S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y crossing Costa rica, nicaragua & el salvador March 18 to 29, 2014 a program of the stanford alumni association
I remember my first trip to Central America vividly. It was at once exotic and different, yet strangely familiar and comforting. Hearing the Spanish language spoken everywhere is not uncommon if you live in California, and Central American cuisine is easy to find, too. The similarities seemed to end there, however, as each day I was there brought sightings of sloths, toucans, caimans and a prism of brightly colored butterflies. The morning chorus of bird song and the guttural cries of howler monkeys greeted me each day as the journey deepened my understanding of the amazing biodiversity of this region. Central America beckons you to come and join us! Brett S. Thompson, 83, Director, Stanford Travel/Study Highlights VISIT the Sea Turtle Conservancy in Tortuguero to learn about efforts to protect these endangered marine animals. CRUISE the Lake of Nicaragua and learn about the bull sharks that can be seen here. STROLL through El Salvador s pre-columbian Maya farming village of Joya de Cerén, preserved for centuries by volcanic ash. Cover: león
Copán Joya de Cerén San Salvador Rio Lempa H ONDURAS Cerrón Grande Dam La Unión E L S ALVADOR N ICARAGUA León Gulf of Fonseca MasayaVolcano Mombacho Volcano Cari S Granada Arenal Volcano Pacif ic Ocean C OSTA R ICA San José Itinerary T uesday, M arch 18 U.S. / San José, Costa Rica Depart on independent flights to San José. Upon arrival, transfer to our hotel. intercontinental Hotel W ednesday, M arch 19 San José / Tortuguero Drive to Costa Rica s Caribbean side and travel by boat through the Tortuguero canals to our lodge. This afternoon, visit the Sea Turtle Conservancy to learn about sea turtle protection efforts, then walk to the village of Tortuguero. Enjoy a welcome reception this evening. aninga Lodge (B,L,D) T hursday, M arch 20 Tortuguero Navigate along the canal systems of Tortuguero National Park and observe the biodiversity of birds, caimans, monkeys and the magnificent dense rain forest. The park has an extensive canal system that supports this abundance of life. Hike along the trails adjacent to our lodge, kayak in a canal or enjoy the property s amenities. aninga Lodge (B,L,D) F riday, M arch 21 Tortuguero / Arenal Depart Tortuguero for our flight to Arenal Lake and Arenal Volcano. Active since 1968, this volcano has a near-perfect conical shape. Watch for columns of smoke that regularly emanate from the volcano. Travel to the hot springs this evening for a soak and dinner. Lomas del Volcán (B,L,D) S aturday, M arch 22 Arenal / Granada, Nicaragua TORTU NATIO PARK area is a botanist s paradise with 800 species of plants, including bromeliads and orchids. We may also see howler and white-faced monkeys along the trail. Hotel Darío (B,L) M onday, M arch 24 Granada / Masaya / León Masaya is known as the city of flowers. Today we visit the Masaya Volcano and observe its rumbling and the fumaroles that come from its immense crater. The interior of the volcano is home to green parakeets who have adapted to the sulfur smoke. Continue to the Masaya market to see local handicrafts. This afternoon we arrive in the historical city of León. Hotel This morning, drive to Peñas Blancas and stop for lunch on the Pacific coast. Continue from there to the colonial city of Granada. The rest of the day is at leisure. Hotel Darío (B,L) El Convento (B,L) S unday, M arch 23 T uesday, M arch 25 Granada / mombacho This morning take a relaxing journey by boat around the islands of the Lake of Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. Enjoy an excursion and hike to the Mombacho Volcano this afternoon. Ascend to the top of the volcano by 4X4 vehicle and enjoy a hike while taking in the breathtaking views. This León León was the home of the national poet, Rubén Darío, one of the greatest poets in the Americas. Visit the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of León, one of the largest cathedrals in Central America and also where Darío is buried; the Church of the Recolección; and Church El Calvario. Hotel El Convento (B,L,D)
ibbean Sea UGUERO ONAL howler monkeys W ednesday, M arch 26 F riday, M arch 28 León / Gulf of Fonseca Crossing / La Unión, El Salvador SAN SALVADOR / JOYA DE CERÉN / EL BOQUERÓN Visit the fishing village of Potosí, then travel by boat across the Gulf of Fonseca and into El Salvador. Stop for lunch at one of the small fishing villages of the more than 20 islands of the Gulf. Arrive at the port of La Unión this afternoon. Comfort Inn (B,L,D) T hursday, M arch 27 La Unión / San Salvador This morning travel to San Salvador, stopping for lunch at Maculis Beach for an opportunity to swim before enjoying lunch overlooking the ocean. Continue to the capital city of San Salvador. Located in the foothills of the Quetzaltepec, or San Salvador, Volcano, the city has a long and fascinating history, with origins dating back to long before the Spanish Conquest. Hotel Sheraton Presidente (B,L,D) This morning visit UNESCO World Heritage and Maya archaeological site of Joya de Cerén. It features a pre-columbian Maya farming village that was preserved under layers of volcanic ash and is remarkably intact. Continue to the Parque Nacional El Boquerón which sits atop San Salvador Volcano. Admire its enormous crater, El Boquerón, and take in the incredible views of the capital city. Lunch is at a restaurant with vistas of the Pacific Ocean. On our return, enjoy a city tour that includes the Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Theatre. Gather for a farewell dinner. Hotel Sheraton Presidente (B,L,D) S aturday, M arch 29 San Salvador / U.S. Transfer to the international airport of Comalapa for return flights back to the U.S. (B) Optional Posttrip Extension to Copán, Honduras M arch 2 9 to april 1 The archaeological site of Copán, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the great centers of Maya civilization. The ruins, located in western Honduras, are famous for some of the most impressive pre-columbian art in the world. The recently excavated site of Las Sepulturas displays some of the purest examples of the Classical Period. Enjoy time to fully explore Copán, including the Sculpture Museum. Pricing and itinerary will be sent to confirmed travelers.
