Trip Highlights
Spend two full days custom-fitting our donated wheelchairs, and visit the factory where they are made
Stroll the cobblestone streets of the majestic town of Antigua with an expert local guide to soak up the rich history
Visit local villages around spectacular Lake Atitlan by boat
Experience Chichicastenango, one of the most famous markets in Central America an renowned for hand-woven textiles
Hike up to the flanks of Pacaya Volcano and roast marshmallows in the steam vents
A wheelchair can affect the life of a disabled child in a profoundly positive way!
The goal of this short-term, non-profit medical CME trip is to donate and deliver wheelchairs to disabled children in Guatemala.
This trip was designed so that clinicians of all specialties, along with their families and guests can take an active role in the assembly and delivery of wheelchairs.
$500 of your trip cost will go towards sponsoring wheelchair costs for two children. You will also experience the joy of delivering and fitting the wheelchairs to the children.
After we have completed the wheelchair delivery, our group will enjoy a fantastic natural history tour of some of the highlights of Guatemala. The Antigua area is absolutely beautiful and full of rich history!
Itinerary Snapshot
Guatemala Medical Mission
Wheelchair Delivery Project
Wilderness Medicine CME
DAY 1 Arrive in Antigua and overnight at Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo Antigua. CME lecture followed by a welcome group dinner.
DAY 2 Half-day guided walking tour of Antigua. We will explore one of the most enjoyable and walkable cities on earth visiting 16th-century monuments such as Saint Catalina Arch, Capuchins Convent, and La Merced Church. Visit local markets in the afternoon. CME lecture followed by a group dinner.
DAY 3 Wheelchair fitting at Hope Haven factory. We will meet the families of children who have been selected to receive a wheelchair and adjust the wheelchairs to fit each individual child. Lunch at the factory. Late afternoon CME lecture followed by a group dinner.
DAY 4 Drive to Lake Atitlan and check into our hotel. Afternoon boat tour with a visit to two native villages. CME lecture followed by a group dinner.
DAY 5 Second day of wheelchair fitting, this time in Sololá. You will meet new families and feel like a pro as you assess and seat the children you meet. Lunch included. CME lecture followed by a group dinner.
DAY 6 Visit the famous indigenous markets at Chichicastenango and return to Antigua. CME lecture followed by a group dinner.
DAY 7 Guided hike on Pacaya Volcano. Hikers will return in the early afternoon and have time to further explore Antigua. CME lecture followed by a farewell group dinner.
DAY 8 Departure. Return home or enjoy an optional post-trip excursion (suggestions below).
ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA - Rich colonial history, Mayan folklore, charm & adventure!
Antigua is among the worlds best conserved colonial cities. It is a magical and captivating small town that makes you feel like time stopped some 300 years ago. From its colonial architecture to its beautiful surroundings, by strolling through town on the cobblestone streets, you'll experience the splendors of ancient times! The city was once the third most important Spanish colony in the Americas. More than 30 monastic orders called Antigua home, building stunning monasteries, convents and cathedrals in the town. Antigua's setting is breathtaking, nestled between three dramatic volcanoes: Agua, Fuego and Acatenango!
Antigua is an ideal, centrally-located city to explore all sorts of adventurous and cultural activities. Try an unforgettable hike up the Acatenango or Pacaya volcanoes, bike to the cool green highlands, take a guided city or culture tour, deep-sea fish in the Pacific for Marlin and Dorado, or simply relax under the sun. Great adventure, fauna, flora and spectacular scenery await!
ANTIGUA'S HISTORY
Antigua, Guatemala is a fascinating place to visit. Founded in 1543 as a Spanish colonial capital of what is now Central America, it was abandoned in 1773, leaving most of the buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. It is truly a jewel of the Americas, offering activities for all travel tastes. Vast colonial history offers an array of cultural experiences, including art galleries and exhibits, performing arts, popular arts, films, forums, markets and more.
SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS
There is something eternally charming about Spanish colonial towns, and Antigua is the perfect example. There is much to marvel at in Antigua, including monuments, cathedrals, baroque facades, Indian markets, nature hikes, tours, cafes, bars, restaurants, nightlife, etc.
Antigua City Tour - Half-Day Tour --- Included
We will take a private, three hour guided walking tour of La Antigua, with an expert guide to share the city's many wonders. The tour consists of an informative walk behind the walls of this colonial capital, focusing on cultural trends, city history, restoration efforts and the city today.
Spectacular Lake Atitlan - Full-Day Tour---Included
We will take a day tour of breathtaking Lake Atitlan, a deep-blue volcanic crater lake surrounded by three picture-perfect volcanoes and colorful Maya villages on its shores. Described as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world by late British author Aldous Huxley, it is one of Guatemala's most spectacular natural attractions! Spend the afternoon visiting the lake-side villages of Panajachel, Santiago, San Pedro, and St. Catarina Palopo. Take a hike up one of the three volcanoes, kayak, scuba dive, and more. There is a myriad of activities to enjoy at this amazing lake!
Chichicastenango - Full-Day Tour -- Included
The most famous and colorful indigenous market in Central America!
