As prophesied throughout the Western world, 12/21/12 was thought to be the last day of civilization, the last Friday, the end of the Mayan calendar.  But as expressed via the wisest of the oldest known cultures (i.e. Hindu culture, i.e. Mayan culture), civilization does not come to an end, but embarks upon a new era.  Within tens to hundreds of thousands of years, humanity lives through periods of certain growth.  The Hindu calendar currently resides within the Kali Yuga, which according to ancient scriptures began in 3012 BC and is expect to last 10,000 years.  The Mayans have a similar system.  December 21st, 2012 was the end of an era, specifically the 13th Baktun, a 5,125-year cycle overall.  The Mayan Long Count Calendar continues.

And so, we embark into a new cycle of life (according to the Mayans), and on that fateful day of Friday, December 21st, 2012, we visited Lamanai, the one of many Mayan ruins located within the jungles of Belize.  We found plenty of old, and many things anew.

Visitors standing atop the largest remaining temple dedicated to astrological research.

A local rum distillery, located directly next to a rehabilitation center for rich foreigners…

Welcome to the jungle