Apocalypse Tourism: Where To Celebrate Doomsday?

PolygamousRanchKid writes "December 21, 2012 marks the end of the current cycle of the Mayan 'Long Count' calendar. And while this has had some fearful types preparing for the end of the world, others have been preparing to travel. The Mexican government is expecting 52 million tourists as part of their "Mundo Maya 2012," campaign to visit the five regions — Chiapas, Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Campeche, over the next 12 months. So, if you're wondering where to spend the last tourist dollars you'll have as a breathing human being or just want to see the looks on those faces when December 21 comes and goes uneventfully, President Felipe Calderon hopes you'll choose Mexico."

Comments

Already prepared

[bonch]

I'll spend it in the Y2K vault I built the last time the world ended.

Re:Already prepared

[jhoegl]

I was thinking, with all the "drug wars" going on in Mexico, visiting there may be the end of the world for some people.
A Y2K bunker, Cuban Missile Crisis bunker, or hole in the ground would be safer.

Re:Already prepared

[skids]

I was thinking the place of origin of a doomsday prophecy would be exactly where you would not want to be.

Re:Already prepared

[jc42]

... the place of origin of a doomsday prophecy would be exactly where you would not want to be.

Do we know where this "doomsday prophecy" actually originated? I'd think it wasn't likely in Mexico, because there are lots of people there who understand the Mayan calendar). And they understand that all that'll happen next December 21 is that the first digit of the year will increase by 1 (and the rest of the digits will reset to 0). That is, it'll be about as big a doomsday as Y2K was.

It seems more likely that this "doomsday" was generated by someone with no understanding at all of the Mayan calendar. Either that, or they were your typical charlatan trying to scare people for personal profit. (Actually, that sort of person is easy enough to find in Mexico. ;-)

Re:Already prepared

[Black Parrot]

It would be the luck of those 52 million tourists to visit the same mountain peak at the same time, only to have it suddenly explode as a volcano.

Oh - think of the engrams!

Re:Already prepared

[digitig]

It isn't the place of origin of a doomsday prophesy. There was no Mayan doomsday prophesy, and the Mayan long count has rolled over before without the world ending. No, it's just a calendar rollover like new year and the millennium. Rarer than a new year, not as rare as a millennium, so it should be a decent-sized party but not huge.

Smart tourist move

[Fluffeh]

Sounds like a perfect one off opportunity for Mexico to take advantage and make some wonderful tourist dollars off an event they are not going to have again. I wouldn't have ever thought of using this event as a way to get tourists into a country, but hey, with all the TV shows about it constantly being shown, I guess it was only a matter of time before ads started screening during them saying "Hey, come to this place for when the nworld ends!".

Smart marketing if you ask me.

How?

[cirby]

How in the heck to you expect me to celebrate an apocalypse while I'm working so hard to arrange it?

Working holidays can suck, but this one will be well worth it.

Like I've been saying...

[The MAZZTer]

The best dates will be the 22-24th, and the best places will be shopping malls all over the world. I mean, I figure these people aren't going to be doing Christmas shopping until the last minute!

Re:The real question..

[koan]

Porta Potties

Watching the Hobbit for the 10th time?

[fullmetal55]

the end of the world is a week after it's release. It's only fair that I'll be watching it when the world ends.

The scary thing is

[OzPeter]

I remember when 1999 turned the clock to 2000. At the time there was a bunch of Christian fundamentalists arrested in Israel, who were of the mindset that it was the time of the apocalypse, and if it didn't happen "naturally", then they were sure going to help it along.

This is the sort of thinking that scares me.

Re:The scary thing is

[OzPeter]

Care to cite? I can't find shit about this. I think you're a fucking troll.

Yeah I'm a fucking troll I admit it .. and here is a citation that I just whipped up in Wikipedia in order to support my trolling (I especially like the inserting articles into the BBC). Note that I prepared this ahead of time and did not just find it after googling for say 2 minutes.

Concerned Christians

Now all you people modding me down can just go and suck it.

Re:The scary thing is

[jd]

There have been such sects throughout history, but the extreme religious radicalization and right-wing shifts globally make this a particularly dangerous apocalyptic prediction. I don't think that any will succeed in causing global mayhem, but I don't recommend hanging out with any fundamentalists that particular day - regardless of religion. (Mind you, I don't recommend hanging out with fundamentalists at all, but if there's a day they're likely to be dangerous on then that will be it.)

More realistically, I would expect Mexican archaeological sites to suffer widespread damage and looting as the date approaches, with fanatics determined to find "proof" of a reference that actually states there will be anything happening then at all. The only two references so far officially discovered say nothing of the sort*, so believers are likely to want something more tangible.

*What the two references DO say is that a god is supposed to return on that day. Not to pick up or drop off, seems more of a social visit.

Re:The scary thing is

[Empiric]

You are aware that Mayan religious belief and Fundamentalist Christian belief are two entirely unrelated worldviews, and neither would take the other's predictions as authoritative, right?

