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GUATEMALA WINTER GET-AWAY Plus Two Nights in Belize January 26, 2016 - 19 Days

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GUATEMALA WINTER GET-AWAY Plus Two Nights in Belize January 26, 2016 - 19 Days GUATEMALA WINTER GET-AWAY Plus two nights in Belize January 26, 2016 - 19 Days Fares Per Person: $6295 double/twin $7445 single > Please add 0.4% GST. Early Bookers: $300 discount on first 8 seats; $150 on next 4 Redeem Experience Points: Book by November 10 and redeem up to 123 e-points Includes Transportation to/from Vancouver Airport Palace of the Captains General Flight from Vancouver to Guatemala City Copán Archeological Site Current air taxes, fees and fuel surcharges Quiriguá Mayan Site Transfer from Guatemala Airport to hotel Rio Dulce National Park 18 nights accommodation and hotel taxes Wildlife and birdlife cruise on the Rio Dulce Coach transportation in Guatemala and Belize Yaxhá Archeological Site with Topoxte Expert local guides and naturalists Tikal National Park Locally-guided tour of Guatemala City Tour of Tikal UNESCO World Heritage Site Popol Vuh Museum Ruins of Xunantunich Ixchel Museum of Mayan Costumes Locally-guided tour of Belize City Sololá Market Altun Ha Temple Cruise across Lake Atitlán Flight from Belize City to Vancouver Cultural walking tour of San Antonio Palopó Knowledgeable Wells Gray tour director Chichicastenango Market Gratuities to local guides, drivers and naturalists Church of Santo Tomás ceremony Luggage handling at hotels Natural History Museum in Quetzaltenango 49 meals: 18 breakfasts, 15 lunches, 16 dinners, Iximché Archeological Site Experience Points: Earn 123 -points Tour to Pacaya Volcano e Tour of colonial Antigua with Cathedral GUATEMALA — A WINTER PARADISE Guatemala is the third largest country in the Central American isthmus, bordering Mexico to the northwest, Belize to the northeast, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. The Pacific Ocean lies to the south and the Caribbean Sea to the north. Guatemala City is the country’s largest, and also the largest city in Central America with a metro population of 3.7 million. The country's physical geography divides it into three major zones: Pacific Lowlands, Central Highlands, and the Peten Lowlands in the north. Guatemala has 14 biologically significant and unique ecosystems. It counts 1,246 species of fauna and 8,700 species of flora. National parks, nature reserves, and biological reserves protect the most significant areas. Tourism is growing rapidly and is now Guatemala’s #1 industry with over 2 million visitors. There is lots of fascinating history on this tour. Several archeological sites are visited including Ixim- ché, Copán, Quiriguá, Yaxhá, Topoxte, and the grandest of all, Tikal which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some were occupied hundreds of years BC and abandoned a thousand years ago, only to be redis- covered in the rainforest jungle in the last few decades. The enchanting colonial city of Antigua was founded in 1543. The tour also features two boat cruises, awesome active volcanoes, colourful indigenous markets, and the Caribbean beaches of Belize. Come and admire the natural and historic wonders of Guatemala with a sample of Belize, and get away from a Canadian winter for 2½ relaxing weeks. Itinerary Tuesday, January 26: Meals: D we drive to Lake Atitlán, the deepest lake in Cen- Transportation is provided to Vancouver and we tral America, noted for its crystalline azure waters. stay overnight at the Fairmont Hotel in Vancouver Some writers such as Aldous Huxley and Alexan- Airport. A get-acquainted dinner is included at der von Humboldt have called it “the most beau- Globe@YVR in the hotel. tiful lake in the world.” This huge caldera, measur- ing 130 sq km, was formed by the collapse of a Wednesday, January 27: Meals: B volcano about 80,000 years ago and today there We fly on United Airlines to Houston, then continue are three volcanoes that flank its southern shore. to Guatemala City, arriving in the evening. Atitlán is the ideal place to come in contact with Welcome to Guatemala! Our driver and bilingual Guatemalan folklore. Twelve Indian villages sur- guide meet us, and we check in at the Barcelo round the Lake, and their inhabitants are de- Hotel for a two-night stay. scendants from the great Quiché, Cackchiquel, and Tzutuhil nations. We stay three nights at Porta Thursday, January 28: Meals: B,L,D Hotel del Lago, located directly beside the lake. During a sightseeing tour of Guatemala City, we visit the National Palace, the Cathedral, La Saturday, January 30: Meals: B,L,D Merced Church, the Civic Center Complex, and We take a cruise across Lake Atitlán to the pictur- residential areas. The Popol Vuh Museum has a esque Indian village of Santiago Atitlán. Enjoy this valuable collection of pre-Hispanic art, colonial bustling community where weavers work with art, indigenous clothing, over 400 Mayan