We’re Going to Chiapas, Mexico!

As you know, we are the World Travelling Decatur High School Band.  Beginning in 2010, as described in the 2010 Band Parents Handbook, we will be taking an international trip once every four years. This is a change from our recent past history, where we took an international trip every other year.  In particular, this means that this year’s trip to Mexico is the only international travel opportunity your child will have with the band during the nex

UPDATE 3-28-2011

Less than a week away!  Check the download tab for more documents. These have all been shared on the dhs-band-chiapas-trip Google group, too.

UPDATE 3-14-2011

More important details and updates are available!   The Band parent meeting on Monday March 21 at 7 PM is another mandatory meeting for those who will be traveling to Chiapas over spring break.

UPDATE 2-20-2011

More details and updates are available!   In particular,
The Band parent meeting on Monday February 21 at 7 PM is a mandatory meeting for those who will be traveling to Chiapas over spring break.

Since the Chiapas trip only involves a portion of the band, we have established a Google group which will allow for discussion and more detailed communication specific to the trip.  If your email is on the trip roster, you should have gotten an invite to join this group, but if not, please request to join below. Of course, anyone in the band is welcome to join, even if you’re not participating in the trip.

Subscribe to DHS Band Chiapas Trip

Email:

Visit this group

We will also be using the Decatur Band Facebook group for details:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Decatur-Band/137169046320797?v=wall

UPDATE 10-24-2010

The details of the trip are coming together! We’ll be departing April 1 and returning April 9.  See the Downloads section of the website for a Chiapas Brochure and a Map of chiapas. Our Band Parent Association Meeting on Monday October 25th will feature George Brown, a representative from Friendship Force, who will provide more information and answer questions. We are also collecting questions you may have about the trip in case you can’t be at the meeting, please mail any questions or concerns to Lew Lefton or William Edmisten.  We are also in contact, via band parent Malu Tansey, with a group called ‘Cactus and Rocks’ based in El Paso that recently returned from a trip to Chiapas, so we can hear first hand about their experiences. A  Chiapas Mexico Trip Information Sheet (updated 11-4-2010) will be available at the band parent meeting Monday.  It is posted on this website and will also be sent home to all band parents.  In particular, this handout include a payment schedule.  A preliminary itinerary is also available to view.

A message from our hosts

Here are some excerpts from an email sent on August 3, 2010, from Mavi Rameriz, who is one of our Friendship Force contacts in Chiapas.  You can see that they are very enthusiastic about the band exchange, and we wanted to share this communication with you.

“I will have a meeting today with the Secretary of Tourism and the Mayor.  They will send an email to you and George Brown to explain that there is no danger for the visitors to Chiapas.  The UN held a meeting here in Tuxtla last week with over 300 delegates from 50 countries, that came here to know more about the Rural Cities program.  We had ambassadors from Canada, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Chile, Guatemala, etc. that wanted to see the model of Chiapas and bring it to their country.  I believe this information will help parents to understand that everything is in order around here.”

“I will be in contact with the Coordinator from the Governor’s office and The Secretary of Tourism.  We are planning a dinner at the Government House for members of the Band and the official reception that the Governor Juan Sabines Guerrero will offer.”

“We will have a new mayor in January, and he is already informed that this Exchange is taking place and will be taking charge of this event.  We have very good relations with everybody and we’re getting great support.”

Things to do right away:

1. Make sure your child has a US passport which valid past October 2010.  If you don’t have this, please begin the passport application/renewal process right away!  A good deadline would be to aim to have the paperwork submitted by Labor Day weekend. Here is a good starting point:  http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_4855.html.

2. Think about getting a hepatitis A vaccination.  This is not required, but it is listed as recommended on the CDC website page for Health Information for Travelers to Mexico.  You should consult with your doctor to help you decide.  Note that if you choose to get a Hepatitis A vaccine, it is typically given in two doses, 6 months apart.  Thus, this is another item which requires you to act very soon, preferably by Labor Day.

Trip Chaperones wanted!

The tentative dates of our trip are April 1 – April 9.  These dates are still subject to change a little, however the trip will definitely coincide with Spring Break..  We will need about a dozen adults to travel with the band as chaperones.  You would have to pay your own way.   We need people to volunteer to chaperone now, so you can be part of the trip planning committee.

How much will this trip cost?

Our initial budget looks like the total cost per child (or chaperone) should be in the $1800-$2200 range for the entire week.  This will include all transportation, meals, and lodging.   When we have a better estimate of exact costs, we will let you know.

