Yucatan Trip To The Land Of The Ancient Maya with Bruce Love
 Add to Cart
Bruce Love, Ph.D.
Curriculum Vitae
Nine days in the land of the ancient Maya, where two
thousand years of history come alive among the pyramids and temples of
one of the most advanced civilizations ever to emerge in the western
hemisphere. I have been traveling and doing field work in Yucatan since
1971, and have published a number of books and articles on Maya
subjects, focusing mainly on the decipherment of the ancient
hieroglyphic writing and contemporary Maya religion and ritual. I will
be sharing with you my expertise in Maya hieroglyphics, archaeology,
language, and customs, and will be offering evening lectures in
addition to the tours at the ruins.
Tour's Schedule
Day 1: Sat. February 11 - As we arrive in Merida from our varios origins,
Ecoturismo will meet us at the airport and take us to Hotel Castellano
in the heart of historic old town Merida.
Day 2: Sun. February 12 - Meet for breakfast, our first day in tropical
Yucatan. Enjoy mango, papaya, pineapple, and watermelon fruit plates
with breakfast. Short morning drive to Dzibilchaltun.
Dzibilchaltun, an archaeological
site that spans 2000 years. Sea food lunch at the beach town of
Progresso on the north coast. Back to Merida after lunch for an
afternoon tour of Museum of Anthropology. Late afternoon free time to
rest or visit market place. After dinner walking tour of historic
buildings and murals in Merida.
Day 3: Mon. February 13 - After breakfast, depart by bus to Izamal
where the Spanish conquistadors built their church on top of a Maya
pyramid, and to Kinich Kakmo, the largest pyramid in volume in all of
Maya land. Lunch in Izamal. Continue to Chichen Itza. Afternoon tour of
Chichen with the famous Castillo pyramid and the sacred well of
sacrifice. Overnight in Hotel Hacienda Chichen, at the edge of the
ruins, a refurbished 19th century hacienda with individual bungalows in
a tropical setting. Dinner at the hacienda followed by optional evening
"Light and Sound" show at the site.
Day 4: Tues. February 14 - Spend morning at Chichen Itza, visiting the
observatory, the "nunnery," and other examples of Maya architecture
from AD 800, the Classic Period of Maya civilization. Lunch in nearby
Piste. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon around the pool or go on
optional long trek to "Old Chichen" deep in the forest. After dinner, a
lecture on deciphering Maya hieroglyphics.
Day 5: Wed. February 15 - Short drive to the ancient ceremonial
cave of Balancanche, where evidence of underground religious rituals
were discovered by archaeologists in the 1960s. Stop at Dzitnut Cenote
located a few km. before Valladolid to enjoy a refreshing swim. (bring
along your bathing clothes) Arrive for lunch at
hotel in Colonial city of Valladolid. After lunch, bargain with Maya
vendors on the old plaza, visit the cathedral, and/or take a pleasant
stroll to nearby cenote, a huge opening in the ground, covered in
tropical foliage, with deep green water 100 feet below the rim. In the
late afternoon, a short bus ride to Ek Balam, one of the newest and
most spectacular discoveries in recent years, with 1000-year old
plaster sculptures of monsters and gods, freshly uncovered by
archaeologists. Return to Valladolid and an informal outdoor dinner of
local panuchos, salbutes, and other finger food of Yucatan.
Day 6: Thurs. February 16 - Leave for Coba, one of the largest of all Maya
sites, 90% of which is still covered in jungle. Lunch at local
restaurant. Afternoon visit to Tulum, the most picturesque of all Maya
sites, perched on a cliff above the Caribbean Sea. Optional dip in the
ocean if you wear your suit to the ruins. Return to Hotel at Coba for
supper and evening lecture on contemporary Maya religion and ritual,
then swim and relax around the pool.
Day 7: Fri. February 17 - Drive to Uxmal (pronounced oosh mall;
the Maya "x" is pronounced like English "sh"), the longest drive of the
trip, almost four hours altogether, but with a fascinating rest stop at
Hacienda Yaxcopoil for a close-up view of 19th century life on the old
henequen plantations. Lunch at Hacienda Uxmal, followed by afternoon
visit to spectacular 1200-year-old Maya ruins in the Puuc hill country.
The "Governor's Palace" here was one of Frank Lloyd Wright's favorite
buildings in the world, and influenced some of his later work. Evening
pool-side lecture on the collapse of the Classic Maya civilization.
Overnight at the beautiful refurbished Hacienda.
Day 8: Sat. February 18 - If you haven't seen enough archaeological sites
to this point, we will give you total saturation to wind up the trip in
a four-hour marathon of hill-country sites, with their distinctive Puuc
architecture, including Kabah, Sayil, Xlapak and Labna, and a special
visit inside a contemporary Maya house and yard, all before noon.
Return to Hacienda Uxmal for lunch. Depart for Merida in the afternoon
with time for last minute shopping. Farewell dinner at restaurant
Albertos Continental, famous for its Lebaneese cuisine and Yucatan
plates.
Day 9: Sun. February 19 - Depart for airport and return to U.S. (No breakfast included on this day)
The weather will generally be warm and sunny, maybe even hot at times,
with high humidity, but it can also be quite cool if the north winds
are blowing off the Gulf of Mexico. No more than a light jacket will be
needed. Broad brimmed hat, sun screen, and bug spray are recommended
(you can buy straw hats from local vendors if you don't feel like
bringing one on the plane). No special shots or pills are needed but if
you have a favorite cure for "Montezuma's revenge" you might want to
bring it along just in case. There are modern pharmacies and stores
along the way if you want to buy an aspirin, toothpaste, or whatever.
The food is excellent, the restaurants are clean, and you can drink the
water at the restaurants because they all use bottled water.
Generally speaking there will not be easy phone service, fax or other
modern communications at the hotels which are in fairly remote
settings. It's better not to have to call the States during the trip if
you can help it. Try to bring enough clothes for the whole 9 days,
since we will not be staying one place long enough to get laundry done.
Passports are required.
I do not recommend travelers checks because they take time to cash and
there is a fee or a lesser exchange rate when you cash them. I would
bring 20 dollar bills to change at the local exchange places, so you
don't have to stand in line at the banks with your travelers checks.
We will be staying in nice hotels and eating in clean restaurants. We
will not be roughing it in any way, except that the walking tours of
the ruins can be a little strenuous as the ground is uneven and rocky
in places and there is some climbing involved. Racing to the tops of
the highest pyramids to look out over the jungle is optional.
Click on map to enlarge
This Tour Includes:
This cost includes ground transportation, all hotels,
meals (except dinner on Feb. 11 and Breakfast on Feb 19), tips to
waiters, tips to bellhops, tips to room service, tips to luggage
handlers at airport, and airport taxes. Your only out-of-pocket
expenses will be drinks with the meals, snacks along the way, and of
course, souvenirs.
Does Not Include:
Laundry, telephone calls
*Any other service not mentioned in the itinerary
*Any flights
|
Tour Prices
Cost is $2035 USD per person double occupancy with a minimum of 6 people, plus air; add $ 300 U.S.D. for
single rooms.
|
Suggested items to bring along:
- insect repellent - sunscreen (preferably biodegradable) - binoculars
- hat - raincoat - Flash-light- comfortable clothes - bathing suit -
walking shoes - small towel.
|
|
