Destination and living conditions:

Participants will be traveling to a small subsistence- living agricultural Maya village in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. Living conditions will be very simple. Participants will sleep in hammocks in the homes of Maya hosts and bathe from buckets of cold water.

Intercambio provides most of the food, and there will be an opportunity to share a meal in the homes of the Maya hosts. Group meals will be prepared by Maya cooks. Participants will gain first hand experience of daily life in a developing nation.

photo of typical Maya house
Construction: Leaders of the village will choose a building project that will not only meet the needs of the village, but also provide shelter during extreme weather conditions. Special skills are not needed to participate in the construction project; only willingness to work hard. photo of volunteers and villagers working together on construction site
Medical & Dental: Intercambio will conduct medical and dental clinics in the village. Physicians, dentists, optometrists, nurses, pharmacists, dental assistants, and lab technicians, as well as health care students, should contact Intercambio for more specific details on how their skills can be used to help the villagers. photo of doctor with patient
Health Education:

Intercambio will provide health education on basic sanitation, hygiene, and other health issues. There will be learning opportunities for the children and adults of the village.

 photo of group health education lesson in village
Cultural Exploration:

After completing the work projects, participants will be offered a time of rest and recreation that will included opportunities for more cultural exploration, visiting Maya ruins, and time on a beach.

       photo of cathedral in downtown Merida

photo of temple of the Magician at Uxmal
Trip Costs:

$1095.00: Includes lodging (from December 27, 2011 through and including January 6, 2012), food (some exceptions), a handmade hammock to use and take home, and ground transportation in Mexico beginning at a hotel in Cancun and ending at a hotel at our final destination (hotels to be named later). Not included in the fees are the roundtrip airfare to Cancun, the ground transportation from the Cancun International Airport to the Cancun hotel, and the ground transportation from the hotel at our final destination to the Cancun International Airport (these expenses are the responsibility of the participant).

PLEASE NOTE: This trip officially begins at 7:00 am at the designated Cancun hotel on December 28, 2011, and ends at 5 pm January 6, 2012 at the hotel at our final destination. Any other services arranged for participants before or after these dates and times are provided as a convenience and are not a part of the official Intercambio Cultural Maya trip. The dates of December 27, 2011 and January 7, 2012 are set aside as travel days for participants.

 

photo of 2 volunteers

volunteers resting in hammocks
To Apply :

Applications will be accepted between September 1 and October 15, 2011. (To comply with Mexican immigration requirements, participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by at least one parent or an Intercambio approved adult.

If you're interested in participating, click here for an online copy of the application kit or write us intercambio.maya@gmail.com.

 

JOIN US THIS YEAR
THIS COULD BE OUR LAST TRIP
Enrollment limited to 50

For more info about the future of the Intercambio Program, click here

Copyright 2011 Intercambio.