PATCHWORK
FARM: GUATELMALA
RETREAT
Join us for 8 days & 7 nights at the Villa Sumaya Retreat
Center.
Guatemala Retreat
Additional
Information
Joining us in Guatemala can
mean much more than coming to our (wonderful) writing
& yoga retreat!
Patricia and our other writers
have benefited greatly from taking extra time in Antigua
and Santa Cruz ~ to travel, learn, study Spanish, live
with a host family, and to volunteer especially with
children in need of loving attention.
Patricia helps with educational expenses
(such a small amount goes such a long way) for a very bright,
hard-working boy in Santa Cruz, whose father does not support
him; and she volunteers her time (playing, feeding, laughing)
with orphaned, disabled children at a hospital in Antigua.
These experiences deepen and enrich her life.
See below for a few connections, in
case you'd like to become involved too.
If you'd like more information from
her about how to do any of these things, please send an email
to patricia@writingretreats.org
These are the hotels
in Antigua that our hosts
at Villa Sumaya recommend.
Rates are approximate
and we haven't had a chance
to update them! Checkwww.tripadvisor.comto find reviews
from travelers who have
stayed in the past. Just
enter the city or hotel
into the search function.
Also, ask about airport
transfers to the hotel when
you make your reservation.
Many hotels offer an inexpensive
option. Please let us know
if we can help you further.
Posada
Los Bucaros
Rates - Taxes Included
Single Room: $30.00
Double Room: $40.00
Triple Room: $45.00
Quadruple: $50.00
E-mail: losbucaros@intelnett.com
Website: http://hotelbucaros.com
(not currently working, sorry)
Tel: (011 502) 7832-2346
Dilla Cabrera, Reservations
Address: 7a Avenida Norte No
94 La Antigua, Guatemala
The Hotel is colonial
style, all rooms with private
bathroom, TV. cable, hot water,
and there is a full equipped
kitchen that you can use. They
accept Quetzales, US Dollars
and travelers checks. We will
leave for Villa Sumaya from
in front of this hotel.
Posada La Merced
Rates - Taxes included,
the entire hotel is no-smoking
Single: $30/$45/$80 depending
on the room (some are
apartments)
Double: $40/$60/$100 depending
on the room
Email: posadalamerced@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.merced-landivar.com
Tel: (011 502) 7832-3197
Fax: (011 502) 7832-3301
Address: 7a. Avenida Norte
#43 "A", La
Antigua, Guatemala
They also offer reasonable
transfer prices from the
airport, from $35 for
1 to 3 people.
Casa Florencia Rates
Single: $45
$50 Saturday (with full
breakfast Sunday)
Double: $50 Sunday –
Friday
$55 Saturday (with full
breakfast Sunday)
Taxes included
Contact: Patricia
Email: casaflorencia@earthlink.net
Website: www.cflorencia.net
Tel. (011 502) 7832-0261
Fax. (011 502) 7832-7291
7a Avenida Norte #100
La Antigua,Guatemala
Payment is expected in
cash only upon check-in.
We accept neither credit/debit
cards nor personal/traveler
checks. Cash in USDollars
or Quetzales is accepted.
Casa Florencia is a "Boutique
Hotel" located seven
blocks from the Main Square
(5-10 minutes walk), two
blocks from La Merced
Church. Complimentary
morning coffee, high-speed
Internet available from
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through
the desktop computer at
the lobby.
Meson Panza Verde
Rates - Taxes and continental
breakfast included
Double: $100.00
Suites: $165.00 - $2500
E-mail: info@panzaverde.com
Website: http://www.panzaverde.com
Tel: (011 502) 7832-1745
Tel/Fax: (011 502) 7832-2925
Address: 5a Ave Sur #
19 La Antigua, Guatemala
Casa Christina
Rates
Single: $20 and up
Double Room: $25.00
and up, all very reasonable.
Taxes included
Email: info@casa-cristina.com
Website: www.casa-cristina.com
Tel/Fax: (011 502) 7832
0623
Callejon Camposeco #3-A
Between 6th and 7th
Avenida Norte
We have heard the rooms
are cute. Good price
value.