Our private guide and driver will take you on a truly memorable cultural experience. Located at 2500 meters above sea level, Chichicastenango is well known for its famous market days on Thursdays and Sundays where vendors sell handicrafts, food, flowers, pottery, wooden boxes, condiments, medicinal plants, candles, pom and copal (traditional incense), cal (limestones for preparing tortillas), grindstones, pigs and chickens, machetes, and other tools. In the central part of the market plaza are comedores (small eateries).
Among the items sold are textiles, especially women's blouses. The manufacture of masks - used by dancers in traditional dances, such as the Dance of the Conquest - have also made this city well-known for woodcarving.
About the Wilderness and Travel Medicine Wheelchair Delivery Project and CME course:
The project takes place in the charming city of Antigua and a village near the beautiful Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Most families with disabled children in Guatemala are financially unable to purchase a wheelchair. That's why the purpose of this medical mission is to provide Guatemalan hcildren with specially constructed and fitted wheelchairs.
An estimated 100 million children and adults worldwide are in need of a wheelchair but cannot afford one. Some international organizations show that as much as 6% of the population in some can't afford neccessary wheelchairs in some developing countries. A wheelchair can make a profound and life-changing difference in the life of a child. This week-long medical mission trip was designed so that physicians of all specialties, along with their families and guests can take an active role in the wheelchair delivery. Every participant on this trip will be involved in this project. The entire team will experience the joy of personally fitting and delivering wheelchairs to disabled children.
The children are selected and escorted to the wheelchair factory by our partner, Hope Haven. These children come from all around the country and are accompanied by their families to the wheelchair fitting location.
This Guatemala medical mission is a non-profit trip. $500.00 of the cost of the trip provides two wheelchairs and transportation for the recipients and their families to the fitting site. Each attendee will be "sponsoring" the costs for two children. You will be personally involved in fitting and delivering the wheelchair to these children. Absolutely no previous experience in wheelchair fitting is necessary. Expert technicians will be on site to instruct and guide you every step of the way. We have planned two separate days for wheelchair fittings during our trip.
This trip also includes Wilderness and Travel Medicine CME and exploration of some of the fantastic scenery and culture in this charming and beautiful part of Guatemala!
Our hope is that this short term medical mission trip will increase the awareness of the needs and abilities of people with physical disabilities and promote the joy of giving and serving!
About our Hotel during our stay in Antigua
Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo is a place where beauty meets elegance, service, and great taste, right in the heart of beautiful Antigua, Guatemala. This spectacular hotel consists of three renovated 15th Century colonial homes, one of which, "La casa De Los Leones," is a registered historic monument. No two rooms are the same! Feel the magic as soon as the church bells begin to toll, all the while enjoying a succulent breakfast and a cup of world-famous Antiguan coffee in the full-service restaurant.
Hotel AMENITIES
- 35 single-, double- or triple-rooms, each with authentic baroque furniture carved by Antiguan craftsmen
- Private bathrooms with hot and cold water
- Large, full-service restaurant, serving local and international cuisine
- Conveniently located in the middle of Antigua, right under the famous arches
- Room service
- Internet, fax, and telephone service available
CUISINE
A full-service restaurant within the hotel is available, preparing dishes of Antiguan tradition, as well as a select gourmet menu of international cuisine. During lunch and dinner, the cheerful sound of our authentic marimba will make your dining experience a truly special one.
OPTIONAL TOURS
For info and reservations on the optional tours below, please
contact:
Tropical Discovery Services, Inc.
E-mail:
info@tropicaldiscovery.net
USA: (888) 575-1639 - Guatemala: (+502) 4211-0297
France: +33 (0)1
58 28 56 22 - Germany: +49 (0)5205 607382
Tikal - Day Tour
Construction of Tikal began around 300 BC, although its most important period was AD 200-900 - during the Classic Period of the Mayan civilization. The temples at Tikal were built to reach the sky, with the Temple of the Serpent reaching 70 meters high and offering a magnificent view of the rainforest canopy and other temples. The site covers 16 square kilometers and contains over 3,000 structures. Tikal can be visited from Antigua in a day trip - leaving in the morning and returning in the late evening. Tikal packages include all transfers, flights, entrance fees to the park, a bilingual guide, and lunch.
Price: $637 (1 person), $510 per person (2 people), $460 per person (3-4 people) or $435 per person (5+ people) which includes ground & air transport, private bilingual guide, entrance fees and lunch (without beverages).
Copan Ruins, Honduras - Day Tour
After a quick transfer to the airport in Guatemala City, a short 45-minute flight will take you to Chiquimula and from there, via private transport across the border, to the colonial village of Copan - the site of some of the most interesting Mayan ruins uncovered. Copan is famous for having been the "Paris of the Maya World," with an enormous quantity of intricately carved statues, ornate temples, and beautifully detailed "stelae" (carved stone monuments).
Price: $530 per person (3 people minimum) including ground & air transport, private bilingual guide, entrance fees and lunch. Border crossing fees not included.
* Please Note: Day tours by private minivan also available at $250.00 (1-2 people) $265.00 (3-4 people) & $280.00 (5-9 people) - 5 hr drive each way. Price includes transport only.
