Gathering of Online Meditators July 16-20, 2018

We are planning a gathering for the online meditation community in Santa Cruz, Guatemala on the shores of Lake Atitlan. Santa Cruz is wonderful location because of the natural beauty, the deep Mayan spirituality, and the warm hospitality. Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. It is 50 square miles and ringed with volcanoes. The gathering is planned for July 16-20, 2018. If you would like to stay longer, you will have that opportunity.

[Click here to see photos of this area.]

Each day will have two 30 minute meditations and related spiritual activities (readings, lectio divina, etc.). The rest of the days will be spent in social activities. This will be a great opportunity to have an unforgettable experience with some wonderful people.

Weather

The weather will average around 72 degrees Fahrenheit, 22 degrees Centigrade with frequent rain in the late afternoon and evening.

Planned Activities

We have five activities planned. They are:

• Private fire ceremony with an authentic Mayan shaman with individual readings.
• Hike to the nearby town of Jaibalito with breathtaking views of Lake Atitlan, stopping at the fantastic Casa Del Mundo for the best breakfast burritos in the world.
• Visit to the bustling market of Solela after a hair-raising ride on one of the world-famous Chicken Busses.
• Boat tour of Lake Atitlan, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
• A visit to the Nature Preserve of Panajachel with it’s hanging bridges and butterfly preserve.

Fine Print

Santa Cruz is not handicap accessible. You need to be in good enough physical condition to walk for a mile on uneven and sometimes rocky terrains and climb in and out of boats. There are nearby facilities for minor emergencies, but the nearest major hospital is a two hour drive away. We are also in a developing country, so you will come in contact with large but harmless spiders (affectionately called “Wallies” because of their preference for living on walls) and the occasional scorpion. Insects are not aggressive here and because of the cool temperature and high altitude (5000 feet) mosquitos are not a major problem.

Cost and Accomodations

Accommodations will be at the Casa Kaktus (view rooms at https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/22652869). Note: Do not book through airbnb, we have a block of rooms reserved. These rooms have shared bathrooms with large spacious private bedrooms with beautiful public areas. The cost is $30/night including a great breakfast. With social activities and meals, the cost will be about $100/day not including transportation to and from Santa Cruz.

You will need air transportation to and from Guatemala City. When looking for flights, keep in mind that nearby cities may have much lower fares. For example, to fly roundtrip from Austin, it is about $1000. To fly roundtrip from San Antonio, an hour drive away, it is $500. If Aeroméxico or InterJet fly to or near your city, they will probably have the lowest fares.

Interested?

If you are interested, sign up for the retreat mailing list here.  This will not obligate you to go, you can decide that later. I will just put you on the email list of those interested.