Casa
en Famila Guesthouse
If
you would like to experience
a stay in a small guest
house owned and run by a
Guatemalan family, we can
highly recommend: Casa en
Familia, 7a. Avenida Norte
y Calle Camposeco #3-E,
two doors from Fernando's
Cafe (a favorite hang out
for breakfast and internet
access) and one block from
La Merced Iglesia. It is
owned by Karla Gonzalez
de Budoa, telephones: 502
7832-2465, 502 7832-6503
(no email).
Karla lives with her husband,
two college-aged children
and her grandmother in one
side of the large house.
On the other is the guest
house. It is clean, secure,
has private bathrooms with
hot water, a beautiful upstairs
veranda with full view of
Agua Volcano, a kitchen
for use by guests and daily
room service. Family and
staff are welcoming and
eager to solve any problems
that arise, and also respect
the privacy of guests. In
2009, rooms ranged from
$15-$25/night, depending
on the length of stay. In
2009, Patricia paid $15/night
for 4 weeks. Other guests
checked in for a 2-3 day
stay and paid the higher
rate.
OTHER NOTES on Staying
in Town
Fernando’s Café
corner 7th Avenida Norte &
Calle Camposeca
The Rainbow Café
6th Avenida Sur & 4th Calle
Poniente
Deliciosa Deli
3rd calle poniente (west third
street), #2, phone 7832-0713
They have reliable yogurts, cheeses,
granolas, and all manner of lovely
edibles.
TOUR GUIDES AND SHUTTLE
SERVICES
Tours in Antigua
– Elizabeth Bell
is an excellent tour
operator in Antigua and Tikal,
and author of Antigua, Guatemala,
the City and its Heritage.
Email: Antigua@adrenalinatours.com
Phone: (011 502) 5308-3623
Visit: www.antiguatours.net
Rainbow
Travel in Antigua:
(011 502) 7832-4202 ask for
Luis Ramiez
Adventure
Travel Center provides
reliable shuttle service in
and around Antigua-Guatemala
City-Lake Atitlan and beyond.
5th Avenida Norte #25B El Arco,
La Antigua,
Email: viareal@guate.net.gt
Phone: (011 502) 7832-0162 /
7832-1540
www.adventravelguatemala.com
On Lake Atitlan,
Kayak by the hour, day or overnight
trek Los Elementos Adventure
Center & Day Spa
Lee & Elaine Beal
Santa Cruz la Laguna
Email: el.handson@gmail.com
or visit: kayak.com
Phone: (011 502) 5359.8328 /
4095.3751 / 5107.1401
For those interested
in organic agriculture, small
farms and nutrition for children,
we recommend a visit to “Valhalla,”
a wonderful organic macadamia
orchard just south of Antigua,
owned by Emilia Aguirre and
her American husband, Lorenzo.
They are part of a larger network
of farmers dedicated to restoring
trees to the denuded mountainsides
of Guatemala, and to increasing
nutrition of undernourished
children through the production
of the amazing macadamia nut.
Valhalla
Email exvalhalla@gmail.com www.exvalhalla.net
phone 502-7831-5799 / 5671-9530
Much research
and work to bring back the highly
nutritious “Maya Nut”
is also underway in Guatemala.
Some of us would like to encourage
the planting of both macadamia
trees and maya nut trees in
and around Lake Atitlan, especially
in Santa Cruz, the pueblo we
have come to love. For more
information, see The
Equilibrium Fund
Opportunities
to Volunteer
If you'd like to make
your visit to Guatemala
more meaningful, there
are a number of ways to
volunteer your time. Here
are a few of them, but
there are many more within
a short Internet search
away....
Santo
Hermano Pedro Hospital - One
of the most rewarding experiences
Patricia has had in a long
time was to volunteer in Antigua
to help out with orphaned
children or adults with special
needs at the "Santa Hermano
Pedro" Hospital. If you
are interested, please contact:
It's necessary to present
a passport and two passport-size
photos to become an "official"
volunteer, and it's easy
(and cheap) to get the photos
in Antigua.
