OMG, this is so exciting – our trip to the Ixil Triangle in Guatemala is just around the corner.  So far, we have an amazingly talented and diverse team of 4 citizen journalists that will be joining SG founder & internationally known photographer Amanda Koster this July!  For Jody, Great Phebe, Sam, and Mira – and anyone else interested in filling our final 2 spots – here is some prep advice as we get closer to our date of departure.

Guatemala: Getting Ready

FAST FACTS

Population 13.1 million

Area 108,890 sq km (smaller than the US state of Louisiana, a bit bigger than England)

Capital Guatemala City

Head of state President Álvaro Colom

Time: Local time is GMT -6.

Language: The official language is Spanish but English is understood in hotels and tourist destinations. Many indigenous languages are also spoken.

TRAVELING TO GUATEMALA

Visa:  North American citizens need only a valid passport

Vaccinations: You are responsible for vaccinations being up to date.
Please read this Guatemala destination page at the United States Centers for Disease Control

Money: Guatemala’s currency, the quetzal (ket-sahl, abbreviated to Q), is fairly stable at around Q7.5 = US$1. The quetzal is divided into 100 centavos.  Print off this handy USD-Quetzal conversion pocket guide

Getting Cash – You’ll find ATMs (cash machines, cajeros automáticos) for Visa/Plus System cards and MasterCard/Cirrus in all but the smallest towns.  Bring Amex US-dollar traveler’s checks (order online) or limited amounts of US cash as a backup.  Some towns suffer from change shortages: always try to carry a stash of small bills.

Tipping: Generally a 10% tip is recommended for good service by waiters, hotel staff and tour guides in Guatemala.

Local Customs: Guatemalans wave goodbye in a unique manner, which looks similar to someone fanning themselves. The hand is raised, palm facing the body and fingers are waved back and forth, together as if in a mitten. Ask permission before taking photographs of strangers, particularly of children.

Communications: The international access code for Guatemala is +502. There are generally surcharges on calls made from hotels and it is cheaper to use calling cards. Rates are generally less expensive after 7pm. Mobile phones work in the major towns and cities on a GSM network, but check that your network operator has a roaming agreement covering Guatemala. Internet cafes are available in the main tourist areas.

Electricity: Electrical current is 115-125 volts, 60Hz. A variety of plugs are used including the flat two-pin, flat three-pin & the UK-style three-pin.  If you have a laptop, camera or video camera that does not accept this current and plug style, you will need a voltage converter & adapter.  REI sells eagle creek’s kit

Preparations & Precautions:
I scan my passport, drivers license, and credit cards. Then, print it all out to carry in a different bag than the originals. I also advise emailing those scans to yourself in case everything is lost you can access those documents from almost anywhere with an internet cafe.

Tips on Safe Eating/Drinking:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before eating.  If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand gel (with at least 60% alcohol).
• Drink only bottled or boiled water, or carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans or bottles.  Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes.
• Do not eat food purchased from street vendors.
• Make sure food is fully cooked.
• Avoid dairy products, unless you know they have been pasteurized.
• Only eat fruits when peeled and veggies when cooked

Traveler’s Stomach or “Icky PooPoos” as Mom Calls It:
Be prepared for travelers stomach; diarrhea and/or vomiting caused by bacteria in food. Antibiotics should generally only be taken in severe cases. Ciprofloxacin, also known as Cipro, and Norfloxacin are the two most common antibiotics for this. It is safe to discontinue taking these antibiotic as soon as symptoms cease unlike with other antibiotics. You may want to ask your doctor to prescribe antibiotics to take along just in case. I always pack Immodium anti-diarrhea pills and a laxative like Dulcolax. (traveling causes digestive upset in both directions sometimes!)

Weather:
Because of its consistently temperate climate, Guatemala has been called the “Land of Eternal Spring.” Expect temperatures in the 60s-70s with occasional rain during the day and clear skies at night.  Rainy season invites lots of bugs – so come prepared with light weight long-sleeved shirts and pants and plenty of insect repellant.

With several successful trips under out belt, lots of content created, travelers repeatedly saying ‘this was the trip of a lifetime,’ we seriously want to vamp up sharing your experiences and the stories you create. Why? Because we know for sure it changes peoples lives.

We envision SalaamGarage participants deeply engaging their communities with their projects and experiences from their trip.  Because we truly believe in the intrinsic value of ‘show and tell,’ we challenge the SalaamGarage travelers. This is an opportunity. We so want to see the amazing content created by SalaamGarage travelers reach far and wide that we rolled out the Engage! Refund. (for you!)

In a nutshell, if you can come up with a plan to get your projects out in a way that will engage your community and have a powerful impact, we will refund your trip $300.

Need some examples of a plan? Write a series of articles for your local newspaper. Give a presentation at (ex.) an Ignite or Slideluck Potshow event or other conference/non-conferences. Present your photos and project from you trip your church or you child’s school, invite their parents, invite the press (they’ll come)! Create a campaign by engaging your local community to support the efforts of the NGOs we visit. A campaign can be to send 50 children from the NGO you visit with us to school for a year through your (ex.) book club or your church- even better, make it an annual goal. Create an online fundraiser to support the construction of a health clinic for the NGO, get credit at your university, work it into your major… there are unlimited possibilities. It’s all possible!

