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Environment
Yucatán (peninsula), peninsula containing the Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, and part of Tabasco; all of Belize; and part of northern Guatemala. The Yucatán projects into the Atlantic Ocean and separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea. Physiographically, the peninsula is a coralline limestone tableland with an average elevation of less than 150 m (500 ft), except in parts of the south, where projecting spurs rise to a height of about 460 m (about 1,500 ft). Distinctive topographical features of the northern portion are the numerous limestone caverns and underground channels into which rainwater drains. The climate is generally hot, moderated by the trade winds. Maximum precipitation occurs in summer; the average rainfall ranges from about 510 mm (about 20 in) annually in the north to about 2,030 mm (about 80 in) in the extreme south.
Technical information
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Full country name: Estados Unidos Méxicanos
Area: 1.95 million sq km
Population: 101 million
Capital City: Mexico City
People: Approximately 60% mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian descent) and 30% Amerindian (indígena - including Nahua, Maya, Zapotecs, Mixtecs, Totonacs, and Tarascos or Purépecha), 10% other
Language: Spanish
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic, 6% Protestant, 4% other
Government: federal republic
Head of State: President Vicente Fox
QuesadaPIB : 912 milliards de $US
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GDP: US$637.2 billion
GDP per capita: US$6,260
Annual Growth: 7%
Inflation: 9%
Major Industries: Food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism.
Major Trading Partners: USA, Canada, Japan, German
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| Belize |
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Full country name: Belize
Area: 22,966 sq km
Population: 266,440
Capital City: Belmopan
People: 49% mestizo, 25% Creole, 11% Maya, 6% Garífuna
Language: English
Religion: Catholic (50%), Protestant (27%)
Government: parliamentary democracy
Head of State: Governor General Sir Colville Young
Head of Government: Prime Minister Said Musa |
GDP: US$1.28 billion
GDP per capita: US$4,900
Inflation: 1.9%
Major Industries: Sugar, bananas, fish products, garment production, food processing, timber, tourism, construction.
Major Trading Partners: USA, UK, Mexico, Canada
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| Guatemala |
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Full country name: Republic of Guatemala
Area: 108,890 sq km
Population: 13.9 million
People: 56% mestizo/ladino descent, 44% Mayan descent
Language: Spanish
Religion: Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Mayan-Catholic fusion
Government: constitutional democratic republic
Head of State: President Oscar Berger |
IGDP: US$53.2 billion
GDP per capita: US$3,900
Inflation: 8.1%
Major Industries: Coffee, sugar, bananas, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, natural rubber, flowers, cardamom, tourism
Major Trading Partners: USA, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Germany, Mexico, Venezuela, Japan
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Visas and passports
For most nationalities, visas are not required to visit Mexico, Belize or Guatemala for a stay up to 3 months. However, a valid passport (6 months from departure day) is required at any time and it is highly recommended to seek advice through the authorities in your country of origin or near the Mexican, Belize and Guatemala consulats prior to departure to make sure that you have the necessary documents if needed. Upon your arrival and entry in Mexico, a tourist card will be handed out to you, that you will have to keep together with your passport until you exit Mexico.
Vaccinations and medical aspect
Authorities of the three countries do not require a vaccine certificate from travellers. However, it is highly recommended to seek medical advice near a specialist of tropical regions several weeks prior to departure to get updated information on vaccines. The visited regions are NOT high risk regions but a doctor may recommend some anti-paludism pills and to get dengue fever, hepatitis, malaria, typhoid, and different other vaccines.Your guide will give you basic rules to follow in order to avoid any problem, such as, (cleaning your hands prior to taking a meal, wearing long sleeves and using mosquito repellent in Malaria risk zones, drinking bottled water, eating healthy and moderately and avoiding suspicious food).
Insurances
Each participant should get a personal Insurance for the duration of the adventure.
