The New Hogar Abierto

Eveyone here at EDELAC and QT are massively excited to announce our successful grant application to The Hovde Foundation for the Hogar Abierto Expansion Project.

Hovde has generously provided the capital costs to finance the outright purchase of a house here in Xela. A slight deviation from the original plans, see the original posts of this blog, but an outcome that will allow us to continue the core mission of EDELAC - providing a home for street children and providing a home for children at risk of becoming street children. By owning the Hogar instead of renting, EDELAC will be able add two more children just from the savings alone, and, having had to move the Hogar six times, owning our own building will add a greater degree of stability to the program - a true home for these children to grow up in.

The house is designed for up 28 children, and will be a major improvement over the current Hogar Abierto - more bathrooms, more communal space, more open space and more light. EDELAC will be working with Habitat for Humanity Guatemala in constructing a 2nd floor on the property as well as remodelling the ground floor. The purchase of the property was completed last Thursday (27th September) and work is scheduled to start as soon as possible, with a completion date early in the new year. The official title of the house will be "Casa Perry Hovde", in recognition of the generous donation from The Hovde Foundation which has made it all possible!

The grant from Hovde will cover the purchase of the house and about half of the remodelling/construction cost. The other half of these costs will be covered by EDELAC from various sources and, hopefully, from donations.

Any donation is gratefully received and rest assured that the money is going directly to the construction. It will not sit in a bank for a year... EDELAC's (and thus the children that it helps) need is urgent. Things such as ceramic floors and tiles (the "luxuries") will be the first to be cut from the construction if EDELAC falls short in fund raising. EDELAC has partnered up with the Omprakash Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization which facilitates secure, easy and tax exemptible donations.

Please click here to go to the QT Omprakash profile page and make a donation today. Every dollar/euro/pound/quetzal helps, so please give generously.

Plans for the upper floor

Plans for the bottom floor
(blank spaces are rooms not requiring work )

Any questions or for more information, please contact Quetzaltrekkers.

Life behind the scenes...

So you've done the treks (all of them? Woww - good for you!), bought the tshirt, the patch and come to our awesome parties (see posts below)... Want to know more about trek prep? Will watch his video below, made by ex-guide Frank (the Tank), to get an idea about life behind the scenes and what goes on to make these treks amazing treks happen! And don't you worry- there'll be more of these videos to come.

Like what you see? Whetted your appetite? Looking to get more involved? Check out our volunteer page to get some more info about volunteering with us!

Carnaval in Xela: Just Add Flour and Eggs...

Throughout Latin America, Carnival remains one of the most highly anticipated holidays of the year. Rooted in Catholic traditions, Carnaval precedes Ash Wednesday, the day beginning the Lent period of fasting and prayer. Though every Latin American country possesses its own unique Carnaval traditions, the holiday universally marks a day for festivities and partying.

So last week, all of us QT guides were amped for the opportunity to accompany the 15 Hogar Abierto children to the Carnaval celebrations in Xela. With a huge (though somewhat outdated) fair erected in the Parque Calvario, toddlers and teens parading throughout the city in costume, and street vendors peddling glitter and confetti, Carnaval promised to be an enjoyable cultural experience. Fun for the whole family, right?

Little did we realize the chaos that would ensue. Immediately upon entering the fair, we unsuspecting gringos were bombarded with a barrage of flour and raw eggs. Guatemalan teenagers from far and wide caught wind of our arrival and came sprinting for the opportunity to join in the assault. You see, in Guatemala, the eggs and flour are customary aspects of Carnaval. For days before the holiday, local youth amass small arsenals of the baking ingredients so that they might pelt their friends and siblings on Carnaval day. Kids attacked, we retaliated (or at least tried), more children arrived, and local spectators videotaped as our clothes transformed into mottled collages of white and yellow.

Overall, the evening was great fun. The Hogar kids were able to enjoy the rides and fair food, we guides got to experience Guatemalan traditions firsthand, and my hair was coated in raw eggs, which I've heard possess numerous benefits for hair health. Carnaval was at times chaotic, and perpetually messy, but we would not have missed it for the world.  

New Trek Alert: Rock Climbing at La Muela!

Well ok, it may not be a trek per say, but nonetheless the Quetzaltrekker guides and I are thrilled to reestablish the old favorite: rock climbing at La Muela. Located on the outskirts of Xela near Cerro Quemado, La Muela is a sacred lava field that attracts hundreds of Mayan pilgrims each year. One of the most well established climbing areas in Central America, the site not only offers stunning views of Xela, but also numerous routes for both novice and advanced climbers.

Trips are scheduled on demand and include food, transport, gear, and super sexy, experienced guides. QT clients pay 250Q, depart Casa Argentina around 9am, and can expect to return mid-afternoon. As always, 100% of the profits benefit the Escuela de la Calle (EDELAC) and the Hogar Abierto.

