| Destination Three: Chichen Itza & the Mayan Prophecy |
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Good morning, fellow adventurers! I hope you all enjoyed your stay in the Isle of Man. I know that some of you really enjoyed the ale - maybe a little too much, eh?
But don't despair, because we are here in sunny Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Just a few hours in the warm Caribbean sun and you'll soon be feeling great!
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I trust that each of you are pleased with the accommodations here at the Playacar Palace Wyndham Grand Resort. It is one of the top-rated all-inclusive resorts in Mexico. You can dine at any of the gourmet restaurants, or you can call room service and enjoy a meal while soaking in a double jacuzzi in the privacy of your own suite.
Today, we will be taking the ferry for a short ride across the sea to the island of Cozumel, where you will have the opportunity to explore the many wonderful shops and stores. While you are there, be sure to buy a couple of bottles of Aha Toro tequila. It is hand-made here in Mexico, and very hard to find back in the States.
Now for the part of the trip that I know you have all been dying to experience - the solstice of December 21, 2012! Tomorrow morning, a chartered bus will pick us up in front of the resort to take us to the ancient ruins of the Mayan city of Chichen Itza. We here at End of the World Tours are anticipating a very exciting day for you all, one that is sure to be full of surprises and earth-shaking revelations!
I am sure that most of you have heard some of the many predictions that surround the special date of 12-21-2012. So, here is the short list of possible things to expect tomorrow: There will be a galactic alignment, in which the sun will align with the center of the Great Rift of the Milky Way, or as the Mayans called it, the Xibalba be, which means "Black Road." Additionally, it is said that there could be a geomagnetic reversal, perhaps the result of a massive solar flare generated by the sun. Another theory claims that the Earth will collide with Planet X, also called Nibiru, on tomorrow's date, causing mass destruction throughout the world and decimating the vast majority of humankind. Others have predicted that the sun will have a gravitational reaction with the large black hole that is located at the center of our galaxy, creating chaos in our solar system and (again) causing destruction on Earth. The predicted damage consists mainly of massive earthquakes, erupting volcanoes, land masses falling into the sea, and possibly the eruption of Earth into flames. Wow - sounds really exciting!
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You
may be asking yourselves why these predictions have been made for this
particular day. Well, the answer is found within the Mesoamerican
Long
Count Calendar, which has been closely associated with the ancient
Mayan civilizations. Although the classic period of the Mayans was
approximately 250 to 900 A.D., long before modern technology existed,
the Mayans were a fascinatingly intelligent people devoted to the
study of astronomy. In fact, the Mayans were able to predict certain
events hundreds and thousands of years in advance, simply by studying
the stars. |
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The Mayans were also amazing architects, and built entire cities in a manner of absolute precision, utilizing the movements of the planets to chart the design of their structures. You will be able to witness some of these architectural wonders tomorrow at Chichen Itza. Due to the Mayans' close observations of the sky, they were able to devise the calendar in question. This calendar has marked each day for the last 5,125 years - until tomorrow, that is. Tomorrow, December 21, 2012, is the last day of the Mayan calendar - the end of time as we know it. According to the ancient Mayans, there will not be a day after tomorrow. As they have prophesied, the rivers will reclaim the land, and the Earth will plunge into darkness. Hmmm ... that sounds a little familiar, kind of like Ragnarok, huh?
So, with that said, let's head on over to Cozumel and do some shopping! I am sure they have some really great deals right now, but we need to act fast because they won't last long!
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*******
Too Late to Go Home
*******
Author's notes: The predictions that I
included in this story are actual predictions that some "experts" have
made over the past few decades. However, these predictions were not
actually made by the Mayans. In fact, the only thing that ties the
Mayans to any apocalyptical event (that I could find) is simply that
their long-count calendar ends on December 21, 2012. Of course there
exists a lot of speculation among different circles about some of the
ancient Mayan writings, but there also exists a lot of controversy over
the actual translations as well. There are many people who are using
the end of the Mayan calendar to support their various theories of
eschatology, but there really is no way to prove that any of it has any
true meaning. At least not until 12-21-2012, that is. Another note of
interest is that there exist additional Mayan writings that seem to
predict events that are yet hundreds of years in the future, thus
indicating that the end of the calendar does not represent the end of
the world, but simply the end of one measure of time and the beginning
of another.
There are several people who support the notion that 12-21-2012 will be the dawn of a time of increased consciousness within the world, and that there will be a movement among people to develop deeper spiritual relationships, a better understanding of life, and a greater respect for the world. I would like to think that movement is already underway.
I first learned of the prophecies of 2012 on a tour of Chichen Itza last year. It was a very fascinating and somewhat terrifying tour, which consequently sparked my interest in completing this storybook about eschatological stories. I will be returning to the Yucatan peninsula twice this coming summer, and in fact will be staying at the resort that I have mentioned on this page.
Bibliography:
Web Source: Wikipedia
Story told by Tour Guide to Lynette Leidner on August 16, 2009. The tour was of the Mayan ruins in Chichen Itza, Mexico.
Image Information:
Tulum. Web Source: All Posters.com
Map of the Yucatan Peninsula. Web Source: Mayaland 2007
Playa del Carmen Beach, by L. Leidner, 2009.
Playacar Palace Wyndham Grand Resort. Web Source: Expedia
Mayan ruler Chaan Muan with prisoners. Web Source: Neatorama
Wall of Skulls, by L. Leidner, 2009.
Shopping in Cozumel, by L. Leidner, 2009.
There are several people who support the notion that 12-21-2012 will be the dawn of a time of increased consciousness within the world, and that there will be a movement among people to develop deeper spiritual relationships, a better understanding of life, and a greater respect for the world. I would like to think that movement is already underway.
I first learned of the prophecies of 2012 on a tour of Chichen Itza last year. It was a very fascinating and somewhat terrifying tour, which consequently sparked my interest in completing this storybook about eschatological stories. I will be returning to the Yucatan peninsula twice this coming summer, and in fact will be staying at the resort that I have mentioned on this page.
Bibliography:
Web Source: Wikipedia
Story told by Tour Guide to Lynette Leidner on August 16, 2009. The tour was of the Mayan ruins in Chichen Itza, Mexico.
Image Information:
Tulum. Web Source: All Posters.com
Map of the Yucatan Peninsula. Web Source: Mayaland 2007
Playa del Carmen Beach, by L. Leidner, 2009.
Playacar Palace Wyndham Grand Resort. Web Source: Expedia
Mayan ruler Chaan Muan with prisoners. Web Source: Neatorama
Wall of Skulls, by L. Leidner, 2009.
Shopping in Cozumel, by L. Leidner, 2009.