Expenses
As lunches and suppers are not included in this tour, it is recommended to anticipate and allow 6 to 8 $US for each of them. Bank cards from Plus and Cirrus networks can be used nearly every where, but we think that the best way to get money along the journey is to have a credit card (Visa or MC) which can be used with a personal identification number (PIN) like the Bank Convenience Cards used in ATM. Visa and MC are accepted everywhere and it is possible to withdraw money without PIN by showing your passport at the bank. In order to avoid credit card charges, the best is to put money into your account before leaving to bring your balance to positive. This is a very secure and effective way to get to your money. We advise travellers against only using traveller's cheques and we highly recommend that each one carries at least 50$US cash upon arrival.
Mexican currency is the Peso (10 Pesos = 1$US).
Guatemala currency is the Quetzal (7.5 Quetzales = 1$US)
Belize currency is the Belize Dollar and the American Dollar (2BZ$ = 1$US).
History in short
Implantation
The first European explorers in Yucatán were the Spanish, who arrived early in the 16th century. The Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés crossed the base of the peninsula in 1525. Spain began the conquest of the Mayas a few years later, and by 1549 approximately half the peninsula was under Spain's domination. Spanish control over much of the region continued until early in the 19th century, when Mexico and Central America won independence. Yucatán and Campeche were constituted separate states of Mexico in 1862; Quintana Roo was made a territory in 1902, a state in 1975. Area of the peninsula, about 181,300 sq km (about 70,000 sq mi.)
BELIZE
In pre-Columbian times Belize was part of the territory of the Maya. It was included in the Viceroyalty of New Spain in the 1500s, and sometime later English woodcutters from Jamaica established a settlement on the Belize River. During the wars between England and Spain in the 1700s, Spain failed to dislodge the British from the area. In 1836, after the emancipation of Central America from Spanish rule, the British claimed the right to administer the region; it was declared a British colony, subordinate to Jamaica, in 1862 and an independent crown colony in 1884.
MEXICO
Early Civilizations
Ancient Mexico and Central America were home to some of the earliest and most advanced civilizations in the Western Hemisphere. This region is known historically as Mesoamerica, a term that refers to the geographic area and cultural traditions of the pre-Columbian civilizations of Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Evidence indicates that hunting and gathering peoples populated Mesoamerica more than 15,000 years ago and that crop cultivation began around 8000 bc. The bottle gourd, useful for holding water and other liquids, is believed to have been one of the earliest domesticated crops; corn, beans, and squashes became the basis of the Mesoamerican diet during the period between 8000 and 2000 bc.
The Zapotec people began building their religious center and capital at Monte Albán around 500 bc. Located on a mountaintop in what is now the state of Oaxaca, Monte Albán was one of the first cities in the Americas and rivaled Teotihuacán as a center of Mesoamerican culture. At its height, about ad 500, the city was home to approximately 25,000 people. The Zapotecs developed one of the earliest writing systems in the Americas, using pictorial characters known as hieroglyphics to convey simple ideas. They left numerous hieroglyphic inscriptions on the buildings and temples of Monte Albán.
Maya civilization flourished in southern Mexico and Central America between ad 300 and 900, a time known as the Classic period. The Maya built large religious centers that included ball courts, homes, and temples. They developed a method of hieroglyphic notation and recorded mythology, history, and rituals in inscriptions carved and painted on stone slabs or pillars known as stelae. Maya religion centered around the worship of a large number of nature gods and chronology among the Maya was determined by an elaborate calendar system. Although highly complex, this calendar was the most accurate known to humans until the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century. About ad 900, the Maya centers were mysteriously abandoned, and some Maya migrated to the Yucatán Peninsula. During the Postclassic period, from 900 to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, Maya civilization was centered in the Yucatán. A migration or invasion from central Mexico strongly influenced Maya culture and art styles during this period. Chichén Itzá and Mayapán were prominent cities.
The Toltecs rose to power in the 10th century ad and are the first people in Mesoamerica to leave a relatively complete history. Their capital of Tula, whose ruins are located near the town of Tula de Allende 75 km (47 mi) north of Mexico City, extended its political influence over much of central Mexico. Other groups paid them tribute. The Nahuatl-speaking Toltecs established colonies along their northern frontier, protecting the region against hostile groups and greatly expanding the amount of land given over to agriculture. In the 12th century droughts in the north central region weakened the Toltec hold on the region. Desperate and starving people from the north surged southward, eventually overwhelming the Toltecs and forcing them to abandon Tula. Toltec survivors migrated south to the Valley of Mexico, where they joined with other peoples.
