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Chocolate and the Maya: A Service Adventure in Belize |
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Program Number: |
17965RJ |
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| Start
and End Dates: |
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6/16/2013 - 6/23/2013;
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| Duration: |
7 nights |
| Location: |
Belize
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| Price starting at: |
$1,796.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city |
| Program Type:
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Intergenerational
Intergenerational
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Activity Level: |
t (see description) |
| Meals: |
20;
7 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 7 Dinners |
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| Meal
Options: |
Vegetarian; Gluten Free |
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Program intended for grandchildren from 10 - 13 years of age.
In addition to complex religious and political systems and a fully developed written language, the ancient Maya also mastered the cultivation of cacao, the source of our beloved chocolate. In Belize with your grandchild, lend a hand in the community as you meet and help modern Mayans and make chocolate. Explore ancient ruins, kayak a jungle river and marvel at monkeys, iguanas and exotic plants as you complete service projects alongside villagers.
Highlights
• Participate in three days of meaningful service projects through Sustainable Harvest International, learning about sustainable agriculture while working with Mayan farmers and sharing lunch with their families.
• Learn and practice the process of making chocolate “from bean to bar,” using cacao pods you pick yourself and taking home the final product.
• Visit the Lubaantun Mayan ruins to hear the story of a mysterious and powerful crystal skull that was said to be found by archaeologists in the 1920s.
Activity Particulars
Walking up to three miles per day, stairs at temples. Up to four hours of physical labor in warm weather at volunteer sites.
The program price includes round-trip air transfers between Belize City and Punta Gorda.
Date Specific Information
6-16-2013
Enjoy the latest in hearing technology — listening devices — on this date.
Itinerary Summary
Arrival Belize City, flight to Punta Gorda, coach to San Felipe, 7 nights; coach to Punta Gorda, flight to Belize City, departure.
Days 1–8 | Flight from the U.S.A. | Arrival Belize City (Belize) | Flight to Punta Gorda | Coach to San Felipe | 7 nights | Coach to Punta Gorda | Flight to Belize City | Departure |
At an organic cacao farm, sample edible jungle plants and learn chocolate-making techniques. Mayan villagers teach you about their ancestors and modern customs, and you meet some of the animals living in the rainforest around the lodge. Plant trees, establish a vegetable garden and build a wood-conserving stove with a local family during three days of service projects as you learn about sustainable agriculture and reforestation. Listen to Mayan myths around a campfire and hear a harp-maker perform folk music. Visit the Lubaantun Mayan ruins, swim through Blue Creek Cave and attend lectures on environmental conservation initiatives, as well as on the delicious history of chocolate.
Lodging: Off-the-grid jungle lodge.
Belize
Before it was colonized as “British Honouras,” Belize flourished as a stronghold of the Maya civilization. Today, the country celebrates this unique heritage while sharing in Central American and Caribbean identities. Its tropical climate supports the country’s rich biodiversity, while its coastline along the Caribbean Sea offers access to the second-longest coral reef system in the world.
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Accommodations
Off-the-grid jungle lodge.
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