cathedral of granada, nicaragua homemade pupusas Trip Information Dates March 18 to 29, 2014 (12 days) Size Limited to 30 participants Cost* $6,695 per person, double occupancy $7,395 per person, single occupancy *Association nonmembers add $200 per person Included 11 nights of hotel accommodations 11 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 7 dinners Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions Bottled water on excursions Gratuities to porters, guides and drivers for all group activities All tours and excursions as described in the itinerary Transfers and baggage handling on program arrival and departure days Internal flight within Costa Rica Minimal medical, accident and evacuation insurance Educational program with lecture series and predeparture materials, including recommended reading list, a selected book, map and travel information Services of our professional tour manager to assist you throughout the program keel-billed toucan Not Included International and U.S. domestic airfare Passport and visa fees Immunizations Meals and beverages other than those specified as included Independent and private transfers Trip-cancellation/ interruption and baggage insurance Excessbaggage charges Personal items such as internet access, telephone and fax calls, laundry and gratuities for nongroup services What to Expect This exclusive expedition is designed for Stanford alumni and friends who are interested in experiencing Central America s fascinating blend of cultural and natural history. Travel is by motor coach, 4x4 vehicles, motor boats and small planes. There will be some stair climbing and walking of approximately 1 to 2 miles, occasionally over uneven terrain, at a leisurely pace. Typical temperatures vary with altitude from the hot coastal lowlands to the cooler central plateaus. Although we will be traveling during the dry season, some light rain can be expected. Tortuguero, on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, can experience rain at any time. Accommodations range from first-class and deluxe hotels in San José and San Salvador to comfortable lodges in Tortuguero and Arenal.
arenal volcano Terms & Conditions Deposit & Final Payment A $1,000-per-person deposit is required to hold space for this program. A $200-per-person deposit is required to hold space for the optional Copán post-trip extension. Complete and return the attached reservation form or place your deposit online. 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. We recommend trip-cancellation insurance; applications will be sent to you. 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. We strongly recommend that you subscribe to optional baggage and trip-cancellation insurance. A brochure offering such insurance will be mailed with your confirmation about one week after we receive your deposit. The product offered in this brochure includes special benefits if you postmark your insurance payment within a specified window: 15 days of the date listed on the confirmation letter for the Waiver of Pre-existing Conditions and coverage for Financial Insolvency; 21 days for the Cancel for Any Reason benefit. Eligibility We encourage membership in the Alumni Association as the program cost for nonmembers is $200 more than the members price. Parents and their children under 21 may travel on one membership. 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, motorcoach, 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 onboard their plane or conveyance. Neither the 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 June 2013 and is subject to change without notice to reflect fluctuations in exchange rates, tariffs or fuel charges. California Seller of Travel Program Registration #2048 523-50 Tel (650) 725-1093 FAX (650) 725-8675 Email travelstudy@stanfordalumni.org COPYRIGHT 2013 STANFORD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Printed on recycled, FSC-certified paper in the U.S.
Faculty Leader Bill s knowledge, enthusiasm and particularly his accessibility were marvelous! Professor Bill Durham, 71, leader of more than 30 Travel/Study programs, is an internationally acclaimed human ecologist whose major contributions have been in the theory of co-evolution in human populations, the causes of scarcity and environmental degradation in Latin America, and the dual challenges of conservation and community development in the tropics. A popular teacher beloved by students of all ages, he has received the Dinkelspiel, Gores, Rhodes and ASSU awards for teaching. He is also the editor of the Annual Review of Anthropology. Joined the Stanford University faculty in 1977 Bing Professor in Human Biology and Anthropology Yang and Yamazaki University Fellow Winner, MacArthur Fellowship PhD, ecology and evolutionary biology, University of Michigan Robert Stafford, 76, Undiscovered Costa Rica, 2013 S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y Reservation Form Central America SIGN UP ONLINE! MR. / MRS. / MS. MISS / DR. / PROF. NAME AGE STANFORD CLASS MR. / MRS. / MS. MISS / DR. / PROF. NAME AGE STANFORD CLASS ADDRESS CITY / STATE / ZIP PHONE CELL / WORK / HOME EMAIL ADDRESS I/We have read the Terms and Conditions for the program and agree to them. BED PREFERENCE: Twins Double Here is my deposit of $ ($1,000 per person) for space(s) plus $ ($200 per person) for the optional post-trip extension Enclosed is my check (payable to Stanford Alumni Association) OR Charge my deposit to my: Visa MasterCard American Express CARD # SIGNATURE If this is a reservation for one person, please indicate: I wish to have single accommodations. OR I plan to share accommodations with: OR I d like to know about possible roommates. EXPIRATION DATE CARDHOLDER SIGNATURE DATE Mail completed form to address on mail panel or fax to (650) 725-8675 or place your deposit online at alumni.stanford.edu/trip?central2014. Submit your reservation only once to avoid multiple charges to your account. 11306
Stanford Travel/Study Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center 326 Galvez Street Stanford, CA 94305-6105 (650) 725-1093 crossing Costa rica, nicaragua & el salvador March 18 to 29, 2014 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Stanford Alumni Association This trip offered us a window through which to see the natural treasures of Central America. steve mccandless, 67, Rain forests and reefs, 2013 S T A N F O R D T R A V E L / S T U D Y tortuguero national park