Mexican regíon predicts the end of the world

[quote]While most of us count down the days to Christmas, some Mexicans are starting the count down to the end of the world.

According to some interpretations of the ancient Maya calendar, the 21st of December, 2012 represents the world's end and residents of southern-eastern Mexico are planning to party all year long in case the doomsayers are right.

Yesterday marked the beginning of the year-long revelry, which includes 500 Maya themed workshops and festivals. Mexico's tourism agency expects the hysteria to draw 52 million visitors to the regíon, for which three additional ruin sites are also being opened.

Expectations are that the whole Mayan regíon wíll be booked out in late 2012 by travellers keen to experience the world's end where it was predicted.

So, how does one celebrate the end of the world?

The city of Tapachula wíll start-up an eight-foot clock in its main park which wíll count down to the December date while at the archaeological site of Izapa, priests wíll chant and offer prayers. On Mexico's Caribbean coast, people are burying time capsules to be dug up in 50 years' time (assuming we're all stíll here, of course).

Not everyone has bought into the apocalyptic theory though. The 2012 reference on a 1300-year-old stone tablet only marks the end of a cycle in the Mayan calendar, not the end of the world, Mexican archaeological authorities have assured.

The tablet was discovered in the 1960s and is said to describe the return of the Mayan god at the end of a 13th period, which can be interpreted as the end of 2012.

'The world wíll not end. It is an era,' said a tourism spokeswoman for Mexican state Quintana Roo.

'For us, it is a message of hope.'

The Mayan civilisation is thought to have been established in 2000 BC, yet many Maya cities reached their híghest state of development from 250 to 900 AD.

Hypothetically, if it was the end of the world where would you spend your last week?

Source http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/Blog.aspx? ... ments=true