Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands…an experience you will remember forever! Join gail Mcdaniel on this dynamic and life changing Art Workshop/Tour. If your are ready to study under a Master instructor, paint in 400 year old Haciendas, Spanish colonial towns and colorful Inca Markets, then this trip is for you. If you are interested in the Inca and their culture, as well as the beautiful handicrafts and awesome landscape of Ecuador, come join us on this adventure of a lifetime.

The hotels, excursions, special events, and cuisine will be luxury and five star all the way. Old Town Quito is a Spanish Colonial center built over the ashes of what was a major part of the Inca Empire. You’ll stay in two fabulous haciendas, eat the cuisine the “rich and famous” as well as the traditional Inca fare, and travel throughout the Andes with scenery that will capture your heart forever. Villages, marketplaces of the Incas, Avenue of the Volcanoes, working haciendas, and much more await you in beautiful Ecuador.

View dramatic panoramas of ice capped volcanoes, pastoral scenes of colorfully dressed indigenous herders watching sheep, and llamas grazing in windswept fields of grass as we travel to the Hacienda Cusin, in the Northern Andes. A restored 17th century Andean estate, and now a charming and comfortable country inn furnished with colonial antiques, tapestries, and Andean crafts. Old stone walls topped with moss encircle two acres of gardens which attract over 50 species of birds. Experience Otavalo, one of the world’s most famous indigenous markets where the people arrive at dawn by the mountain trails surrounding the city from nearby villages and towns to sell their products woven on back strap and Spanish treadle looms.

Explore the Avenue of the Volcanoes as you travel to Hacienda San Agustín de Callo, built on the site of an Inca palace, by the Emperor Tupac Yupanqui in the 15th century. One of the two most important archaeological Inca sites in Ecuador, it is the only lived-in museum of Inca and Spanish Colonial style. From here you will have day trips that will introduce you to the magic of this country – volcanoes, Inca markets, Rose plantations, and working haciendas.

Galapagos Islands Option: Charles Darwin’s Galapagos Islands in a cruise ship is an amazing life experience. Swim with penguins and giant sea turtles. Discover exactly what Darwin did; nature at its most innocent and truly communing state. You will walk inches from sea lions and iguanas. Come eyeball to eyeball with giant Albatross – none of these animals fear humans – it is just incredible! It is one of the “1000 Things to See Before you Die” from the book of the same name by Patrica Schultz.

Wyn Kalagian, Wyn began to really develop her painting skills in earnest when she retired from a lengthy nursing career in 2000. Her painting education has taken her to Vermont, North Carolina, Florida, New Mexico and Guatemala. She has studied from well-known artists such as Jeanne Carbonnetti, Jean Grastore, Jan Hart, Robert Burridge, Lila Lewis Irving and Tom Lynch.
Wyn first learned the magic of watercolour painting but now has embraced acrylic painting because of its versatility and richness. Her paintings are full of bright colour and magical qualities. She has participated in the Pumphouse Studio Tour, her own Art in the Garage show and Willowbank Art Shows. Since she appreciates and embraces what she has experienced and accomplished through her painting classes, she loves to share her painting knowledge with other who would like to undertake the same magical adventure.
 ..a reflection of Wyn Kalagian’s painting style: "The essence of a scene on canvas enables the viewers to use their imaginations to finish the scenes for themselves. The hope is that an impression of things half-real and half-remembered will speak to the viewer in a special way. An adventure is created between the painting and the viewer."
This Cultural Tour provides a unique travel experience which will take you to scenic and colorful venues throughout Guatemala. The hotels, excursions, special events, and cuisine will be luxury and five star all the way. You will step back in time over 400 years as you enter Antigua with its Spanish Colonial appeal and charm. From Spanish colonial architecture, monasteries, courtyards with fountains, cathedrals, and bougainvillea draped ruins, to its romantic surroundings, this town is considered one of the most beautiful in Central America and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will travel through the highland mountains to the famed Lake Atitlán, often called the most beautiful lake in the world, surrounded by majestic volcanoes and a dozen Maya villages. In Chichicastenango, prepare for your senses to overwhelmed by the colors, textures, and sights of this world renowned Maya market. You will be enthralled by many other fascinating experiences and beautiful venues that await you on this magical journey. 
Travelers, friends and artists of all media are invited to join Wyn Kalagian’s Explore Guatemala Cultural Tour.  The beauty and culture of the Maya await you in Guatemala; you’ll have the most memorable and fun experience!