S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y EXPLORING BELIZE AND GUATEMALA February 15 to 23, 2019 a program of the stanford alumni association
Traveling in the heart of Maya country, where towering pyramids and intricate stone carvings emerge from dense jungle foliage to bring ancient history to life, is a memorable adventure by any measure. Even today, researchers and scholars are still making astounding discoveries about these ancient sites, such as the recent identification of the ruins of more than 60,000 houses, highways, quarries and other human-made features near Tikal that have been hidden for centuries by the jungle. Whether you are fascinated with manifestations of ancient genius or are curious about diverse peoples and ecology, you will not be disappointed on this unique journey. Join us! BRETT S. THOMPSON, 83, DIRECTOR, STANFORD TRAVEL/STUDY Highlights LISTEN to the symphonic cacophony of tropical wildlife from the comfort of a secluded luxury eco-lodge surrounded by lush jungle. COVER: XUNANTUNICH, BELIZE EXPLORE the vast complex of Tikal a fabulous mix of tall pyramids and rain forest where howler monkeys and jaguars roam, as well as lesserknown ruins in Belize. LEARN about today s Maya and their thriving culture and communities, including the local textiles and music of the Guatemalan Highlands. TIKAL, GUATEMALA
Faculty Leader What a wonderful educator and travel companion! His lectures were fascinating, entertaining and enlightening. We would travel with him again and again. KIRK REDMOND, FOOD AND WINE OF SPAIN, 2017 ED STEIDLE has taught in the Western Culture program and in the literature and arts track in the English department at Stanford, specializing in late antiquity and the Middle Ages. He also developed the successful Crossroads series for Continuing Studies and is currently offering a series of classes on the Renaissance and its impact on European global expansion from the 15th through 18th centuries. As a cultural comparatist, he has studied pre-columbian civilizations for decades. Says Ed, On the level of comparative cultural evolution, the parallels between Maya metaphysics and the role of the Maya city state to those of ancient Egypt and classical Greece are both provocative and revealing. He continues, Traveling through central Yucatan and exploring some of the Maya civilization s great cities have significantly altered my understanding of these accomplished cultures and their roles on the world stage. Every time I return to the region, I am compelled to change my earlier opinions and evaluations of Maya civilization. Amazing sites are continually being unearthed, and our knowledge of the language and traditions of the Maya grows as the years progress. Ed has led more than 40 Travel/Study programs. Professor, Stanford University, since 1984; has taught in the English department, graduate program in the humanities and Continuing Studies Program BA, English and eastern philosophy, Franklin and Marshall College MA, comparative literature, and PhD, medieval literature, UC-Berkeley S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y SIGN UP ONLINE: alumni.stanford.edu/trip?maya2019 OR BY PHONE: (650) 725-1093
MEXICO Xunantunich Tikal Flores Caracol G UATEMALA Belize City B ELIZE MOUNTAIN PINE RIDGE FOREST RESERVE C a r i b b Pacific Ocean Chichicastenango Lake Atitlán Itinerary FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15 DEPART U.S. / BELIZE CITY, BELIZE / MOUN- TAIN PINE RIDGE Fly to Belize City in Belize, formerly known as British Honduras. The country is bordered on the east by the Caribbean Sea, on the north by Mexico, and on the south and west by Guatemala. Transfer to Francis Ford Coppola s luxury eco-lodge, set in the northwest corner of Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, and enjoy a welcome reception and dinner. BLANCA- NEAUX LODGE (D) Guatemala City Antigua SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16 MOUNTAIN PINE RIDGE / CARACOL / RIO FRIO CAVE Spend a full day exploring Caracol, a large ancient Maya archaeological site that was one of the most important regional political centers of the Maya Lowlands during the Classic Period. The site s modern name derives from the Spanish word for snail, and the site is home to an astonishing number of these small gastropods. En route back to our lodge, stop to explore the massive Rio Frio cave system with its many freshwater pools, waterfalls and stalactite formations. BLANCANEAUX LODGE (B,L,D) HONDUR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17 MOUNTAIN PINE RIDGE / XUNANTU- NICH / FLORES, GUATEMALA Depart by motor coach for our next lodgings, located in the Petén Basin just outside of Flores, Guatemala. Before crossing the border, stop to explore the ruins of Xunantunich, dominated by the 130-foot-tall El Castillo pyramid, the second-tallest structure in Belize. Check in to our exquisite lagoonside hotel, a short drive from Tikal. LAS LAGUNAS BOUTIQUE HOTEL (B,L,D) MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18 FLORES / TIKAL Enjoy a full day exploring the majestic ruins of Tikal, one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre- Columbian Maya and one of the earliest-designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. Tikal was once home to as many as 90,000 inhabitants and its monumental architecture dates back as far as the 4th century B.C.E. Built of limestone, the ruins include remnants of temples, royal palaces, smaller pyramids, residences, administrative buildings, platforms and inscribed stone monuments. A network of packed earth-and-limestone