We will have several fundraising opportunities in which your child can participate to offset their costs, too.

In addition, you are welcome to fill out our Application for Financial Assistance which is due by November 15, 2010.

Safety is our First Priority

Several parents have expressed concern about safety on this trip to Mexico. The band leadership feels that some of the concerns are valid, and we are keeping a close eye on the situation. The safety of the band is obviously our most important priority. That said, international travel can’t be done without risks, so we are working to make sure that our decisions are based on facts, we stay well informed, and we are prepared.

The situation in Chiapas is a dynamic one. A recent email from one of our hosts (posted above) is encouraging. We are also keeping an eye on state department warnings. The U.S. Embassy’s Mexico Security updates for the past 5 months do not indicate any cause for concern in the Chiapas region. Also, that area is not subject to any State department restrictions (as opposed to some of the more dangerous areas like Sinaloa).

Another anecdotal bit of positive news: Malu Tansey, who is an Emory professor and band parent, was in touch with a group called ‘Cactus and Rocks’ based in El Paso, which just returned from a trip to Chiapas. They said they had a great time and saw no signs of unrest at all. They said their hosts were very gracious and they enjoyed the visit a good deal. We will try to contact them and to see if they can talk to the band parents (perhaps a “virtual DHSBPA meeting” via conference call) to answer questions about their recent experience. Of course, any personal reports from our El Paso sources should not be considered a guarantee for the safety of our band. No one can offer a 100% guarantee when traveling abroad.

The state department information page on Mexico mentions Chiapas. From what we can tell, the very rural Chiapas is more likely to be subject to political land ownership disputes, NOT major Drug cartel activity. In that sense, there is still some risk, but it is much more similar to any other destination in Latin America. The embassy page devoted to Chiapas and Tabasco http://chiapas-tabasco.usvpp.gov/ seems to reinforce that the activity there is more about helping address poverty than it is about anything else.

We emailed the US embassy in Mexico for clarification and recommendations. Their response was to direct to the state department websites (which they pointed out, they are required to do). However they also said

“We travel to Chiapas at least every 4-6 months by car, by plane, etc. We primarily stay in the big cities such as Tuxtla Gutierrez, San Cristobal, Tapachula, Comitán, etc. In the rural areas, transportation might be a challenge. Chiapas is a major tourist destination:

http://chiapas-tabasco.usvpp.gov/chiapas-tabasco.html

http://chiapas-tabasco.usvpp.gov/home/about/photo-galleries.html

http://www.turismochiapas.gob.mx/english.html#/home (in English)

http://www.chiapas.gob.mx/zonas-arqueologicas (in Spanish)

Lots of American citizens (and foreigners from all over the world) live, visit, work, travel in the state of Chiapas!”

If you have any other concerns, please bring them to our attention. We don’t want to overlook something. If the situation changes for the worse, we would definitely reconsider our plans, but for now the trip is a go, and we think it will be a great experience for our kids.

Information about Activities for the Trip

We will be working with two schools in Chiapas. The first is the “Institute Fray Victor Maria Flores”, a private and predominantly girl’s elementary/middle/high school with more than one thousand students. The other school is “Colegio La Salle” which is a predominantly boys elementary/middle/high school. Both are very prestigious schools in Chiapas society and both have a band with 40 students each. Mavi Ramirez, the director for this program in Chiapas is aware that the students will be paired and boys will be hosted with boy’s students and girls will be hosted with girl’s students. The chaperones will be hosted by the Friendship Force members in Tuxtla-Gutierrez.

One of the schools has an auditorium for 500 people and an open area that would be good for the students to perform. Mavi Ramirez is also working closely with the Governor office to create an opportunity for the students to perform in a Parade in the city of Tuxtla.

A preliminary idea of the itinerary follows below. This should be viewed as tentative but it is what we know as of September 20, 2010.

Welcome at the City Hall

Welcome Party

City Tour in Tuxtla

Parade in Tuxtla

Tour to “Canon del Sumidero” ( Sumidero Canyon – 2 hours boat ride )

Visit to Zoo Miguel Alvarez del Toro, with animals native to Chiapas

Visit to Museum of Science and Technology

Visit to “San Cristobal de Las Casas” a beautiful colonial city.

Mayan ruins such as Tenam Puente (near Comitán) and/or Palenque

Performance at the Intercultural University

Farewell Party

Stay tuned….

The trip to Chiapas is going to be fantastic, and as more information about the trip is available (e.g. itinerary, costs, etc.) we will post it here.  For further details, feel free to contact William Edmisten, our trip chair.