masks colourful textiles. We continue by coach to San and costumes, and even a Mayan sarcophagus. Antonio Palopó, a Cackchiquel village where Next is the Ixchel Museum of Mayan Costumes. agriculture is the main activity. They grow onions Named for the Mayan goddess of fertility and and anise, as well as weave carpets and manu- weaving, it has a vast collection of textiles dating facture products made from the fibers of the to the 19th century which came from 120 Guate- maguey agave. Men wear a red-striped shirt and malan communities. Tonight, a “Welcome to a kind of brown plaid skirt while women wear a Guatemala” dinner is arranged. red-and-white-striped huipil and a navy-blue cor- te (skirt). Women use the traditional waist loom to Friday, January 29: Meals: B,L,D weave and men use the standing loom which In the morning, we visit Sololá Market, an authen- was introduced by the Spaniards during the colo- tic indigenous market where people gather from nial period. Next, we visit Santa Catarina Palopó, many surrounding villages. They proudly wear a small colourful village of Cackchiquel origin, traditional embroidered clothing which portrays noted for its expert weavers. their social and economic status. In the afternoon, Sunday, January 31: Meals: B,L,D large variety of high quality textiles are produced. Today is market day in Chichicastenango! This is In the afternoon, we visit the Central Plaza which one of the most colourful and picturesque open- is surrounded by the old Cathedral, the Municipal air markets in Guatemala. Hundreds of Indians Government Building, the Palace of the Captains from the surrounding countryside gather to barter General, a colonial church and a monastery. You their goods and products. We also witness the may also want to visit the jade factory where the captivating religious ceremonies held on the steps precious stone is worked into beautiful jewelry. and inside the 400-year old Church of Santo Tomás. Friday, February 5: Meals: B,L,D Since most roads lead to Guatemala City, we Monday, February 1: Meals: B,L,D drive east through this large urban area and cross Leaving Lake Atitlán, we drive to Quetzaltenango. the border into Honduras. The archaeological site It is considered the second most important city of of Copán is awesome with elaborate stone sculp- Guatemala, due to its size and industrial, cultural, tures everywhere. As you walk into the dramatic and commercial activity, yet it has preserved its expanse of the Great Plaza, you are witness to the colonial architecture. Several neo-classical build- cultural achievements of the ancient Maya. Co- ings can be seen around the Centroamerica Park, pán's main plaza contains the greatest collection the heart of the city. The Espiritu Santo Cathedral of Mayan sculptures in Central America. Take time dates to 1535 and has an ornamental facade. La to explore and marvel at the beautiful Mayan Casa de la Cultura, the Natural History Museum, stellae, majestic temples, and huge ball court. contains a collection of pre-Hispanic pieces and Copán was the capital city of the Mayan from the odd or amazing memorabilia. Our overnight ac- 5th to the 9th century AD and was occupied for commodation is at Pensión Bonifaz Hotel. about 2,000 years. We stay overnight at Marina Copán Hotel. Tuesday, February 2: Meals: B,L,D We visit the sprawling Iximché Archaeological Saturday, February 6: Meals: B,L,D Site. It served as the capital of the Cackchiqueles We return to Guatemala and visit the Mayan site starting in 1470 until the Spanish conquest of 1524 of Quiriguá where extraordinary monuments in- when it was established as the first Spanish capi- clude 12 carved stellae, 4 zoomorphs, enormous tal. Excavation and interpretation of the ruins carved stones of mythological animal forms, and started in 1956 and the site was declared a Na- unrestored temples. The ruins of the town site tional Monument in 1960. We continue to Antigua, cover about 3 sq km and it was occupied from the most important and enchanting city of coloni- 200 to 900 AD. The site's importance lies in its al Guatemala. Founded by the Spaniards in 1543, wealth of sculptures, including the tallest stone nowadays Antigua is a beautiful blend of ruins, monumental sculpture ever erected in the West- restored colonial buildings, and new buildings in ern Hemisphere at 11 m. We continue in the after- colonial style. It was declared "Monument of noon to Rio Dulce and stay overnight at the Cata- America" in 1965. We stay three nights at Porta marán Island Hotel. Accommodation is in bunga- Hotel in Antigua. lows built along the riverbank. Wednesday, February 3: Meals: B,L,D Sunday, February 7: Meals: B,L,D One of Guatemala's 33 active volcanoes is The Rio Dulce is the largest river in Guatemala, Pacaya. It first erupted about 23,000 years ago starting in Lake Izabal and flowing 43 km to the and there have been numerous eruptions in histor- Caribbean Sea.
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