Dec. 2012 tour of Palenque, Bonampak, Yaxchilan, La Venta Olmec Museum

Dec. 18: 12.19.19.17.17 -- 1 Kaban 0 K'ank'in
Your adventure begins with your flight into the Villahermosa airport (nearest airport to Palenque). The hotel shuttle will be waiting when you arrive to take you to the beautiful Hilton Hotel Villahermosa where you'll overnight and enjoy their very comfortable beds, relaxing pool and restaurant. Overnight Hilton Hotel Villahermosa.

Dec. 19: 12.19.19.17.18 -- 2 Etz'nab 1 K'ank'in
We begin the day with a buffet breakfast and group "meet and greet" to get acquainted your fellow travelers, guide and driver. Then we visit La Venta Olmec Museum in Villahermosa. There are 28 Olmec carvings at this beautiful outdoor museum with interesting zoo and lake. Each piece was set carefully for optimum viewing with benches placed for those wishing to meditate or ponder the huge and amazingly well crafted Olmec heads, intricate altars, and intriguing stele and statues. Based on the earliest long count date inscriptions found at sites that combine both Olmec and Maya influences many scholars theorize that it was the Olmec who invented the long count calendar and initiated the Maya into the understanding of this system of calculating time. Sitting on shaded benches in this outdoor museum it's easy to get lost in your thoughts as you imagine what it must have been like living in this enigmatic seed culture of MesoAmerica.

After a short lunch stop we'll travel to beautiful Palenque, home to many Maya groups. You'll have time in the afternoon to settle in at the Villas Kin Ha Hotel in Palenque which will be your base for the next 3 nights. The hotel is located in one of the last great North American rainforests and the grounds are beautiful. Under the lush rainforest canopy, surrounded by a plethora of flowering plants and their many fragrances, one may be enticed to thoughts of the garden of Eden -- to the Maya this forest lies in the center of the universe. Sit by the sacred Ceiba trees and listen to the many wild birds as they harmonize, chatting and singing about their day. Cool down with a swim in the hotel's very unique swimming pool or just relax, enjoy a beverage and chat with fellow travelers about the events of the day.

In the evening, we'll attend a pre-dinner PowerPoint presentation on the Maya Calendar. During the presentation you will learn how the Maya calendar works. For many the Maya calendar seems complicated yet it will be made easy to understand, in fact its simplicity is a part of its genius.

Dec. 20: 12.19.19.17.19 -- 3 Kawak 2 K'ank'in
Today we journey to Yaxchilan and Bonampak. First to Bonampak, home of famous Maya murals. Their ancient colors remain clear and vital, making them an excellent representation of Mayan art. Bonampak was a city of the Maya Early Classic period peaking from 200 to 400 A.D. The earliest written date for this site was found in its sister city of Yaxchilan on lintel 49 giving the year 409 A.D. The great plaza is astounding in its sheer mass and one of the largest in the region, measuring over 100 yards. Bonampak also has some very well preserved stele that detail important ancient historical moments that included bloodletting rituals. About the ceremonial significance of this ritual, Linda Schele and Mary Miller, authors of The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art , say Blood was the mortar of ancient Maya ritual life. Rulers were viewed as descendants of the gods. It was considered their duty to bleed and mutilate themselves on ritual occasions (a scene depicted in the murals) to cement their divine lineage and sustain the universe.

In the Maya World there are over thirty different Maya groups, each with their own dialect. At Bonampak you will meet the Lakandon Maya of whom there are less than 400 remaining today. They work and care for Bonampak and have continued their spiritual practices there for many many generations, burning copal incense and reciting the ancient prayers. The Lakandon Maya were never Christianized by the Spanish as they retreated into the rainforest and always remained a step ahead of their Conquistador pursuers.

Then we embark on a long-boat ride down the mighty Usumacinta River to the mysterious ancient Maya site of Yaxchilan. This river journey through the rainforest with its huge trees and abundant wildlife makes you feel like you're in an Indiana Jones movie. The tremendous archaeological site of Yaxchilan, situated on the riverbanks, rises in levels to temples with breathtaking views of the rainforest stretching far into Guatemala. Yaxchilan is unique in its multitude of depictions of important female personages. Lady Xoc, in particular, is depicted engaged in numerous rituals. To quote Linda Schele and David Friedel in A Forest of Kings, The depiction of a woman as the principal actor in ritual is unprecedented at Yaxchilan and almost unknown in Maya monumental art at any site. We'll hear stories of ancient Mayan Queens who exerted great power and observe howler monkeys and many exotic birds as we roam this well organized ancient Maya city.

Those who want to ring in the next calendar cycle at midnight can enjoy a "Countdown to the Next Baktun" celebration from 9 pm to Midnight at Don Mucho's restaurant in Palenque. Don Mucho's has a history as a meeting place for many of the great pioneers striving to understand the ancient Maya. People from various parts of the world will certainly be gathering here to celebrate this special and transformative time. From live music to fire dancing, Don Mucho"s knows how to throw a worthy celebration. Their 2000 millennium celebration is still talked about today. Overnight at Villas Kin Ha Hotel in Palenque.

Dec. 21: 13.0.0.0.0 -- 4 Ahaw 3 K'ank'in
(Winter Solstice)
This morning we initiate the beginning of a new Long Count Calendar Cycle at the spectacular ruins of Palenque. We'll enjoy a full day guided tour of the site. A UNESCO historical monument, Palenque is considered a world treasure. Ancient structures rise out of the lush rainforest on multiple terraces set against the mountains, many of them built by the great King Pacal in the 6th & 7th centuries AD. Numerous wonderful examples of Maya art and history are carved into the buildings' facades, some of them the most famous depictions from the ancient Maya world. Palenque is exciting because of the vast amounts of information that has been painstakingly brought to light by archaeologists over the years. Here you will find the unique building styles that caused early explorers to think that the builders of Palenque were influenced by Eastern or Asian architectural concepts.

Palenque is also home to a unique calendar date inscription that predicts an event that will happen far in the future. According to this inscription, a grand anniversary of King Pacal's ascension to the throne will be celebrated on 4772 AD. If the ancient Maya believed that the cycle ending in 2012 would be 'the end of the world," they certainly would not have mentioned future dates beyond that point!

We'll also visit the Palenque archaeological museum with its life-size replica of King Pakal's tomb, extensive collection of jade masks, well preserved carvings, stela and incense burners. In the evening we'll enjoy a special group dinner to celebrate the beginning of a new Long Count calendar cycle. Overnight Villas Kin Ha Hotel in Palenque.

Dec. 22: 13.0.0.0.1 -- 5 Imix 4 K'ank'in
Today you have a free day to explore the sights, sounds and cuisines of Palenque on your own, choose an optional side excursion, return to the Palenque ruins on your own or just relax in the lush rainforest jungle. The small city of Palenque is a great place to gain insight into the everyday life of the modern Maya. There are sidewalk cafes and restaurants where you can sit and watch the pageantry of this charming hub of several nearby Maya communities. A short walk to the city square or zocalo will be rewarded with artisans selling their wares -- beautiful textiles, amazing limestone carved reproductions of ancient Maya art, jade carvings and much more. At 4 pm we'll travel back to Villahermosa for an overnight before early morning flights home. Overnight Hilton Hotel Villahermosa.

Dec. 23: 13.0.0.0.2 -- 6 Ik 5 K'ank'in
The Hilton Hotel shuttle to the Villahermosa airport (5 minutes away) will be available throughout the day to connect you with your departing flights home.