“10 Days, 3 Volcanoes” - Xela AID X

“10 Days, 3 Volcanoes” - Xela AID X-Treme Trip
March 14-23, 2014 – Trip Leaders: Cliff Hague and Shelby Churchill
Orientation (Mandatory): Sunday, January 12th, 1-4pm in Huntington Beach
DAY 1: Depart from LAX on the evening of the 14th and arrive in Guatemala City early in the morning.
DAY 2: From Guatemala City, drive to the spectacular old capital city of Antigua and check into our
remarkable hotel…Palacio de Dona Leonor. There, we spend the day exploring Antigua and settling into
the Guatemalan culture. Activities can include a tour of museums (including the famous Chocolate
Museum), early Spanish churches and the myriad ruins throughout this fantastic early colonial city, or
simply exploring the local shops and markets.
DAY 3: Starting in the morning and depending on seismic activity, we will either climb Volcan Pacaya
(active) at 8,370 feet or Volcan de Agua (higher, not active, but actually an easier hike) at 12,333 feet.
An alternative we’ll consider is to continue to explore Antigua in the morning, and hike the volcano in
the afternoon to watch the sunset and lava flows. After our hike, we’ll spend our second night in Antigua.
DAY 4: In the morning, we’ll head to Xela where we will be staying in a
comfortable hotel, Hotel Modelo, and continue on to Xela AID
headquarters. We’ll introduce you to the village of San Martin and give
a brief orientation of volunteer activities that are available to you. We’ll
spend the afternoon with a village orientation, participating in various
projects and interacting with the local people.
DAY 5: Project day in the village of San Martin. Xela AID projects will be based upon interests and
skills of our participants, and needs of Xela AID and the village.
DAY 6 & 7: We will do an overnight climb up Tajumulco volcano...the highest point in Central
America at 13,845 ft...camping below the summit, then summiting early morning to witness sunrise and
the neighboring active volcano, enjoying the breathtaking 360-degree panoramic views of the entire
Western half of Guatemala and Southern Mexico. For non-climbers, these two days will involve
continuing village projects, and an optional short hike up the sacred local volcano Chicabal.
DAY 8: Thursday morning, we’ll depart for Lake Atitlan and our remarkable lake-side hotel...Casa del
Mundo. In the afternoon we’re on our own to relax or explore this world famous lake and surrounding
Mayan villages.
DAY 9: You can either choose to take this day off and enjoy activities around Lake Atitlan or climb the
beautiful San Pedro volcano...our third and final climb. The view of the lake and surrounding area from
the trail is breathtaking and rewarding...considered one of the most beautiful vistas in the world!
DAY 10: Depart the lake Sunday morning and spend time in Panajachel, one of Guatemala’s famous
market centers. Later in the day, we will depart to Guatemala City and the airport for flights home this
night to LAX or other destinations.
Cost: $1366 + Air (see Common App for additional detail: xelaaid.org > Volunteering>Mission Trips)
TO RESERVE UPON ACCEPTANCE IF FLYING FROM LAX
• Outbound: YOUR DAY #2, LACSA 641, approximately 1:30 a.m.
• Inbound: Your Day #10, LACSA 640, 8 p.m.
If you are not leaving from LAX, you will arrange a flight to arrive in Guatemala City by 7 AM, Day 2.