2. Potential Itinerary
• 10 days: April 21/22/23 to May 2/3/4
• 4 days sight-seeing and traveling, 6 days at
Asturias Academy working on library projects
• Possible to extend trip and travel around
Central America or learn Spanish in Xela after
3. On the Agenda: Lake Atitlán
• Famous lake in the Highlands
• We’ll visit a public library in San Juan, climb a
local volcano, and swim in the lake
4. On the Agenda: Retalhuleu
• This department is in southwestern
Guatemala, on the Pacific
• We’ll see ruins and an amazing water park
5. Another Option: Into the Jungle!
• Possible to replace trip to lake with Rio Dulce
River and Livingston, on the east coast
• We’ll visit a school library on the river and meet
the Garifuna people of the Caribbean town of
Livingston
• We can also visit the Mayan ruins at Quiriguá, a
UNESO World Heritage Site
6. Another Option: Tikal
• We’ll see the Mayan ruins at Tikal, in the
northern department of El Petén
• One of the largest pre-Columbian Mayan cities
• A UNESCO World Heritage Site
7. Costs
• NON-GUATEMALA TRANSPORTATION COSTS
– Round trip airfare: Montreal to Guatemala City $650
• IN-COUNTRY COSTS
– Fee paid to Asturias Academy $450-600 (covers all
meals and snacks, hotels, transport, entry fees!)
• TOTAL $1,100-1,250
• Will be offset by grants (~ $100/person) and
fundraising (~$30 and more: we have already
raised $300 from the Manitoba Social)
8. Safety and Security
• There are security risks in Guatemala, although
we encountered minimal danger during our trip
last year
• The Academy partners with experienced tour
operators and drivers, who only take certain
highways and roads
• We will be informed of local laws and customs
(e.g. when it’s cool to take photos)
• Security guards in hostels
• We will register with our governments before
traveling
9. Your Commitment
• Participate in fundraising efforts (e.g. bake
sales)
• Brainstorm, work on library projects (e.g. book
buying, event programming, grant writing),
attend all trip-related meetings
10. Important Dates
• Dec. 1st
: LWB Bake Sale to raise funds to help
offset trip costs
• Mid-January: purchase plane tickets
• March 2011: Mandatory visit to McGill Pre-
Travel Clinic (vaccines/medications generally
covered by PGSS insurance)