Canopy - Half-day tour
Enjoy an Antigua Canopy Tour within the beautiful setting of Finca Filadelfia, just 10 minutes away from Antigua's city center. The tour lasts an average of three hours. An Unimog Mercedes-Benz vehicle, specially adapted for safe transportation will take you up the mountains, where you will start your canopy tour. Antigua Canopy Tours consists of a series of platforms in the trees, linked by horizontal double zip-lines from one tree to another. Your guides have been fully trained and will begin your adventure with a short introduction period.
Two different tours are available: Forest Express and/or Canyon Express. Forest Express features six zip-lines, varying in length and height. This unforgettable experience finishes with an assisted rappel down from a 40-foot-tall tree. Canyon Express is designed for adventure lovers. Enjoy the thrill of two mega zip-lines over the canyon, almost 1700 feet long and each one at a height of 500 feet.
Price:
Forest Express: $50/person (children under 12:
$35)
Canyon
Express: $50/person
Forest & Canyon Express combination: $75/person.
Groups of 8 people or more: Forest OR Canopy Express: $40/person; combination of
both tours: $60/person.
Includes: Round-trip transportation from Antigua,
equipment and bilingual guide
* Guatemalans & nationals of Central America get a $10 discount on individual
tours; $5 discount on tour combinations and group rates (ID required).
*
Public tours leave at 8:20 a.m., 10:20 a.m., 12:20 p.m. and 1:20 p.m. from the
Capuchinas Convent.
* Private tours can be arranged for groups of 10 persons
or more.
* Antigua Canopy Tours are designed for all visitors (aged 5+
years) and do not require much physical effort. Children younger than 12-years-old
should be accompanied by adults.
Suggested Tours From Antigua: Volcano hikes, biking tours, deep-sea fishing, culture tours... Nestled between three volcanoes, an hour from the Pacific coast, two hours from breathtaking Lake Atitlan, and dozens of authentic Mayan villages, Antigua is an ideal city to participate in all sorts of exciting adventures and cultural experiences.
Guatemala Medical Mission
Wheelchair Delivery Project
Trip Cost: $2,595 ($2,095 + $500 donation for cost of wheelchairs)
Includes lodging, dinners, and activities described above.
Trip cost also includes $500 donation per person which will be entirely used towards the cost of the wheelchairs. $500 will provide 2 chairs, thus providing greater independence for 2 disabled children. The wheelchairs are made at the factory near Antigua. This wheelchair program is facilitated by Hope Haven, a non-profit organization.
Optional CME Cost: $695 (Approved for 15 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits)
Trip cost is per person, based on double occupancy.
Questions? Ready to reserve your spot?
Speak to an expert at Bio Bio Expeditions - the award winning outfitter of this trip
1-800-246-7238
A few of the publications Bio Bio Expeditions has been featured in:
Testimonials From Your Colleagues
"Amazing, wonderful experience. I feel like I helped and made a difference in the children and families. They were all very grateful. It has changed my view of nursing outside the box!" ... "Could not ask for better faculty than Dr. Allred and Dr. Serra!...they are both very welcoming and I am a better person and nurse for meeting them."
MICHELE MACNEIL, RN
"Excellent experience....Would recommend to others. I always have an enjoyable experience on Wilderness Medicine CME trips. Dr. Allred and Serra are phenomenal lecturers...knowledgeable and well spoken...a pleasure to spend time with them on the trip."
TOM SUN, MD - PASADENA, CA
"What fun! All I hoped for. I look forward to doing more trips of a similar nature"
KATHLEEN KELLY, MD - KINGSTON, NHD
Read About Our Most Recent Trip to Guatemala
This week-long trip to Guatemala offers the opportunity to give a gift that lasts a lifetime to a disabled child and the child’s family – a wheelchair.
Donating and seating children in wheelchairs is the primary focus of our trip. However, they are not the only ones receiving a gift. We, the travelers, the givers, the helpers also receive a gift that is immeasurable.
COURSE CONTENT INCLUDES
- Altitude Illness
- Hypothermia
- Frostbite and Other Cold Injuries
- Environmental Heat Illness
- Traveler's Diarrhea, Giardia & Other Waterborne Wilderness Infections
- Surviving the Unexpected Night Out
- Lightning Injuries
- Improvised Medical and Trauma Care
- Management of Fractures and Dislocations
- Preparing for Foreign Travel
- Backcountry Medical Kits
- Wilderness Wound Management
- Patient Assessment in Wilderness Settings
- Wilderness Dermatology
- Marine Hazards & Envenomations
- Snake Envenomation
CME ACCREDITATION INFORMATION
"This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the Center for Emergency Medical Education and Wilderness and Travel Medicine. The Center for Emergency Medical Education is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians."
The Center for Emergency Medical Education designates this live activity for a maximum of
15 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM.
Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
This trip is planned, outfitted and conducted by Bio Bio Expeditions, or subcontractors arranged by Bio Bio Expeditions. Please note that Wilderness and Travel Medicine, LLC is responsible for the CME Educational content only. Wilderness and Travel Medicine reserves the right to change or substitute the faculty for any CME course without advance or prior notice to participants.
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