The Aztec Empire
Aztec Empire The Aztec created an empire in the 1400s in the region that is now Mexico. Their capital, Tenochtitlán, stood on the site of present-day Mexico City. The empire was destroyed by the Spaniards in 1521.
A century after the collapse of the Toltec civilization, several allied tribes of Nahuatl-speaking people moved into the Valley of Mexico from the north. The principal tribe was known as the Mexica and collectively the tribes came to be known as the Aztecs. The Mexica eventually dominated the other tribes and became the major force in the establishment of the Aztec Empire in central Mexico. The name Mexico is derived from the word Mexica. Aztec civilization, drawing on the cultural advances of the Toltec and other peoples that had lived in the region, reached high levels of artistic, economic, and intellectual development.
As the Aztecs grew in number, they established powerful military and civil organizations. Their island settlement, known as Tenochtitlán, soon grew from a small village of huts into a large city of adobe houses and stone temples. It became the Aztec capital, serving as the center for Aztec trade and military activity throughout the region. It is estimated that at the time of the Spanish invasion in the early 1500s, the city was one of the largest in the world and supported a population of about 200,000 people.
GUATEMALA
Maya Civilization
Mayan Ruins, Tikal, Guatemala In Tikal, Guatemala, many Maya ruins of the 3rd and 4th centuries have been excavated and studied. The area, one of the largest Maya ceremonial centers, is believed to have sustained a population of 50,000 until it was abandoned, for unknown reasons, in the 10th century. Maya civilization arose in the highlands of Guatemala centuries before the birth of Christ, forming thriving city-states and a trading network that stretched over a wide area. Many Maya leaders and people later migrated northward, into the Petén and Yucatán regions, where the civilization developed during the Classic period, between ad 300 and 900. During this period the Maya built impressive ceremonial cities at Tikal, Uaxactún, Quiriguá, Mirador, and at many other sites in northern Guatemala, as well as in Honduras and Mexico. These sites featured large temple pyramids and plazas, richly decorated with sculpture and carving. The Maya also developed sophisticated scientific knowledge, a complex calendar, and a hieroglyphic writing system.
Climate
The northern Yucatán Peninsula is hot and semiarid. Annual rainfall ranges between 500 and 1,000 mm (20 and 40 in). The extreme southern part of Mexico, including the Chiapas Highlands and the southern regions of the Yucatán Peninsula, is rainy and tropical. The climate in this region is generally hot and humid, with annual average temperatures of more than 24°C (75°F). Maximum precipitation occurs in summer, with average annual rainfall exceeding 2,030 mm (80 in) in some areas.
Mexico
The climate throughout much of Mexico is characterized by high temperatures and moderate to low rainfall. The highland climates vary considerably with elevation, but the central plateau generally has a moderate climate with few extremes of hot or cold. Mexico City, for example, has an average July high temperature of 23°C (74°F) and an average January high temperature of 21°C (70°F). Cities at lower elevations on the plateau have somewhat warmer climates. The northern and central areas of the plateau are arid and semiarid, with the drier regions receiving about 300 mm (about 12 in) of rainfall annually. Rainfall increases in the southern regions of the plateau, which receive about 500 to 650 mm (20 to 26 in) of rainfall annually, with most of it typically falling in the summer. Traditional rainfall patterns in the Valley of Mexico have been altered by substantial industrial pollution, which has become so serious that the rainy and dry seasons no longer follow a regular annual cycle.
Much of northwest Mexico—including Baja California and the northern regions of the Pacific Coast lowlands—is quite arid, receiving less than 130 mm (5 in) of rain per year. The northern Gulf Coast plains are semiarid, receiving about 250 to 560 mm (about 10 to 22 in) of rainfall annually. As on the central plateau, rainfall increases toward the south on both the western and eastern coasts.
