Around the Maya World! For this special tour Maya Exploration Center is teaming up with Beyond Touring to make a wide circle around the Peten rainforest. The staff of Beyond Touring are also archaeologists. Their home base is in Lamanai, Belize. Between their knowledge of Belize and MEC's work in Chiapas, participants in the trip will get twice the expertise. Guides from both of our companies will be leading the tour through the Peten, over to Chiapas, up into the Yucatan, and back down into Belize. Sign up now to reserve your space in this one-of-a-kind travel learning experience.

Maya Ruins of Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico Tour
Price	$2490 per person (based on double occupancy lodging). Add $400 for single room lodging.
Date	March 22 - 31, 2006
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March 22, Wednesday: ARRIVAL Land at the Belize airport and meet a Beyond Touring representative who will put you ona small commuter flight right into Santa Elena airport on the shores of Lake Peten. You'll go straight from their to Tikal, check into your hotel room and walk out to see the sunset from Temples I and II.
	March 23, Thursday: TIKAL After breakfast, you'll be some of the first people to walk into the ruins of Tikal. This vast city and its onsite museums will take the entire day to explore. Archaeologists will guide you through the ruins and explain Tikal's fascinating story of power, betrayal and revenge. If you're willing, you can climb the Tikal's tallest temple, Temple IV (64 meters!), for an incredible view of the city's extents. That evening you'll attend lecture on Tikal's royal dynasty.
	March 24, Friday: YAXCHILAN Depart Tikal early in the morning and strike out across the Peten. At the tiny border town of Bethel, you'll cross the Usumacinta River into Mexico. After checking in to your hotel in Frontera Corozal, it's back on the river for an hour's ride down stream to the remote ruins of Yaxchilan. Walking amongst its jungle shrouded ruins, your guides will explain it's many images and hieroglyphic texts. Return to Frontera Corozal that evening and relax.
	March 25, Saturday: BONAMPAK Leave early for the ruins of Bonampak. You'll marvel at Bonampak's full color murals as your guides tell stories of the battles and pageantry they recount. Lunch that day will be picnic style under the beautiful Golondrinas Waterfalls. After relaxing and swimming at the falls for a bit, the group will visit the unexcavated ruins of Plan de Ayulta - said by some to be the lost ruins of Sak Tz'i (White Dog). Spend the night in Palenque and enjoy live music and good food at Restuarant Don Muchos.
	March 26, Sunday: PALENQUE Take an all day tour of Palenque and learn about why Palenque is said to represent the finest achievements of ancient Maya art, architecture and writing. Tour the main sections of the park all the morning and walk down through the Queen's Bath, a jungle shrouded waterfalls located in the heart of the ruins. After a lunch break, you'll visit Palenque's onsite museum. Finish the day by attending a slide show presentation on ancient astronomy at Palenque by artist and archaeoastronomer Alonso Mendez.
	March 27, Monday: BALAM KU AND CHICANNA After an early breakfast, you'll depart for the Chenes area of lower Yucatan. Around noon you'll arrive to Chicanna Ecolodge, check in, and have a relaxed lunch. From there you'll spemd the afternoon at two close by ruins. At Balam Ku you'll see what are among the finest stucco building facades ever sculpted by the Maya. The incredible scenes of mythological creatures and entroned kings will be hard to tear yourself away from. Moving on, you'll visit the ruins of Chicanna, a wonderful site for understanding the transition into the Maya "Terminal Classic" Period.
	March 28, Tuesday: XPUJIL AND RIO BEC It's on to Belize this day, but you'll stop to visit a few more ruins along the way. At Xpujil, you'll see a great example of the odd "false towers" that the Terminal Classic Maya of this area were fond of building. You'll also stop briefly into the ruins of Rio Bec, probably the capital city of the region around 1000 AD. You'll then cross the border into Belize and make your way down to the city of Orange Walk. A boat will be waiting to take you up the New River to the ruins of Lamanai. You'll stay that night in a jungle lodge and participate in a hands on presentation of Maya artifacts by the staff of Beyond Touring.
	March 29, Wednesday: LAMANAI In the morning you'll tour the ruins of Lamanai and its visitor's center. The view of the New River Lagoon from its temple tops is incredible! After lunch back at the lodge, you'll visit the modern Maya community of Indian Church and learn about Beyond Touring's village development program. That evening you'll attend a lecture on Lamanai's long and fascinating history.
	March 30, Thursday: BIRDS AND CHURCHES After breakfast at the lodge, you'll spend the morning on a jungle walk and bird watching trek. In the afternoon, enjoy a tour of a 16th century Spanish church and a British colonial sugar mill. Back in the village of Indian Church, you'll learn about local foods and how to cook a traditional Maya meal. A final dinner with the archaeologists at the lodge will be a time to rehash the week's adventure and ask some final questions.
March 31, Friday: DEPARTURE Check out of the lodge early and travel to Belize City to catch early morning flights back to the USA.

Includes:
- Lodging for all ten days
- Flight from Belize City to Santa Elena
- All ground and water transportation
- Entry fees into all ruins and museums
- All meals
- Six evening lectures
- Guided tours by MEC/Beyond Touring archaeologists
- Tour information resource packet

Does Not Include:
- Airfare to/from Belize City
- Travel insurance

Proceeds from MEC Tours are the center's primary source of research funding. As such, a portion of the tour costs are tax deductible. MEC will provide participants with receipts and proper documentation regarding the center's 501(c)(3) non-profit status for your records.