a few ruins of churches and convents destroyed hundreds of years ago by earthquakes.
Antigua was once the capital of most of what is now Central America. Earthquakes ravaged the city but instead of rebuilding, many were left as they
were so that bigger and more elaborate churches could be built. But in 1773 the earthquake was so devastating that the capital was moved to Guatemala City and Antigua was left mostly abandoned.
The ruins are now a part of what gives Antigua its unique charm. Visit the Casa
Santo Domingo, a five star hotel built on what was once an ancient convent. Past the reception in the back courtyard is the entrance to two museums (Q10 to enter each) where you can
visit the ruins or an art gallery. The ruins of the convent Capuchinas and La Merced are also worthy of a visit.
Hike an Active Volcano
At any travel agency in town (you will see signs everywhere!) you can join a group to hike Pacaya. It is
usually $6 for the morning tour and $4 for the afternoon but visibility is better in the morning. The shuttle will pick you up at 6 am or 1 pm and it’s about an hour ride to the volcano. The hike lasts about 2 hours
and is fairly easy at the moment since groups can not climb to the top due to safety reasons. Don’t worry though, you will see plenty of hot lava!
Visit the Local Market
 The local market is where Guatemalans do their grocery shopping and buy roses
for only Q 4 a dozen (that’s 50 cents!). The market is on the west side of town (head down 4th calle from the park), just west of the main road called Calzada
Santa Lucia. Spend some time getting lost in the market and watch Guatemalans do their shopping. Big market days are Monday, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Behind the covered part is where people set up fruit and vegetable stands—make sure you don’t eat anything that you don’t peel yourself!
Even further back is the public bus station— a good opportunity to get a picture
of the infamous chicken buses. Just south of the main market is the artisan’s market where you can shop for Guatemalan crafts and souvenirs.
People Watch From the Parque Central
Families and couples come to Antigua from the surrounding towns and Guatemala City to “dominguiar”
which translates to “wander around on a Sunday.”
Take in Some Local Color
Visit the courtyard in the restaurant La Fuente on a Saturday morning to see all the traje (indigenous
dress) laid out for sale. La Fuente is just a few blocks east from the park on 4a Calle Oriente #14. It is quite a colorful sight.
Discover the Inner Workings of the Coffee Industry
Join Felix Poron for a lesson on coffee, one of the most important exports to the Antigua valley and all of
Guatemala. Most Guatemalans are involved in coffee in some way—either by picking or processing. Learn why Antigua produces such great coffee and make your own!
Chichicatenango, Guatemala
Called Guatemala’s “Mecca del Turismo” by Inguat, Chichicatenango is a compact and traditional town
of cobbled streets, though the charming old adobe houses are now outnumbered by modern concrete structures. Twice a week the town's highland calm is shattered by the Sunday and Thursday markets,
which attract a myriad of day-tripping tourists and commercial traders, as well as Maya weavers from throughout the central highlands. 
Chichicastenango was founded by the Spanish to house K’iche’ refugees from nearby Utatlán, which they conquered and destroyed
in 1524. The town’s name is a Nahuatl word meaning “the place of the nettles.”
The market is by no means all that sets Chichicastenango apart, however, and for the local population it's an important center of
culture and religion. Over the years, Maya traditions and folk Catholicism have been treated with a rare degree of respect in Chichicastenango, although inevitably this blessing has been mixed
with waves of arbitrary persecution and exploitation. Today the town has an important collection of Maya artifacts, parallel indigenous and ladino governments, and two
churches that make no effort to disguise their acceptance of unconventional pagan worship. Locals adhere to the ways of traditional weaving, the women wearing superb huipiles with flower motifs. The
men's costume of short trousers and jackets of black wool embroidered with silk is highly distinguished, although it’s very expensive to make and these days almost all men opt for Western dress. For Sundays
and fiestas, however, a handful of cofradres (elders of the religious hierarchy) still wear the traditional clothing and parade through the streets bearing spectacular silver processional crosses and antique
incense-burners.
Panajachel and Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Take in the View
The Mayans must have created the hammock when they discovered the beautiful surroundings of Lake
Atitlan. There could not be a more suited pastime while you swing away to the rhythm of the lake breeze, then gazing out onto the breathtaking views of the clear blue lake surrounded by majestic volcanoes.
There are three volcanoes flanking the lake's South shore: San Pedro (3,020m), Toliman (3,158m) and Atitlan (3
,537m). Fear not if a hammock is not at your disposal, it is tough to escape this view whether you are hiking around the lake, taking a ferryboat to an adjacent town,
or simply lying in bed and staring out the window. You might also want to consider zipping by the scenery on a canopy tour!