Volunteers can sign on
for a few hours, a couple
of days or for weeks, depending
on their time, and can choose
to work with people of a
variety of ages and needs.
As Patricia was studying
Spanish in the mornings,
she volunteered for 2-3
hours in the afternoons,
feeding, holding and playing
with children with severe
disabilities. Everyone can
be helpful.
Amigos
de Santa Cruz -Each year we see
more and more results of
the wonderful and inspiring
work being done in the village
by Amigos de Santa Cruz,
under the leadership of
Pat Torpie and Nancy Bingham,
retired teachers from the
U.S. we have personally
witnessed the difference
Amigos makes in the lives
of bright, hard-working
children who deserve good
educations, but whose families,
without the help Amigos
offers, could not afford
for them to go to school.
We have met young women
who are now graduating from
professional courses, who
ten years ago would have
been forced to drop out
of school at age 12. We've
seen the change in children's
health since Amigos made
simple water filters available
for every household; and
where children were often
burned on open cook stoves,
the stoves Amigos has brought
in are now safe to touch--and
use 70% less wood!
If you'd like to donate,
you can do so by sending
a tax deductible check to:
Amigos de Santa Cruz Foundation
PO Box 148
Lopez Island, WA 98261
And
for personalized study with
Hector Hugo Arriola Jiminez,
Patricia's favorite teacher
in Antigua, please contact:
hharriolajim@gmail.com
Also,
Patricia is glad to answer
questions about her experience.
And,
to continue your Spanish
when you get home, consider
“Speak Shop”
with Milvia Esmeralda Vasquez
at milvia@probigua.org--a
videoconference online program
with Antigua tutors after
you travel—www.probigua.org—about
$10/hour.
Additional
Resources and Reading
You
may want to consult a guide
book before going, just to
have an idea of what is available
around Lago Atitlan and Antigua.
For example, if you have an
interest in jade, Antigua
has a number of stores that
specialize in this stone.
For textiles, which happens
to be what Guatemala is renowned
for, the best place is Chichicastenango
which is close to Lago Atitlan
and has markets days on Thursday
and Sunday. Panajachel (where
you will have the opportunity
to visit during our retreat)
also has many vendors and
shops for numerous crafts
and art of the area. It also
features a wide variety of
restaurants. The market for
so-called “primitive
painting” is well established
in Santiago Atitlan.
Guatemala
has a rich cultural heritage.
Maximon, also known as San
Simon and Rilaj Mam, is a
local godhead in Santiago
Atitlan(see weblink below).
There are also more traditional
religious events in many villages
around the area.
It
is always important to be
respectful at these events
and sites. Always ask before
taking photographs. This
is especially true inside
churches or places of worship.
Over
the years, participants
have let us know what books
and resources helped them
enjoy their trip.
Here's
what they've recommended.
We'd
love to hear from you!
Web Sites
that may be of interest:
(Just copy and paste these
links into your web browser)
History
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/section/guatemal_history.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Guatemala
http://www.historyofnations.net/northamerica/guatemala.htm
Books you might like:
Please let us know of
others you've discovered.
Guide
books: Lonely
Planet: Guatemala, Belize
& Yucatan.
The Rough Guide to Guatemala.
Moon Handbooks: Guatemala.
Other
Books: Bird
of Life, Bird of Death.
A Naturalist’s Journey
through a Land of Political
Turmoil. By
Jonathan Evan Maslow.
Breath on the
Mirror. Mythic Voices &
Visions of the Living Maya.
By Dennis
Tedlock.
Long Life,
Honey in the Heart. A Story
of Initiation and Eloquence
from the Shores of a Mayan
Lake. By Martin
Prechtel.
Scandals in
the House of Birds. Shamans
and Priests on Lake Atitlan.
By Nathaniel
Tarn with Martin Prechtel.
Mayan Folktales.
Folklore from Lake Atitlan,
Guatemala.
Translated and Edited by
James D. Sexton.
Blood of Guatemala:
A History of Race and Nation.
By Greg Grandin.