I'm just wondering how you would arrive at the notion that Fundamentalists are going to think 2012 is the end because Mayan "paganism" says so.

Re:The scary thing is

[Anonymous Coward]

Fundamentalist != fanatical. Please learn the difference or it's very hard to have a serious conversation on these matters. If you're just going to dump them all in one big bin don't act like you care what you're talking about, just come out and admit that you hate everything about religion and all followers are the same in your eyes.
 
The group in question is fanatical. A fundamentalist group likely wouldn't use the Bible's prophecy as an instrument for violent reaction since "But about that day and about that hour no one knows, not even the Angels of Heaven, but The Father alone." A true fundamentalist would see trying to fulfill God's prophecy as presumptuous and heady as only "The Father" can make that determination.
 
In any case, I'm not a Christian but I do find OzPeter's posting to be trollish in nature. Again, if you don't care about the distinctions of fanatical versus fundamental that's fine but don't try to make it seem like you do and others aren't as understanding of these classifications.

Re:The scary thing is

[mark-t]

Being in Israel awaiting the return of Jesus might make them zealots, or, as you put it, fanatics... I don't see how that makes them fundamentalist, unless you perceive the two terms as synonymous. I would suggest that fundamentalists are those that represent the core ideals behind the religion, the most significant probably being belief in the absolute authenticity of their scriptures, and ongoing endeavoring to practice its values. Considering their actions speak questionably to with regards to this extremely fundamental principle to no small measure (since their scriptures state that nobody on earth knows or will ever know in advance when Jesus will return) , I really can't see how you can call them fundamentalist. Even the article you linked to on the subject does not use that term, and paints them as much more of a outlier movement within Christianity, rather than being representative of Christianity as a whole.

Re:The scary thing is

[the gnat]

The ability of theists to extract reasons for whatever nastiness they may want to commit has shown no limits so far.

This ability is not limited to the religious; it is a universal human affliction. An overwhelming majority of mass murders in the 20th century were justified by long-standing ethnic grievances, pseudo-scientific claims of racial superiority, pseudo-scientific claims of historical inevitability, pure revanchist nationalism, and sheer paranoia. Arguably the most egregious example was the attempted elimination of an ancient religious group by followers of a very modern ideology that never took on overtly religious trappings. (Granted, the Christian churches in Germany could have done more to stop the Nazis, but they were hardly the instigators, and at worst allowed themselves to be co-opted.) Probably the largest single pool of victims were killed by governments that actively suppressed religion (and in many cases continue to do so today), but which themselves espoused a messianic ideology. Historically speaking, the heyday of religiously-motivated massacres was the millennium between approximately 650 AD and 1650 AD, and one need look no further than the campaigns of the Mongols (~500,000 killed in the sack of Baghdad) or Timur (pyramids of skulls) to see that religion was frequently unimportant.

The sad fact is that some people simply enjoy brutalizing their fellow humans, and will latch onto any justification they can find for cold-blooded murder of innocents. The perpetrators of the killings of last century all believed that history was on their side, and that violence was essential to usher in the perfect society. There is no shortage of delusional belief systems that the violent elements can abuse to gain popular support for their actions. It would be folly to believe that only religion is to blame for this, or that atheism is any indicator of a reduced propensity for murder and mayhem.

And before you ask, I'm an atheist, and militant secularist.

Re:The scary thing is

[jaymzter]

Useless fact: One of those Concerned Christians was the very first girl I kissed, way back in kindergarten, Anne Marie Biondo. I guess nobody expects their first crush to join a cult that tries to end the world...

Re:The scary thing is

[cyberchondriac]

I don't like to see the typical Christian bashing that goes on here, I usually defend them, as the majority of Christians are neither "fundies" nor fanatics. (I myself am agnostic and follow no organized religion; it's not for me)
But here, cusco has a valid point. Christians, as a whole, can be very selective about what parts of the Bible they wish to adhere to and which parts they don't. Here's one example: Jesus told his apostles that a rich man has about as much chance of entering heaven as a camel has of passing through the eye of a needle. Well, I don't know one Christian person who isn't concerned and working hard to make more money, own a nice car, and a home, a big screen TV, and generally have some nice things. We're a very materialistic society. No one is giving anyone the shirt off their back. I'm not saying they're insane with greed or blind ambition, (although I bet a lot of wall street bankers consider themselves christian), but it does go against the teachings of the religion in general.

As to contradictions, all religious texts have those. But since all religious texts also claim they were narrated by God, or by divine inspiration, it's really inexcusable that said contradictions exist in the first place.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=bible+contradictions&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.infidels.org%2Flibrary%2Fmodern%2Fjim_meritt%2Fbible-contradictions.html&ei=DIv8TsiuMOPj0QGgsY2hAg&usg=AFQjCNFnuvWuBGU5uGWpsrptQbBxhDTRhg for starters..

Re:1060 West Addison

[jd2112]

after the cubs win the party may just last all of NOV.

