The Many Cultures of Mexico: From Aztec to Maya

Transcription

1 The Many Cultures of Mexico: From Aztec to Maya 20 days from 17 April 2015 Led by Christopher Carter We will walk the cities of this fabulous country, visit the historic sites, shop in local markets and meet with local people. Mexico has a rich tradition filled with music and dance. The tour includes visits to venues to experience it first hand and you will also have free time to further explore these areas at your own pace. The tour also takes us to the shores of the Caribbean and we will also have some time to relax and have some fun. Highlights: Mexico City one of the largest in the world; The art of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo; The imposing ruins of Teotihuacan; The Colonial cities of Puebla, Oaxaca and Merida; The Mayan cities of the Yucatan Palenque, Uxmal & Chichen Itza; Relaxing on the shores of the Caribbean on the Mayan Riviera ; An option to continue on to experience the cultural mix of Belize and the Mayan site of Tikal in Guatemala.. Itinerary 17 April Depart Australia for Mexico City via the USA (suggested departure). You will arrive in Mexico City on the same day and transfer to the hotel (not included). Overnight: Mexico City 18 April We will officially meet as a group today and start the tour with a visit to the National Museum of Anthropology. This spectacular building houses exhibits artefacts from the entire country and is divided chronologically and regionally to lay out the complete prehistory of Mexico. Afternoon free lots of options are available. Welcome dinner. Overnight: Mexico City (B, D)

2 19 April Morning visit to the Zona Historico to visit the ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor, the Cathedral and the Palacio de Gobierno to see an example of Diego Rivera s murals. Evening folkloric dance show at the Teatro Nacional. Overnight: Mexico City (B) 20 April Departing early, we will drive out to Teotihuacan, about an hour north of the city. This spectacular site contains some of the finest prehistoric urban planning and civil engineering in the world. We will spend several hours on the site visiting the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon and the Temples of Quetzlcoatl and Quetzlpopocatl. On our return we will briefly visit the Basilica de Guadalupe, an important pilgrimage site for Latin Americans. Overnight: Mexico City (B, L) 21 April Morning visit to the homes of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Leon Trotsky. Afternoon drive on to Puebla a beautiful colonial city above the Valley of Mexico. Overnight: Puebla (B, L) 22 April Day tour of the surrounds including a visit to Cholula the world s largest pyramid. We will also visit Cacaxtla, a pre-columbian site displaying beautiful murals. Overnight: Puebla (B, L) 23 April Morning departure for the bus ride to Oaxaca (5 hours). En route we will visit the Mixtec site of Monte Alban, a spectacular complex of ruins situated on a hill-top overlooking the city of Oaxaca. Overnight: Oaxaca (B, D) 24 April Morning visit to the Mixtec sites of Yagul and Mitla. Afternoon walking tour of the city centre where we will visit the Church of Santo Domingo and the Cultural Museum which houses many of the artefacts from Monte Alban. You will have time to visit one of the many other museums or colonial sites within this beautiful city.

3 Overnight: Oaxaca (B) 25 April Late morning departure for the drive south through the mountains toward Tehuantepec (4.5 hours). Overnight: Tehuantepec (B, D) 26 April Our journey continues south through Tuxtla Gutierrez to San Cristobal de las Casas. We will break our journey at Sumidero Canyon where we will take a boat ride through the canyon before driving on to San Cristobal de las Casas. Overnight: San Cristobal de las Casas (B, L) 27 April Morning visit to the Huitepec Ecological Centre where we will take a two hour walk through the forest. There we will have the opportunity to see local birdlife and a range of orchids and epiphytes. Afternoon walking tour of the historic centre of the city. Overnight: San Cristobal de las Casas (B) 28 April Early departure for the drive to Palenque (5 hours). En route we will stop for lunch at the Cascadas de Agua Azul where we will also have an opportunity to have a swim in the river. Overnight Palenque (B, L) 29 April The extensive ruins of Palenque are set in the jungles in the foothills south-west of the village. We will spend the morning wandering through the ruins visiting the Temple of the Inscriptions, the Temple of the Cross and Temple of the Jaguar. Afternoon free to relax around the pool. Overnight: Palenque (B)

4 30 April Early departure for a bus ride (5 hours) to the Puuc Region of the Yucatan Peninsula. En route we will stop on the Gulf coast for a short walk in Campeche, a walled city besieged by pirates on several occasions during the 18 th century. Our destination is Uxmal. Option to visit the ruins of Uxmal by night to see its spectacular light show. Overnight: Uxmal (B, D) 1 May Morning tour of the ruins of Uxmal which include the Pyramid of the Magician, the Nunnery Quadrangle and the House of the Turtles. After lunch we will visit the nearby Mayan ruins of Labna and Kabah before driving on to Merida. Overnight: Merida (B, L) 2 May Morning visit to Dzibilchultun. These are a relatively simple set of Mayan ruins but the cenote (water-hole) is beautiful and worth the visit simply for the chance to swim in such a location. With luck we will see some of the beautiful local bird-life. During the afternoon we will take a walking tour of the historic centre of this beautiful Colonial city. Overnight: Merida (B) 3 May We will depart mid-morning for a drive to Izamal, the Golden Town. monastery and have lunch in the town before driving on to Chichen Itza. We will visit the Overnight: Chichen Itza (B, L) 4 May Morning visit to the famous ruins of Chichen Itza to see the pyramid known as El Castillo, the Temple of the Warriors, the Sacred Cenote (well) and infamous Ballcourt. Following our visit we will drive on to Valladolid where we will have lunch. After lunch we will drive on to Tulum. Overnight: Tulum (B, L)