e a n S e a AS MOUNTAIN PINE RIDGE, BELIZE causeways links various parts of the city and served as dams during the rainy season. LAS LAGUNAS BOUTIQUE HOTEL (B,L,D) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19 FLORES / GUATEMA- LA CITY / IXIMCHE / LAKE ATITLÁN Fly by commercial jet to Guatemala City this morning. Attend a Maya religious ceremony at Iximche, a pre-columbian Mesoamerican archaeological site in the Western Highlands, then continue to beautiful Lake Atitlán, a true jewel of Guatemala, whose basin is an enormous caldera and whose southern flank is ringed by three volcanoes. Check in to our lakeside hotel on the grounds of a former finca (coffee plantation). HOTEL ATITLÁN (B,L,D) WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20 LAKE ATITLÁN Travel by boat across the lake to the town of Santiago Atitlán. Visit the shrine to the Maya deity Maximom and learn about the spiritualism of the Tzutuhil Maya. Continue to San Juan La Laguna, a serene, tidy village that is home to dozens of local cooperatives, from beekeepers to coffee growers to backstrap loom weavers, who return their profits directly to the community. Visit local artisans, including the famous naïf painters; marvel at the astonishing variety of colorful textiles used to create pillowcases, purses and ponchos; and take in the beautiful lake and lakeside scenery. HOTEL ATITLÁN (B,L) THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21 LAKE ATITLÁN / CHICHICASTENANGO / ANTIGUA Stop this morning at the worldfamous Thursday market at Chichicastenango, where vendors sell textiles, handicrafts, food, flowers, pottery, wooden boxes, condiments, medicinal plants, candles and much more. Continue to Antigua, justifiably famous for its wellpreserved Spanish Baroqueinfluenced architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches. Once the capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala, Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage site. CASA SANTO DOMINGO (B,L) FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22 ANTIGUA Walk through historic Antigua, with its wealth of 16th- and 17th-century colonial architecture. Meet outstanding weavers and learn about Guatemala s famous textiles before continuing on to Casa K ojom, a museum that highlights traditional Maya music. This evening, enjoy a farewell reception and dinner to celebrate our Mayan explorations. CASA SANTO DOMINGO (B,L,D) SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23 ANTIGUA / GUATEMA- LA CITY / U.S. After breakfast, transfer to the airport in Guatemala City for flights home. (B)
TIKAL, GUATEMALA Trip Information DATES February 15 to 23, 2019 (9 days) SIZE 32 participants (single accommodations limited please call for availability) COST* $8,995 per person, double occupancy $10,985 per person, single occupancy *Stanford Alumni Association nonmembers add $300 per person INCLUDED 8 nights of deluxe hotel accommodations 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 6 dinners Welcome and farewell receptions Gratuities to guides, drivers and restaurant staff for all group activities All tours and excursions as described in the itinerary Internal flight from Flores to Guatemala City Transfers and baggage handling on program arrival and departure days Minimal medical, accident and evacuation insurance Educational program with lecture series and pre-departure materials, including recommended reading list, a selected book, map and travel information Services of our professional tour manager to assist you throughout the program NOT INCLUDED International and U.S. domestic airfare Passport and visa fees Immunization costs Meals and beverages other than those specified as included Independent and private transfers Trip-cancellation/interruption and baggage insurance Excess-baggage charges Personal items such as internet access, telephone and fax calls, laundry and gratuities for nongroup services AIR ARRANGEMENTS You are responsible for booking and purchasing airfare to the start location and from the end location of the program. These air purchases are NOT included in the program cost. To assist you in making these independent arrangements, we will send you information with your confirmation materials on when to arrive and depart. WHAT TO EXPECT We consider this program to be moderately strenuous and at times physically demanding and busy. Daily excursions involve one to three miles of walking, much of which takes place at ancient sites where paths can be rocky and uneven. Some of the sites that are located deep in tropical forests necessitate walks of up to a mile to reach the sites entrances. Guided tours of archaeological sites and museums may require climbing up and down flights of stairs, which may not have handrails, and/ or standing for long periods of time. Our journey sometimes requires early-morning starts as well as extended motor coach travel. Due to unpaved roads in a few places, travel may be slow at times, with the longest drives being up to four hours (including rest stops) on winding or bumpy roads. The weather during this program can be quite hot and humid. Hotels and lodges are chosen for their proximity to the places we visit on our program and range from five-star luxury eco-hotels to comfortable lodges. To participate fully in this adventure, one should be physically fit, active and in good health. We welcome travelers 15 years of age and older on this program.
ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA Terms & Conditions Deposit & Final Payment A $1,000-per-person deposit is required to reserve your space. Sign up online at alumni.stanford.edu/ trip?maya2019 or call the Travel/ Study office at (650) 725-1093. Final payment is due 120 days prior to departure. As a condition of participation, all confirmed participants are required to sign a Release of Liability. Cancellations & Refunds Deposits and any payments are refundable, less a $500-per-person cancellation fee, until 120 days prior to departure. After that date, refunds can be made only if the program is sold out and your place(s) can be resold, in which case a $1,000-per-person cancellation fee will apply. Insurance Stanford Travel/Study provides all travelers who are U.S. or Canadian citizens with minimal medical, accident and evacuation coverage under our group-travel insurance policy. Our group policy is intended to provide minimal levels of protection while you are traveling on this program. You may choose to subscribe to optional tripcancellation and baggage insurance. Information offering such insurance will be provided to travelers with their welcome materials. The product offered includes special benefits if you purchase your policy within 14 days of written confirmation of your participation on the trip. Eligibility We encourage membership in the Stanford Alumni Association as the program cost for nonmembers is $300 more than the members price. A person traveling as a guest paid for by a current member will not be charged the nonmember fee. For more information or to purchase a membership, visit alumni.stanford/ goto/membership or call (650) 725-0692. Responsibility The Stanford Alumni Association, Stanford University and our operators act only as agents for the passenger with respect to transportation and exercise every care possible in doing so. However, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay or irregularity in connection with the service of any automobile, motor coach, launch or any other conveyance used in carrying out this program or for the acts or defaults of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the program. We cannot accept any responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, force majeure or other causes beyond our control. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger as tour rates provide arrangements only for the time stated. We reserve the right to make such alterations to this published itinerary as may be deemed necessary. The right is reserved to cancel any program prior to departure in which case the entire payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. The right is also reserved to decline to accept or retain any person as a member of the program. No refund will be made for an unused portion of any tour unless arrangements are made in sufficient time to avoid penalties. Baggage is carried at the owner s risk entirely. The airlines concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time that passengers are not on board their plane or conveyance. Neither the Stanford Alumni Association, Stanford University nor our operators accept liability for any carrier s cancellation penalty incurred by the purchase of a nonrefundable ticket in connection with the tour. Program price is based on rates in effect in March 2018 and is subject to change without notice to reflect fluctuations in exchange rates, tariffs or fuel charges. TELEPHONE (650) 725-1093 EMAIL travelstudy@alumni.stanford.edu California Seller of Travel Program Registration #2048 523-50 COPYRIGHT 2018 STANFORD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED ON RECYCLED, FSC-CERTIFIED PAPER IN THE U.S.
Stanford Travel/Study Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center 326 Galvez Street Stanford, CA 94305-6105 (650) 725-1093 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Stanford Alumni Association EXPLORING BELIZE AND GUATEMALA February 15 to 23, 2019 I had fun and learned so much excellence in every regard! The accommodations, local guides, Stanford personnel, meals, sites visited and extra activities were all superb. LYNN WATTS, LANDS OF THE MAYA, 2016 S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y