Get out of your comfort zone, reach out, speak up, engage, inspire, cause change and have an impact. Make the most of your SalaamGarage experience by sharing with and engaging your community. It’s all about what you can do, and you can do a lot!

Here are the details:

SalaamGarage accepts 20 applications on a first-come-first-serve basis and awards 7 solid projects per-trip.

Please contact hello@salaamgarage.com to request an application.

Steps:
1) Pay your $500 deposit (via paypal).
2) Choose your project from the website.
3) Email us your request for an application at hello@salaamgarage.com.
4) Receive approval.
4) Book and pay for the trip (go anyway!).
5) Complete your project, reach your goal within your deadline and SalaamGarage will refund you $300.

Projects:
Your project should have realistic goals as to how you plan to make the most powerful impact in your community. Posting a blog entry isn’t enough, Facebook links and photo albums aren’t enough, a few tweets aren’t enough. You will need a solid plan for your project with a timeline, goals, deadlines, collaborates, desired outcome, etc. (and remember: KISS)

sigh.

off the bed, refresh, chewing on some organic energy cliff candy becky left in my car (which i now carry in my purse, subsequently all the way to austin). so, scouring the streets, chewing on a ‘candy’ that would my make my dentist scowl, happy its a warm and balmy, happy to be in sandals… looking for yet another convention center.

found my new crowd, hopped into the mega building, found the non-line, line for ‘presenters.’ that’s me.

i’m here to lead a core conversation called ‘Citizen Journalism and the little NGO that could.’ http://my.sxsw.com/events/event/443

… and its a total honor. this crazy idea i had a few years ago landed me here. tho not really landed, because it’s a continuum. this past week was monumental. something snapped in me and all of the sudden (i know, i say this often, but this is different.. and i say that often cuz it is) a whole new realm opened up. all of the sudden i let go of what could happen if i do these next 5 things to what could happen, and i don’t know what 5 things it takes to get there.

but what if….

… and shazam. i had some conversations this week that catapulted my mind  and salaamgarage into that space. and the next 5 things to get to well, those 5 things seem totally insignificant now.

obscure, i know. but i think one reaches a point in their career, or life where you can either just do the next 5 things and check ‘em off, or imagine what if, and let the 5 -500 things appear eventually, because there was no way to have ever scribbled how to answer what if on the to-do list.

you see, this is the whole deal with our sxsw panel. forget the to-do list. really, sit down and be ok with ‘what if.’ because its that thinking that will expand this planet to a place we’ve never imagined possible.

does this make sense?

stay tuned, from sxsw in austin,
amanda

Janat Horn photographing explosives recently (1/2010) collected by a PeaceTrees Vietnam EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) team on a SalaamGarage trip to Vietnam. photo: Amanda Koster

(click to hear audio) SxSW Core Conversation: “Citizen Journalism and the Little NGO that Could.”

It is not a question of who is helped first,
When we attend to ourselves with compassion and mercy,
More healing is made available for others.

And when we serve others
With our open and generous heart,
Great healing comes to us.

As we heal the wounds of the past,
We carry less pain into the world,
Less confusion and anger,
And we bring more charity and peace.

It is no longer simply for personal gain;
It becomes our gift,
Our offering to the earth
And the Divine Spirit within us all.

Mahatma Gandhi

Outside the window of our hotel in Udapiur. Women and little girls were doing there washing in Lake Pichola. The view of the Lake Palace Hotel is great, at night the scene is captivating and romantic:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryRFrkvLQuM

Jaipur Train Station waiting for the Udaipur train:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy16duPoLB0

Crossing the railway tracks in a auto rickshaw:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEBJj5_AbDg

SalaamGarage has been working diligently with Agros International around what stories need to be told, and who would be willing to share. This is a very rare opportunity to work with an NGO and see first hand the people they serve, and to hear about their lives.

SalaamGarage participants will be able to choose from these projects. All people mentioned in these projects are ready and willing to collaborate exclusively with SalaamGarage and you to help tell their story. They are looking forward to meeting you.

click here to see!

Work at Microsoft? Want more info? email us and we’ll get it to you.

Join social documentary and commercial photographer Amanda Koster illustrate how her career has helped create what is now SalaamGarage.  Join her in dialogue around the value of collaboration between media makers, social media applications, and international non-profit organizations.

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Koster officially founded SalaamGarage in January 2007 in response to years of countless requests, “Can I Come With You” regarding her international documentary projects. As she saw people traveling, creating content, publishing and connecting through social media, she thought why not harness this activity to cause positive change through sharing intentional and authentic storytelling.

Her latest book “Can I come with you – Social documentary photography” can be found at: BennettHastings.com

SalaamGarage is an organization of individuals who travel to developing countries on behalf of cause-related NGOs. Koster brings enthusiast and profesional photographers, writers, and videographers to chronicle their journey and tell the story of aid and development work. There is a human being behind every photograph, and there is a story behind every human being. From organizations in the favelas of Rio to the rice fields of Vietnam, SalaamGarage is helping NGOs raise money and awareness. And on a larger level, SalaamGarage is raising consciousness amongst bloggers, amateur and professional  media makers and technologists.

Please, should you find anything that needs clarification or could just be better, let us know. We are here to serve.

Peace, SalaamGarage faculty