This page contains the following sections:

Destination: Livingston
Construction of Habitat Houses in Livingston
Daily Itinerary
Accommodations
R&R
Pricing Information
Health & Safety Information

You can also see the brief Trip Description that was on the Habitat for Humanity International web site before the trip, review the What To Bring page, or read What To Expect which applies generally to all Columbus Global Village team mission trips.
 

Photo courtesy of Aventuras Vacacionales

Destination: Livingston

Experience clear blue skies, palm trees, and the laid-back lifestyle of the Garifuna people in a village nestled along the Caribbean coast. Accessible only via boat, Livingston feels more like Jamaica than anyplace else in Guatemala. The Garifuna are descendents of Africans who escaped from the slave trade, and even today, their culture and language give this village its unique Caribbean character. As the first Global Village team to work with the Livingston affiliate, we look forward to making new friends, helping the affiliate grow, and – of course – building houses. Another web sites with additional information about Livingston is: the Mayan Traveler.

Construction of Habitat houses in Livingston

The average Habitat for Humanity house in Guatemala ranges from 344 to 550 square feet depending on the future homeowner’s payment capacity. The average cost of the houses is $3,120 USD. Houses are built of concrete block with steel reinforcement, a cement floor, and a corrugated metal roof. There is a good picture of a Guatemala Habitat house on this page of the June Habitat World magazine.

Daily Itinerary

Accommodations

We will be staying at the Hotel Rios Tropicales. Here is a link, but it's pretty graphics intensive, so you may not like their site if you have a slow Internet connection. There is a laundry shop nearby. The HfH staff in Guatemala is still working to determine if any of our meals will be prepared by the families, and there is also a restaurant across the street from the hotel.

R&R

Balancing our building and advocacy work will be some R&R time to further explore the Guatemalan culture.

• On Friday evening, July 14, we will visit the Livingston Museum with a locally renowned historian.
• On Sunday afternoon, July 16, Shannon will escort us to the Seven Altars waterfall.
• On Sunday, July 23, we journey by boat on the Rio Dulce to Hotel Backpackers which is operated by an orphanage called Casa Guatemala. Not only will we enjoy a picturesque place to stay the night, the profits from our room fees will help provide care and medicine for the children. Eve Andersson's site includes many fine pictures of the area. Along the way we'll stop at Castillo de San Felipe and a hot springs.
• On Monday we will travel to Antigua, one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Central America, where we will spend our last two nights, and discover much more about Guatemalan arts and crafts. Nestled at the base of three volcanoes, it provides opportunities ranging from mountain biking to visiting a coffee plantation.

Pricing Information

Although the actual cost of the trip will not be finalized until we know exactly how many people join the team, we believe following guidelines to be very close. The total price is likely to be about $1,800 to $1,900 per person plus the cost of any immunizations, medicines and passport that you may need.

Read about Tax Deductions and the Cancellation Policy here.

Health & Safety Information

• Never travel or walk alone -- use the buddy system
• Don't walk around town after dark
• Drink only bottled or purified water
• Eat only foods that are cooked or peeled
• Avoid touching animal. Even cute puppies and kitties may carry disease

Everyone needs to check with a travel medicine specialist to get the immunizations that are necessary for you. In Columbus, there are two providers available:

• Travel & Immigration Clinic, 745 W. State. St., 614-224-9052.
• OSU Thomas Rardin Family Practice, 2231 N. High, 614-293-2700.

For those who want to wade into a site filled with technical details, the Centers for Disease Control is the primary source. Once you peruse it, you will understand why we believe that you need a physician to interpret it for your specific situation.

For additional protection in the unlikely event of a medical emergency, it is recommended that all team members complete the optional Medical Authorization and Medical History forms for additional confidence and peace of mind. These forms are more extensive than Habitat for Humanity International's standard Emergency Contact Information form in order to handle even the rare chance that you become unconscious or otherwise unable to speak for yourself when treatment is needed. Take the time to complete these forms so you are sure that the necessary information and authorization will be available to medical personnel.

Please download the following three files and use Microsoft Word to "fill-in-the-blanks" according to the instructions. Please note that the "Instructions" and the "History" forms are ready to use. However, the "Authorization" form is a generic sample. You will receive an email with a slightly customized version that contains data specific to the Guatemala mission.

• Medical Forms Instructions
• Medical Authorization Form
• Medical History Form