San Francisco FOG RFC Guatemala Tour 2016 to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala
Nov 19, 2016 1:00PM Nov 19, 2016 4:00PM
SF Fog/Xelaju versus Guatemala National Team (15s) SF Fog versus Xelaju RFC (10s)
Xela (a.k.a. Quetzaltenango), Guatemala. Guatemala’s highland and cultural center. The confluence of K’iche, Mam Mayan cultures and home of the Xelaju (‘shay lah who’) Rugby Club. This town is very personal to me, having traveled there 10 different times since 2005.
Proposed Travel Schedule:
Wednesday, November 16: 7:30AM: Hike to Chicabal Lake My friend Amaro will accompany us on a hike to Chicabal, a lake settled in the volcanic mountain chain sacred to the Mayan Mam peoples. Amaro will also share stories of his life as a guerrillero during the years of conflict.
7 PM TEAM DINNER: Royal Paris. 14a Av. A 3-06, Zona 1 Great Parisian cuisine with Wednesday night Trova music.
9:30 PM: El Cuartito and beyond. This is my favorite café in the world. No kidding. $5 pitchers of mojitos, local coffee and chocolate, local art and music, and super cozy. Plenty of bars are nearby in Zona 1
Thursday, November 17: 8:30 AM: Breakfast at Café Bavaria. This café is a great place for crepes, hot chocolate, and coffee. The walls are adorned with 100+ years of pictures and history of the area. 10 Xela Walkabout with Jesus El Baul, La Democracia market, El Cemetario. Whatever… 4PM: Team Practice at El Complejo Deportivo. The 20-minute walk there takes a little less time than the shuttle. 7PM: Team Dinner at the Blue Angel. This is a simple place but the family that runs it is extremely kind and accommodating.
Friday, November 18: 8AM: Las Fuentes Georginas. What better way to loosen your muscles than in possibly the most beautiful springs in the world. A short ‘chicken bus’ ride to Xunil, plus a mandatory homage to San Simon and a trek through high fog forests will bring us here. Coffee, cocoa, or brunch is available. 1 PM: Lunch at Emillianos - Guatemalan Staples with Italian Options 4PM: La Luna. Try a Xela staple of Tamilitos de Chiplin with some of the regions finest hot chocolate in this historic cafe 7:00PM: Mayan Ceremony - We are being honored with a traditional Mayan ceremony. The one-hour ceremony for us and our Xelaju hosts will be given by a well-known Mayan shaman. 11:00PM: Pala Life Kliche – Xela’s gay bar is a welcoming local scene
Saturday, November 19: GAME DAY This is where we will play. It’s a regulation football pitch in decent condition (better than what we played on in Havana). 1PM: SF Fog/Xela vs. Guatemalan National Team 4PM: SF Fog versus Xela (10s) 6PM: Post Match social! Learn some songs in Spanish this
time.
Sunday, November 20 – Tuesday, November 22: Lago Atitlan. Leaving around 11AM, we will travel back through Lago Atitlan, staying at either San Marcos La Laguna or San Pedro La Laguna. This is a beautiful high-mountain lake surrounded by volcanos where we can explore by small boat several of the surrounding small towns.
LODGING IN XELA: Unlike Havana, lodging is easy. We will have the entire Casa Dona Mercedes! My friend Michele runs this fine place one block from Parque Central. There are 8 rooms, each accommodating 2-3 people. Expect to pay about $20 per night.
TANSPORTATION TO XELA FROM GUATEMALA CITY AIRPORT: TAXI: Taxis can go direct from the airport to Xela will run about $100-$120, split three ways. The trip will take ~3hrs BUS: Both Alamo and Galgos buslines depart Guate four or five times daily. They are safer than the ‘chicken busses’. The trip will cost about 60Q (~$8) plus a $10 cab ride from the airport to the bus terminal. COSTS: Expect ~$500R/T airfare from San Francisco in November, plus ground transportation as listed above. Visas are free. $300 would be a comfortable budget for lodging and the events listed. Rugby travel gifts and tour shirts extra. SCHEDULE: USA Rugby Roster and 2016-7 CIPP confirmed by 1 October, 2016.