December 21st 2012 is the day that the entire world has been waiting for because it is supposed to be the purported ‘Doomsday’ or the day when the world would come to an end. The phenomenon about Doomsday has taken the world by storm, and it is on everybody’s lips thanks to the Internet, the news, movies and even in song lyrics. However, is it truly as catastrophic as all the hype surrounding it claims?

Judeo-Christian ideas of the apocalypse led to an easy interpretation of the Mayan vision of cosmic cycles and resulted in the alleged prophecies of the end of the world, reported the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

"When the Mayan writing began to be deciphered and was found that, among other things, meant the end of cycles, it became an easy interpretation from the perspective of the Western thought, linking this to an apocalyptic vision of the end of the world", say experts cited by INAH in a statement.

Some 50 pieces of pre-Hispanic Peru Waka city are displayed at the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, located in zone 13. The exhibition is open until May 28th.

GUATEMALA CITY. - The pieces are an indicative of the artistic and cultural legacy of the Mayan civilization settled in Petén, and have been obtained by the activities of The Peru-Waka ' Project, thanks to the archaeologists who perform investigations and excavations since 2003 in that department.

José Roman Robertos Moguel has a degree in Anthropology with Specialization in Archeology from the School of Anthropology at the Autonomous University of Yucatan:

The question I asked was innocent and almost superficial, as if something was sensed but did not know exactly the importance of its intuition. The topic of discussion was another, different for me from the last question I had decided to ask, one last question and the resulting response, which intrigued me, subjugated me, and forced me to build further on the subject.

Chichen Itza is the largest and most famous Mayan site in the Yucatan Peninsula. Because of the sheer size and scope of the ruins, it’s best to have an idea of what you want to see when you arrive. Walking around randomly will only confuse your senses and perhaps make miss out on something you’d enjoy more. To help you figure out what are the most popular things to see at Chichen Itza, I’ve compiled a short guide.

There are 7 different ball courts at Chichen Itza; the grandest of them all is named the Great Ball Court. Archaeologists aren’t sure of the exact rules, but they have uncovered evidence that many of the players were sacrificed at the end of the game. If you want to have a truly rewarding visit to Chichen Itza, then a stop at the Great Ball Court is a must.

Chichen Itza was the spiritual and social hub of the late Mayan World. It was the centerpiece of the Mayan civilization in the Yucatan Peninsula since the early 700’s. The city was the center of sacrifice for the area as well. The city owed that sacrificial reputation to an ancient Mayan and the mysterious cenotes in the area. A cenote is a natural well that reaches deep into the land, possibly connecting to other underground tunnels.

The Sacrificial Cenote wasn’t used for drinking, or cleaning, another set of cenotes and artificial wells were used for that. A Bishop in the mid 1500’s is the first to mention the sacrifices that occur at the ancient Sacrificial Cenote. The Bishop claimed that Chichen Itza had a huge chamber inside which they would herd thousands of slaves and citizens to be sacrificed at the cenotes.

The ball court at Chichen Itza is one of the oldest known game courts in human history. The game is often referred to as Tiatchtli, and has been played since 1,000 B.C. Modern versions of the game are still played to this day by local populations, but the how the details of the game and how it was played by their ancient Mayan ancestors is still unknown.

Most people recognize the famous stone goals; this is actually a later addition to the game. The original version is even more mysterious than the late versions; seeing that we have no idea how they kept score before the stone hoop was added. The few rules we do know of belong to the time after a stone hoop was instituted. A single successful hoop could make a win, and being able to touch the ball to the vertical stone hoop scored individual points.

The rugged mountains and deep jungles, not to mention the teeming wildlife in the virgin rainforests, are all the reasons why you should go on hiking and adventure trips in Guatemala. The vast jungle of Guatemala presents great hiking opportunity for the avid backpackers.

If you're one of them, you shouldn't dare miss this opportunity to go trekking up on the mountains. Just add a little human intervention provided by the local Mayan people, and this trip can be the most amazing adventure you'll have in your life.

The place is called Cuatro Balam. It is located in Guatemala and is quickly becoming one of the most interesting places to go to if you want to see Mayan pyramids. Inside Cuatro Balam park there are up to 4,000 Mayan pyramids. The park was started under the former Guatemalan president Berger due to the citizens' concern over protecting the natural and archeological beauty of the country. Guatemala’s current president now supports the large park’s growth and funding, as well as several private investors, who have similar worries about ancient artifacts being lost forever to time.

One such artifact that has only recently been discovered is more of a jungle sculpture than artifact. This new sculpture was located inside the Cuatro Balam park at a location called El Mirador. The sculpture is over 2,000 years old. This link between the two far off countries has added to the drive of Mayan tourism. Those who can’t make it to the Egyptian pyramids are equally in awe of the Mayan accomplishments, which can rival Egyptian pyramids in any engineer's or tourist's eyes. It is a strange fact that every experienced archeologist that has studied both Mayan and Egyptian cultures has admitted.

The idea of going to see Mayan ruins crosses the minds of millions each year, but don’t let a crowd stop you. There are great Mayan ruins that aren’t as crowded but just as wonderful to visit. The Mayan site of Cahal Pech is one of these locations. Located in the Cayo area of Western Belize, the site offers more than a few Mayan buildings and ruins to see.

The site itself is a type of archeological enigma. No one seems to know when it was discovered. The first time, on paper, that the ruins of Cahal Pech were discovered it was during the beginning of WWII, in the mid 1930’s. Because of the war efforts and the resources that were taken to fight, the first official dig held at the Cahal Pech site was in the 1950’s peacetime, 1950 to be exact.