TRADITIONS OF GUATEMALA
Wednesday, March 26 – Monday, April 7, 2025

Guatemala is rich in culture, blending its ancient Mayan roots with the influences of its Spanish conquerors. The result is a tapestry of tradition, rooted in place through generations of artisans, with skills passed from mother to daughter and father to son. The stunning mountainous terrain has meant that even nearby villages were hard to reach, so towns have evolved their own unique customs and patterns, exhibited in the vibrant clothing worn by the women.

Join us as we explore Guatemala’s fascinating Mayan roots, and visit a number of non-profits working with women and girls in Mayan communities. We’ll learn about their services, meet local recipients, and take part in some of their activities. We’ll also spend time in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Antigua, with its cobblestone streets and colonial charm. Here we’ll tap into the more-recent Christian outpouring of creativity and devotion that surrounds Semana Santa (Holy Week), in the season leading up to Easter. We’ll watch huge, colorful “carpets” of sawdust and flowers be assembled in the streets to pave the way for monumental processions of floats and life-size statues depicting the death and resurrection of Christ. Emotionally moving and visually stunning, this is a bucket-list experience.

Other trip highlights include:

  • A traditional welcome ceremony by a Mayan shaman at the site of 15th-century ruins, where we will learn about Mayan cosmology

  • Three days visiting Limitless Horizons Ixil, a remarkable nonprofit in the small town of Chajul. We’ll meet with students in their recently-completed secondary school, help with an English class, and visit their unique library. We’ll visit the homes of some of the students and take part in the life of this rural village

  • A day with the nonprofit Multicolores, learning about their programs for indigenous women artists, going to one of the artists’ villages and taking part in a rug-weaving demonstration

  • Four days on beautiful, volcano-ringed Lake Atitlan, visiting some of the small, quaint towns that dot its shores

  • Demonstrations by master weavers, learning about natural dyes and having a chance to try weaving on a backstrap loom for yourself

  • A visit to Chichicastenango, which hosts the largest indigenous artisan market in the country

Cost $3000-3500 (TBD), plus international airfare. This tour is limited to 12 women, minimum 8 participants.