The Lodge at Chaa Creek has announced the release of the last seven packages for its comprehensiveMaya 2012 Winter Solstice celebrations.
Chaa Creek’s marketing administrator Larry Waight announced the release today while answering questions about the progress of a special 2012 stela Chaa Creek has commissioned for the event. Stelae are Maya stone monuments that often used to record important dates, events, and successions of rulers. The new stela will feature in Chaa Creek’s Maya 2012 Winter Solstice celebrations.
“While checking on the progress of the stela we decided that now would be a good time to release the last seven all-inclusive Belize 2012 Winter Solstice packages,” Mr Waight explained.
“We wanted to release the packages throughout the year in order to give the widest range of people a fair shot at securing one for themselves and their families and friends. I’m happy we took that approach, as we quickly sold out the bookings that were available and these remaining seven represent the last chance to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said.
Mr Waight said that the seven nights all-inclusive Belize Maya winter solstice packages were designed to be as fun as they are educational, and offer people the opportunity to celebrate the pivotal Maya Winter Solstice with local Maya, their spiritual and cultural leaders, and people from around the world.
“It’s far too detailed and rich to describe here, but there is plenty of accurate information on our websites and blogsabout the importance of this event, and why the ancient Maya identified it so many centuries ago as one of the most important dates in humankind’s history. As the culmination of a millennia long cycle of time and the beginning of a new era of history, its importance to the Maya cannot be overstated, and that’s why we’re pulling out all stops to celebrate it with all the respect and splendour it deserves,” he said.
The Lodge at Chaa Creek is acknowledged as being in the “Heartland of the Maya” and its 365 acre private rainforest reserve contains over 70 identified Maya archaeological sites and the ancient Maya Temple of Tunichilen, where guests will walk to in a candlelit procession on the 21st of December 2012 for an observance of the completion of the 13th Bak’tun, the most important time cycle in Maya cosmology, stretching back thousands of years before the birth of Christ.
The Chaa Creek 2012 Maya Winter Solstice package includes all meals, lodging and transfers as well as a week filled with activities, learning adventures, special tours, the construction of a Maya village-like ceremonial centre with lessons in Maya arts, crafts and cooking as well as practical skills such as pottery making, organic farming and roof thatching.
Mr Waight said the week will also include canoeing down the pristine Macal River, an important ancient Maya trade route running through Chaa Creek, tours to nearby Maya archaeological sites such as the ancient royal palace of Cahal Pech and the stunning pyramid of Xunantunich, sacred caves and other important points of interest in ancient Maya culture and history.
“We realised that Chaa Creek is really the only eco resort in Belize with the resources and expertise to offer this kind of experience, so we felt it important to go all out in providing an authentic, respectful and exuberant Maya 2012 Winter Solstice celebration. We’ve always worked closely with the local Maya community and our Natural History Centre has developed a great reputation over the years, so we’ll be taking pride in getting it right and delivering an experience that’s truly exceptional while educating our guests about the real Maya history and culture,” Mr Waight said.
Mr Waight said that the last seven booking will be made available from Tuesday, July 17th, and urged interested parties to act quickly.
“Our space is limited as we are including members of the local Maya community and we won’t sacrifice quantity for quality, so these are absolutely the last bookings available, and it is no exaggeration to say it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said.
And the Maya 2012 stela?
“As the newest entry in a long line of this uniquely Maya method of recording important dates, that’s a story in itself, and we’ll be having more on this at a later date. All I can say is, stay tuned,” Mr Waight said.