Shirley Schmidt, Tour host and watercolor artist.

Artist's Retreat

Welcome to our Artist's Retreat!

Open to anyone!

For painters & artists of all mediums

March 14 - 26 , 2012

    All inclusive $1950 (air extra)

Note: this trip is being run simultaneously with the Volun-Tour in case your travel partner(s) would rather participate in the volunteer portion. Late afternoons and evenings will be spent together and the final portion of the trip to the coffee plantation & all-inclusive will be done together with both groups. So, feel free to mix and match according to your abilities and interest.

Note:

if your traveling companion is not into artistic endeavor, they can join the team that will be doing some volunteer work further up the side of the volcano. Or we can arrange for a series of day trips and side excursions. Either way, we can be creative and involve just about anyone.

For those who would like to paint… but would also like to experience life in more of a Guatemalan small-town setting, you can join the group living close by with great host families in the village of San Juan. This will also lower the price of the Artists Retreat from $1950 to $1700 per person.

Itinerary

Monday, January 16...
Arrival, pick up at Guatemala City Airport and transport to hotel Quinta las Flores, a stunningly beautiful old world hotel with arches, fountains, gardens and grounds.

(click here for link to Quinta las Flores)

Tuesday and Wednesday, January 17 & 18...
Orientation to Antigua Guatemala ... now home to over 50 language schools.  People come from all over the world to study Spanish right here.

We begin our painting studies and set the course for the next few days.

(click here for link to Antigua Guatemala)

Thursday, January 19...

Optional trip to Guatemala City to experience a "Day of Contrasts". This will be a day spent at the Guatemala City dump and at one of the most beautiful malls in the country. An experience of a lifetime.

Friday, January 20...
Painting day and tour at the Cappucinas Ruins.

Wednesday, March 21...
We leave this morning for the coffee plantation... a trip that takes us from the Highlands of Antigua (approximately 1 mile high) down to the coast.  The temperature will turn from warm and comfortable to hot and moist.  We will follow the coast up towards Mexico and just before we get to the Mexico border we will turn to the right and head up a short ways to the town of Columba.  (In the area called Costa Cooka) (so that's Columba, Costa Cooka.) ( Say that real fast 3 times.)  Note: we will stop at a rubber tree plantation for lunch and a rather remarkable tour.  During the course of the last 10 years or so when coffee prices hit all-time lows,many farmers switched to rubber trees.  It's a fascinating process and we will look at the dynamics involved, both to the landowner and also to the people who live(d) on the land.

We will be housed in the old estate of Antonio Mombiela for two nights.

Sunday, January 22...
Optional English/Spanish morning service in a small church in Antigua.  Sunday brunch at the Santo Domingo, one of the most beautiful destination hotels in the world.

(Some will want to join the group that is climbing an active volcano!)

Monday, January 23…

We leave this morning for the coffee plantation... a trip that takes us from the Highlands of Antigua (approximately 1 mile high) down to the coast.  The temperature will turn from warm and comfortable to hot and moist.  We will follow the coast up towards Mexico and just before we get to the Mexico border we will turn to the right and head up a short ways to the town of Columba.  (In the area called Costa Cooka) (so that's Columba, Costa Cooka.) ( Say that real fast 3 times.)  Note: we will stop at a rubber tree plantation for lunch and a rather remarkable tour.  During the course of the last 10 years or so when coffee prices hit all-time lows,many farmers switched to rubber trees.  It's a fascinating process and we will look at the dynamics involved, both to the landowner and also to the people who live(d) on the land.

Tuesday, January 24…

Today we will tour the coffee plantation.  We will see what it has taken for this family to survive economic hard times and how they have sought to protect the jobs and lifestyle of the 100-200 people who live in the small village on their property. There will be time to paint and sketch.

Wednesday, January 25...
We leave in the morning for Lake Atitlan.  We will drive uphill seemingly for ever and will arrive mid-day at the Hotel Del Lago where for the next two days we will live in an all-inclusive setting.

Thursday, January 26...
Lake Atitlan.  This is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world... bordered by three (non-active) volcanoes.   This afternoon we'll take a panoramic boat trip across the lake to the Mayan village of Santiago Atitlan.  We will have opportunity to choose gifts and souvenirs of our Guatemalan experience by walking the markets not only of Santiago but also of the area surrounding our hotel.
This is a safe area and we will have a great time wandering the markets, lounging by the pool's and eating some great meals.

Friday, January 27...
We really do not have to be back to our Antigua Hotel till later on in the day, so we will drag out our experience at this hotel for as long as is comfortable.  We will likely leave at 2:00 p.m. for the two hour trip to Antigua. 

Thursday, January 28...
9:30 a.m..  After breakfast we'll take our final photographs and then be picked up and taken to the airport for the trip home.