The tropic of Cancer, which marks the northern limits of the tropics, passes through the southern tip of Baja California and crosses central Mexico. Much of southern Mexico has a tropical climate with distinct rainy and dry seasons; the Gulf Coast has more regular and abundant rainfall than the southern regions of the Pacific Coast. Temperatures in these coastal regions range between 21 and 27°C (70 and 80°F) during the year. Annual rainfall, which generally ranges between 1,500 and 2,000 mm (60 and 80 in), comes mainly during the rainy season of May to October. Mexico's Gulf Coast is subject to hurricanes that pass through the region and often cause extensive damage.
Belize
The climate of Belize is subtropical, moderated by sea breezes along the coast. The average annual temperature is about 26° C (about 79° F). The total annual rainfall increases from north to south and averages about 1,800 mm (about 71 in). A rainy season extends from May to February.
Guatemala
The climate of Guatemala varies according to elevation, from hot coastal plains to cold mountain heights. Most of the population lives between 900 and 2,400 m (3,000 and 8,000 ft) above sea level, where there are warm days and cool nights with average annual temperatures of 20°C (68°F). The coastal regions are hot and humid, with average annual temperatures of 28°C (83°F). A rainy season, from May through October, is sometimes called , winter, because it brings cloudy afternoons and lower temperatures, and November to April is ,summer. Yet May is the hottest month, with average lows of 16°C (61°F) and highs of 29°C (84°F); the coldest month is December, when low temperatures average 12°C (54°F) and highs are 23°C (73°F). During the dry season, especially from February to May, the air is often filled with dust. Rainfall in the tropical northern region averages between 1,500 and 2,500 mm (60 and 100 in) annually; Guatemala City, in the southern highlands, receives 1,320 mm (52 in) annually.
Fauna and flora
BELIZE
The Community Baboon Sanctuary is spread over 32km (20mi) of tropical rainforest, with the Belize River winding though its middle. The sanctuary is home to around 1200 rare Black Howler Monkeys, known locally as 'baboons', as well as an extraordinary variety of birds. You can hike through the park, or see the baboons and birds, lazily, from a canoe.
Mountain Pine Ridge
This 777 sq km (300 sq mi) forest reserve in western Belize's beautiful, unspoiled mountain country is dotted with waterfalls and teems with wild orchids, parrots, keel-billed toucans and other exotic flora and fauna. Impassable forest roads in the wet season keep the area pristine for exploration.
GUATEMALA
Guatemala's volatile topography is a mountainous and forested jumble of volcanoes and jungle. The western highlands are home to over 30 volcanoes, which reach heights of up to 3800m (12,464ft) and cast a red glow at night. The area experiences frequent earthquake activity. The intensively cultivated Pacific coastline is a vast expanse of mostly black-sand beaches, and the tiny Caribbean coastline also lacks beaches but is culturally rich. The vast jungle lowland of El Petén fills the interior, characterized by a mix of banana plantations and soils rich in dinosaur bones.
Guatemala's national bird is the quetzal - a gorgeous creature which is almost extinct, due to deforestation and poachers.
MEXICO
Domesticated grazing animals have pushed the larger animals, such as puma, deer and coyote, into isolated pockets. However, armadillos, rabbits and snakes are common, and the tropical forests of the south and east still harbor (in places) howler and spider monkeys, jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, anteaters, peccaries (a type of wild pig), deer, macaws, toucans, parrots and some tropical reptiles, such as the boa constrictor, though these habitats too are being eroded.
Traveller's group is composed of 6 to 12 travellers, accompanied by a naturalist guide and a professional driver.
Equipment
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Booking conditions
Please take the time to consult the regular booking conditions prior to book/reserve on one of our tours. Please note that special booking conditions may apply to some circuits and/or departures. In such case, information will be given to you on booking/reservation.
Meals and gastronomy
Breakfasts are served in hotels or Inns. Lunches (not included) and suppers (3 of them not included) are served in restaurants or typical bistros. Your guide will be very happy to guide you in your choice of typical dishes and help you in selecting your menu.