5 5 May Morning visit to the ruins of Tulum. These simple ruins are spectacularly set overlooking the Caribbean. Afternoon free to relax on the beach or around the pool. Farewell dinner. Overnight: Tulum (B, D) 6 May Early morning departure for the drive (1.5 hours) to the airport at Cancun and flights homeward or for those taking part in the tour extension, we will depart early for our trip south into Belize. Optional Tour Extension 6 May Morning departure for our drive to Chetumal where we will cross the border into Belize. After completing the formalities at the border we will meet our to bus to continue the drive on to Orange Walk. Overnight: Orange Walk (B, D) 7 May Morning visit to the ruins of Lamanai. These beautiful ruins are reached by boat along the New River. We will have lunch at the site and return by boat to rejoin our bus and drive south to Belize City. Overnight: Belize City (B, L, D) 8 May Day tour to Caye Caulker one of the small islands located on the Barrier Reef of Belize. The tour will include a fishing expedition where we hope to catch our lunch before heading out to the reef to go snorkelling. You can choose to simply spend your time relaxing on the island. Overnight: Belize City (B, L)

6 9 May Morning departure by bus to drive into the hinterland of Belize to San Ignacio. En route we will visit the Belize Zoo and the ruins of Uaxactun. Overnight: San Ignacio (B, D) 10 May Morning departure to cross into Guatemala and drive on Flores. Overnight: Flores (B, D) 11 May Day tour to the spectacular Mayan ruins of Tikal. This complex contains some of the finest examples of Mayan construction known. Not only are the ruins worthy of a visit, but there is also an opportunity to see some of the local wildlife. Farewell dinner. Overnight: Flores (B, D) 12 May Morning transfer to the airport for the flights homeward. Your Tour Leader: Chris is currently a PhD candidate at the ANU where he is researching the prehistoric communities of coastal Northern Chile. Over the past decade or so, he has been a regular presenter at the ANU Centre for Continuing Education (CCE), the University of Sydney CCE, and the Australian Museum Members. In his 'spare' time he leads study tours to Central and South America, Spain, Ireland, SE Asia, Morocco and Turkey as well as within Australia. This is his second tour to Mexico for the Australian Museum Members.

7 Cost Base tour ex. Mexico City: $ (based on exchange rate of $0.87/USD) Optional tour $ International Airfares (approximate only): $ Currency fluctuations above 3% will affect the final fare. This price is based on a minimum of 10 people attending (max. 24). Inclusions:! Tour leader and English speaking guides for the duration of the tour;! Accommodation (twin-share) in 3-4 star hotels with private facilities. Single supplement available (additional $ for base tour; $ for optional extension);! All breakfasts, 8 lunches, 5 dinners as noted, drinking water on coaches;! Land transport on private, chartered coaches;! Internal flight - Cancun/Mexico City or Flores/Guatemala City;! Comprehensive tour booklet;! Entries to sites listed in itinerary;! Group tips (bus drivers, local guides). Exclusions:! International Airfares (Australia/Mexico City/Australia; or Australia/Mexico City- Guatemala City/Australia if taking the optional tour)! Travel insurance (compulsory policy details to be provided prior to departure);! Laundry and telephone;! Drinks with meals (other than water);! Individual tips (for exceptional or individual services beyond that covered by the group tip). Reservation and bookings To secure a booking, forward a deposit of $ per person to Travelmakers together with the completed booking form. Please contact Phil Dalley or Jos Milton on or phil@travelmakers.com.au or jos@travelmakers.com.au This tour is conducted in some areas that may be hot and humid. Many of the sites require walking over uneven ground or climbing steep and rough stairs. If you have any concerns about your fitness or ability to participate in this tour, particularly anything that may hold up the group, please contact the tour leader to discuss the physical demands of the tour. Balance of international airfares (if required) must be paid as specified by the airline. Payments via credit cards will attract a transaction fee (Visa 1.5%, Diners or Amex 3%). Balance of payment is required 60 days prior to departure

8 Cancellation and refunds Flight cancellation refunds subject to airline policy. Cancellation received more than 3 months before departure $100 per person; Cancellation received less than 2 months prior to departure - $ per person; Cancellation received less than 1 month prior to departure - 25% of fare. Cancellation received less than 2 weeks prior to departure 75% of fare. Cancellation received less than 1 week prior to departure full fare. Travel insurance should be taken out as time of booking to cover cancellation fees due to unforeseen circumstances (check insurance policy re cancellations). Further information Contact: Chris Carter on or info@ruins.com.au For information regarding flights contact Jos or Phil at Travelmakers on Booking Details: Full name (as it appears in your passport): Contact details: Address: Telephone: Mobile: Passport details: Country of issue: Number: Expiry date: Rooming requirements: Double Single Twin Dietary requirements: Allergies and/or Health Issues: International flights required: Yes No