|
|
|
Traveling in Maya
Time |
|
|
Dec. 17: 12.19.19.17.16 -- 13 K'ib 19 Mak Your journey begins with your flight to Cancun. Throughout the day we'll have a shuttle to pick up participants at various arrival times. Upon arrival at the Cancun airport you will be met by Mayasites Travel greeters who are there to help you with your luggage and guide you to your chauffeured van where you'll be transferred to the hotel Villas Kin Ha on the beach in Cancun. After getting settled in your room you can sightsee or, with the crystal blue and turquoise Caribbean waters lazily lapping at the white sands of the beach in front of your hotel, relaxing on a lounger seaside or poolside with your favorite beverage may be what you need to decompress from your day of travel. Have an appetite? The hotel has two wonderful restaurants on the beach. Or, there are many different restaurants with a wide variety of cuisines from around the world only a short walk from the hotel. Overnight Villas Kin Ha Cancun. Dec. 18: 12.19.19.17.17 -- 1 Kaban 0 K'ank'in We begin the morning with a buffet breakfast and "meet and greet" with your fellow travelers and the guide and driver who will escort the group. We begin the first leg of our journey with a visit of the spectacular coastal ruins of Tulum, the most visited of Mayan archaeological sites. Graceful columns and elegant carvings give one an appreciation for the architectural achievements of the ancient Maya. Inside the Temple of the Frescoes are fantastic 13th century murals depicting ancient ceremonies. One of the few surviving images of the Mayan goddess of fertility and medicine, Ixchel, can be found here. Red paint still clings to the stucco on the outside of the temple. Perched atop a cliff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, Tulum is a photographers dream come true! Colorful iguanas bask lazily on rocks in the sun; gentle waves caress the shore. It is easy to imagine the ancient Maya landing at this bustling seaport with their canoes filled with trade goods. In the afternoon we visit Coba. Cobá is situated in a lush natural setting filled with many species of animals, birds and butterflies and is a real nature lover's delight. It is also home to the tallest Mayan pyramid in the Yucatan. From its top you can see above the jungle canopy for miles in each direction. On these quiet and peaceful grounds it's hard to imagine that Cobá may have once had the largest population of all the ancient Mayan cities. This vast Mayan archaeological site dates from 600-900 A.D. and there were an estimated 100,000 people living in its domain. It was the heart of a large metropolis composed of many cities within the eastern Yucatan. An important stele discovered at Cobá, has inscriptions indicating a very lengthy Long Count Calendar date of 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.0.0.0.0. This date represents either 41 octillion years in the past OR the future. Cosmologists have determined that this number is equal to 3 quintillion times the age of the universe. We'll overnight at the peaceful Villas Arqueologicas Hotel Coba, located on a lovely lake and lagoon near the ruins. The hotel's beautifully kept grounds nestled in the hardwood jungle of the Yucatan evokes a mystical quality in many who visit here. It is as if time seems to slow and the deeper into the heart of the Yucatan one goes the stronger this feeling gets. Take a cooling swim in the hotel's pool, enjoy a great meal at the very good restaurant and discuss the events of the day with your fellow travelers. Dec. 19: 12.19.19.17.18 -- 2 Etz'nab 1 K'ank'in This morning we visit Ek Balam, a recently uncovered Maya archaeological site with some very distinct features. The wonderfully preserved state of the sculptures and frescos at Ek Balam are some of the most outstanding examples of the art of the ancient Maya. Some figures are winged, some in the meditative ¨lotus¨ position, one sits headless above the center of the "Witz Monster". All are beautiful and exquisitely crafted. The main temple here is massive - over 500 feet long and 200 feet wide easily making it one of the largest structures ever excavated in the Yucatan. Ek Balam´s most striking temple is one with a huge ¨monster mouth¨. To the Maya this represents a portal to the ¨other world¨. The enormous mouth of the Witz Monster, complete with teeth, is awe-inspiring. We then stop for lunch and sightseeing in the charming colonial city of Valladolid. Valladolid played a pivotal role in the Caste Wars in the late 1800s which broke the chains of slavery the Maya had endured under Spanish rule. This period of enslavement was the "hacienda" period where Maya people worked under the whip on their own lands while lining the pockets of their Spanish conquerors. We'll see the fascinating murals depicting these events in the city government building. Valladolid is where one can experience the best in traditional Yucatecan food. Maya cuisine is delicious -- as a matter of fact, tasty Yucatecan dishes are popping up in restaurants around the world and being touted as the new haute cuisine and rightly so. After lunch we'll also take time out to shop in the plaza, where authentic goods can purchased directly from the artisans who produce them or for non-shoppers enjoy people watching in the plaza.
Then we go to historic colonial Merida,
which will be our base for the next 3
nights. This is one of the most elegant and cultured colonial cities
in the Maya World. Before the
arrival of the Spanish, ancient Maya temples and pyramids dominated the landscape
of this large city called T'ho. We begin with a visit of the
Anthropology & History Museum before beginning our walking tour.
After the conquest the Spanish used the stones from the ancient
structures to build their cathedrals and government buildings and you
will see the white blocked stones clearly, some with remains of ancient
Maya glyphs. Then you'll have free time to explore Merida
on your own. It is a great place to shop for goods produced by the
many Maya groups who bring their wares to market: Panama hats handwoven in caves beneath the
earth (in order to keep the sisal soft for weaving); very
handsome guayabera shirts; finely embroidered textiles; hammocks; ornate pottery; hand carved jade; Cuban cigars and much more.
The city comes alive
in the cool of the evening and with a quick walk to the city center (Zocalo)
or one of the small plazas you will see traditional Yucatecan dancers
and musicians, mimes and other performers. Stroll the avenues, take a horse-drawn carriage tour of the
city, enjoy regional music and the best in Maya cuisine. Or, cool down in the pool and relax and unwind from the day.
In the evening we'll attend
a lecture/presentation "Maya Long Count Calendar 101".
Understanding the basics of this calendar system is easier than you
think!
Overnight at the faithfully restored Hotel Casa Del Balam in Merida,
located 2 blocks from the main square. |
           |
|
Tour Specifics: Date: December 17-22, 2012 This tour is limited to 20 participants. The cost of this 5 night tour is $1,540 per person double occupancy. Single hotel supplement add $285. Tour includes:
Airline tickets are not included. For this tour you need to fly into and out of the Cancun airport. |
|
|