Get in Touch With Your Spiritual Side
The town of San Marcos makes an interesting day trip from the lake. There is little to do here, but it is
filled with spiritualists and alternative healing specialists who can cure your ailments. The tourist section of town begins at the waterfront and consists of a maze of pathways with quaint wooden signs denoting
hotels and restaurants.
Relax
Stock up on good books and pick a hammock at any one of the great hotels along the lake.
Spend an afternoon in Solola
Solola is about 8km from Pana and can be reached by chicken bus or taxi. Tuesdays and Fridays are
their market days where you will see a much more authentic market than the one in Chichicastenango. There will be fewer items of interest to tourists, as locals come here to buy practical things such as poultry
, veggies, and household goods. Make sure you ask permission if you want to directly take someone’s picture, some of the communities around this area are more sensitive to tourists. They might ask you for
some money in exchange.
Take a hike
 If you are only looking for a day’s adventure, there are several hikes that can be done using the surrounding villages as departure points. There is a walking path that
runs from Santa Cruz all the way to San Marco and takes about two and a half hours.
If you are looking for a shorter hike, start in Santa Cruz and walk about half an hour to the Casa del Mundo
for lunch and a swim. In Santa Cruz the trail starts at the two black, water storage containers on your left as you head up the paved road.
Shop for local pottery
The terraced town of Santo Antonio has a lovely colonial church that overlooks the picturesque shoreline.
A walk through the village will reveal shy yet friendly Antoneros (locals of San Antionio) in their distinctive native dress. The women here are recognized by the colorful silk banda that they weave into
their hair. The town is known for its ceramic pottery and you will find a couple of stores amongst the streets that wind down from the church to the waterfront. The Antoneros also specialize in growing Anise
and making reed mats.
Market days here are Wednesday and Saturday. The annual fiesta in honor of Saint Anthony de Padua is
held June 13-14. It is possible to take a water taxi here although they are infrequent. Trucks make the trip to and from Panajachel along the main road every half hour. Hop in the back with the locals and
enjoy the scenery with the wind rushing through your hair.
Visit Santiago de Atitlan
Santiago is the largest of Atitlan’s lakeside communities with a population of over 32,000 people - the
vast majority of whom are Tz’utujils. Santiago has had a tumultuous past as a major center of fighting  during the war and more recently, as Hurricane Stan devastated much of the region. As the town rebuilds and looks towards the
future, it is important to support these efforts through tourism.
Santiago has long been known on the tourist path as an artisan’s town. The main street is lined with shops selling local oil paintings and
weavings — primarily marketed for foreigners.
Santiago is also known for its increasingly popular deity, Maximon. When you arrive at the dock, you will likely find yourself surrounded
by children who want to escort you to Maximon’s house, for a small price. Market days here are Fridays and Sundays. The annual fiesta in honor of Saint James is held on July 25th.
Visit Local Artisans at Work
San Juan La Laguna is a small town of 8,000 that is known as the “little brother” to the nearby town of
San Pedro La Laguna. San Juan is quite the opposite, providing little that caters to tourists, but much that would be of interest. Some of the country’s best artists live here, creating their works in oil on canvas.
Richard Morgan, through Adventuras en Educacion, runs a day trip to the village where he will take you to the artist’s unmarked homes and tell you about their histories. San Juan also has one of the best sand
beaches along the lake — Las Cristalinas.
Costs
- Single: (private room) 1,575.00
- Double: (share room) 1,095.00
- (Surcharge 61.00 Lakeview Room Panajachel <5 nights>)
Includes
Lodging
- 2 nights (February 5 & 15, 2012), Westin Camino Real, Guatemala City, Guatemala (see Westin Camino Real for more information)
- 4 nights (February 6-9, 2012), Posada de Don Rodrigo, Antigua, Guatemala (see Posada de Don Rodrigo for more information)
- 5 nights (February 10-14, 2012), Posada de Don Rodrigo, Panachel/Lake Atitlan, Guatemala (see Posada de Don Rodrigo in Panajachel for more information)
Transportation and Trips
- February 6, Guatemala City- Antigua
- February 10, Antigua-Panajachel
- February 12, Panajachel-Chichicastenago-Panajachel (Market Day Trip)
- February 13, Santiago de Atitlan, San Juan La Laguna & San Antonio Palopo (Boat Trip Lake Atitlan)
Meals
- Breakfasts: 4 at Posada de Don Rodrigo (Antigua); 5 at Posada de Don Rodrigo (Panajachel/Lake Atitlan)
- Bienvenido Dinner: Antigua, February 8, 2012
- Adios Dinner: Panajachel , February 14, 2012
Reservations
- 1/3 due upon registration
- 1/3 due August 15, 2011
- 1/3 due November 15, 2011
Refunds
- Full refund until November 10, 2011
- After November 10, 2011, refund only if your reserved space can be “filled.”
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