Although not as apocalyptic as a Cubs world series win, Van Halen announced they would be touring in 2012 with David Lee Roth.

Perfect place

[antifoidulus]

I mean if the world is going to end, it makes sense to spend the last moments on earth enjoying earthly delights, i.e. hookers and blow, both of which can be found in spades in Mexico. And hey, if the world doesn't end, you can celebrate your new lease on life with what else, hookers and blow. Perfect!

I'm planning to go to the US...

[marcosdumay]

I'm planning to go to the US. But my trip is scheduled to after the world ends, so if I don't go, have a nice ending you all.

It was all a big joke. Get over it!

[Anonymous Coward]

The whole 2012 thing all started as a joke. Michael Coe (one of the world's top Mayanists) noticed that the calander ran out in 2012. In one of his papers, he put s footnote to the effect of: "Perhaps it is the end of the world." That is where this whole thing started from.

I get to work with a number of Mayan groups for my chocolate factory (Amano Artisan Chocolate) who grow some of our cocoa beans. Every group that I have had the opportunity to work with has told me that they see life and the calander as cycles. Given that, they don't see it as the end of the world so much as the beginning of a new cycle. They don't see it as the end of the world at all. It is really humorous to see folks in the "modern" world taking this end of the world thing far more seriously than the Mayan groups I work with.

Just a point of note, these native Mayan groups are composed of some really wonderful people. If you ever get a chance to go down to Mayan territory and are able to get away from the tourist haunts and into the more remote areas, I highly recommend it.
 

um...

[_Shorty-dammit]

http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/10/26/1517242/2012-a-miscalculation-actual-calendar-ends-2220

Re:End drug prohibition and I'll visit

[VortexCortex]

When's the last time you had to buy booze from a gangster?

Re:End drug prohibition and I'll visit

[outsider007]

Right, because places like Amsterdam are known for being so safe.

Well, duh.

[Black Parrot]

I'm going to spend it the same way I spent the last eight apocalypses - standing near the eastern edge of my time zone to see what happens on the other side. Then I'll have 59 minutes to decide whether to head for a church or a whorehouse.

The ISS would be my pick

[wisebabo]

Well, I WISH I could be there for the end. Seriously, they've gotta have the best seats in the house for a global (but not universe wide) apocalypse. I wonder if NASA (or the Ruskies) have arranged for at least one of the astronauts to be a young fertile female. That way, the earth can be repopulated!

Anyway, since I'm going to be earthbound the bar "Apocalypse" in Saigon is good place to meet some (very!) bad girls for my last night on earth. Or perhaps even more dangerous would be the "Heart of Darkness" (the Joseph Conrad book which Apocalypse Now was based on) bar in Phnom Penh. Its close proximity to the "Killing Fields" (4 million dead Cambodians) would mean you'd be very quickly overrun if the apocalypse included the undead coming back.

I've always wondered

[glwtta]

Do these people also believe that our calendars are predicting the world will end in 9999?

Re:End drug prohibition and I'll visit

[B1oodAnge1]

I laughed :-) we just changed that btw: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016720231_elexliquor09m.html

Yucatan's nowhere near the US Border

[billstewart]

Yes, if you go up to Juarez or some other border town, start flashing around lots of cash, and tell people you're trying to get into the wholesale import/export business, there are many people who will consider you to be a target and others who will consider you to be DEA bait because nobody'd be that stupid otherwise.

But the Maya region is the far other end of the country, there's very little gang activity, and the Zapatista rebellion has been quiet for years as well. Sure, there are pickpockets and corrupt cops*, so you'll have to think about which pocket to carry your cash in (:-), but basically you'll be fine. Chichen Itza is stunning, and you want to go there, as well as Tulum or some of the sites farther south. Merida and some of the other colonial towns are really cool, though I'd recommend not planning a trip for mid-summer (too hot) or hurricane season. Cancun has endless supplies of beaches, margaritas, and tourist traps if you want that kind of vacation, but there's also some Mexican or Mayan culture around there if you look for it.

* ( A friend of mine went there back in the late 90s, and drove into Merida about 4am. The bad part of having cops pull him over to extort a bribe was having to pay them $40; the good part was having them give him a lights-blinking escort through town because it was easier than explaining the directions to his hotel.)

Re:End drug prohibition and I'll visit

[equex]

We have this system in Norway too and it works. The liqour is a bit expensive but it's not a problem unless you are an alcoholic. There's some alcohol peddlers, but they are not in the same league as the drug lords. Actually, the last time I needed one was before I could legally buy it myself. Maybe lowering the 'drinking age' and educating the youth about the pros and cons would actually help ? Legalizing drugs will fix almost all these problems without much effort; the black drug market will quickly shrink to the size of alcohol peddlers and tax revenues will skyrocket. Just look at the data from similar experiments especially in Portugal but also Italy and Germany as well as more. Crime rates fell, abuse went down, _especially_ among the young.