Right now, Quetzaltrekkers has 15 wonderful volunteer guides, a number significantly higher than the standard 8-10. Though this influx of guide can pose its challenges at times (15 people for 1 bathroom eek!), the large number also has its advantages. For one, cooking for 15 people forces each of us to evoke our inner Julia Child. Second, with more guides, we can offer more treks, and thus earn more profits for EDELAC and the Hogar. Finally, and most importantly, each guide brings something unique to the table. All passionate about Quetzaltrekkers’ mission, the guides all possess their own interests, expertise, and experiences. With this variety of skills, QT can now offer a more diverse selection of treks and activities, such as rock climbing.

So, if rock climbing tickles your fancy, or you want to come meet all the new guides, shoot us an email or call us! Better yet, come visit our office in the back of Casa Argentina! We’d love to see you! In the meantime, stay tuned for more information about QT guides, treks, and other deep thoughts.

Day of the Dead

At a loss for what to do next week?! Join us for a week of trekking and partying...

We have a special midweek Lago Atitlan trek, leaving Tuesday 25th, coming back Thursday 27th. That gives you just enough time to recover for the infamous Quetzaltrekkers Halloween Party on Friday, at Xela's most beloved billiard spot - Pool and Beer. 

Then, with the Saturday to fight off the hangover, we head north on Sunday 30th to La Ventoza, a tiny town just outside of Todos Santos. We will climb La Torre (the highest non volcanic point in Central America) and descend into Todos Santos, to witness the unique Day of the Dead celebrations for two days before returning back to Xela on Wednesday 2nd. This is the so called "Party Trek" but for those of a more walking based mentality, there is the "Full Version" that will leave Xela on Thursday 27th and takes in the stunning scenery between Nebaj and Todos Santos, meeting up with the Partiers in La Ventoza, before everyone heads up and down La Torre together.

This is a great opportunity to see Todos Santos and experience the unique Day of the Dead celebrations there, all the while support the great work of EDELAC. 

For any questions or more information, contact us by phone, e-mail or drop by the office (hopefully to sign up). 

Long time no read?

So, after all our promises of regular updates have fallen so far behind that they are a mere speck on the fast diminishing horizon and a mere two months later, we return with the latest episode of the sporadic QT blog...

Despite the rainy season, these months continue to witness large numbers of travellers, backpackers, students, volunteers and assorted oddities passing through this fine city. Of course, as a self respecting all non-profit, all volunteer-run trekking agency we would be amiss if we weren't deliriously happy with this state of affairs. Delirious due to the increase in trekking and decrease in sleep, and happy with the knowledge that this hard work is going directly to support the work of EDELAC.

Of course, as well as running treks we also organise kick ass benefit parties. 100% of the proceeds from these benefit parties goes to support two great causes. Primeros Pasos is a clinic that offers quality and affordable health care and health education to the rural, underserved communities of the Palajunoj Valley of Quetzaltenango, whilst the Quetzaltrekkers' Scholarship Fund is administered by QT volunteers for the benefit of local youth with the desire and capacity to continue their studies at university level.

Busy Busy Busy!

Delighted with the opportunity to party, we put all our effort into creating the strangest themes. This is mostly so we can dress up in ever increasingly strange costumes to complement the themes. Maybe because of this, or inspite of this, our parties in recent months have been growing bigger and bigger - both in terms of attendances and proceeds.


So a massive thank you to anyone who has come to one of our parties... mad props and love. Your drunken fun is helping support the continued education of Guatemalan youth as well as the incredible work of  Primeros Pasos.


So come out to the next party, bring your dancing shoes and have some fuuuun!

The Custome Pile. No Fancy Dress? No Problem.
As with our treks, all equipment provided at no extra cost!

   Quetzaltrekkers have parties every other Thursday at the Guide House (15 avendida between 7a and 6a calles) and at Pool and Beer, just south of Parque Central. Look out for posters around town!

All for the kids...

With some of-sought-but-very-hard-to-come-by time off hiking last weekend, we decided to take some of the children from the Hogar on a gentle hike. We climbed to the Santiaguito Mirador, hoping for good views! Leaving at 6am we made it to the spot around 9.30am, where we were able to witness the volcano smoking before the clouds closed in. This was then followed by some fun games and some food before we came back down. It was a a really fun day, great to spend time with the kids and it really reminds us why we`re here!

Explaining the intricasies of volcanology

 

Even time for some hairstyling

                 

Watching Santiaguito smoke

Happy kids, happy guides!

If you are interested in helping us construct a new Hogar, helping us to give even more children a home and an education, there is more information in the posts below about the Hogar Expansion Project and you can read more on the projects section of our website. For information about donating, please click here.