Mexico
Each country has its own culinary characteristics but Yucatan has certainly the most varied one. Different and even unknown to the Mexicans, traditional dishes almost always contain pork, chicken, game or turkey. Try the cochinita (pork dish) or the polio (chicken) pibil, cooked in banana leaves with a sour orange juice, coriander and achiotes.sauce, and the sopa de Lima (lime) with chicken and fried tortillas. If you want to fill up before heading out, you won't be wrong in choosing huevos motulenos, fried eggs with ham, peas, beans and cheese served in corn tortillas. If you like spicy (hot) dishes do not miss to try the Habanero, local Mexican Chile (very spicy). Make sure to ask for the sauce on the side.
Belize
Young, small and poor country, Belize has not its special culinary characteristics, thus this country took some of the English, Mexican north-american and Caribbean cuisines. The base of nearly each dish are red beans and rice to which are added, chicken, beef, fish , vegetables, spices, coconut milk served with fried plantain banana slices. You may try the tattoo (big game) or gibnut (similar to guinea pig). Beers are almost all Belikin Export and preferred strong alcohols are rum and aguardiente (cane sugar alcohol).
Guatemala
The typical dish is prepared with rice, red beans (frijoles con arroz), some avocado, tomatoes, well done meat served with tortillas (corn pancakes). You will also be offered enchiladas (beans, meat or cheese omelettes), tamated (corn flour made wraps with meat and vegetables, or pollo asado (fried chicken), usually very good. Coffee is excellent as well as the local beer (Gallo, Moza or Dorado) and dark rum (Ron Zacapa Centenario or Rhon Botrán Añejo). The Quetzalteca, a white drink made of cane sugar will burn your mouth.
Luggages and personal belongings
Please bring only the necessary. Small bags make it a lot easier for everyone to manage luggage. Hard and rigid suitcases are not recommended. The ideal is to have two bags one of which, an approximately 25 litre backpack, is used as a day bag for small excursions and the other, approximately 45 litres, contains the majority of clothing and personal belongings. We recommend that each participant brings with him/her:
- All necessary documents ( Traveller's File), passport, visa, address book, credit cards, cheques, copies of important documents etc)
- A pair of comfortable shoes to hike in
- A pair of sandals or light shoes
- A light rain coat or plastic poncho
- Warm socks
- 1 pair of long trousers
- 1 pair of shorts
- A warm sweater
- A light sweater
- T-Shirts
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- Batteries
- Camera, films
- Flash light, frontal lamp
- A light cap or hat
- Swim suite
- A bath towel
- Plastic bags (for dirty & wet clothes)
- Personal toilet articles and medication
- Insect repellent
- Sun glasses
- Sun block (min. SPF15 – no oils please
- *Binoculars
- *Pocket knife
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Do not bring too much! You have the chance to wash your cloth during the tour.
* Optional but very handy
Tips on what to wear
Fancy clothes are unnecessary . Basic tourist outfit remains shorts and T-shirts. You may prefer, like I do, long trousers to avoid sunburns. Evenings and early mornings are cooler and a woollen jacket is recommended. Also recommended are sun block protection, a cap or explorer hat. Do not wear a new pair of shoes as they will be damaged with the dust and salted water. Also very handy a comfortable pair of waterproof sandals.
Lodgings
Lodging in charming Inns, on double occupancy basis (2 to 3 *). These places have been chosen with the following standards in mind : welcoming, charming, comfortable and very friendly more than being luxirious.
Extra stay
Willing participants can book a room in the capital for extra stay prior or after the tour begins ; cost : 50.00$US /night for 1 or 2 persons.
Children and the journey
Children can take part in the Ruta Maya tour, if they are motivated . Tours can easily be adapted and groups divided. Programs can vary according to the presence of young children among them. We know how to adequately adapt a journey if children are on board. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you want to discuss further on that matter , we will try to respond to your specific needs with pleasure.
What to read
We recommend travellers interested in learning more about Maya World to purchase and read prior to departure, Lonely Planet Ruta Maya which will answer all your questions about the country, people and environment.
Electricity :
Mexico and Belize : 110V 60Hz.
Guatemala : 115 V to 125 V / 60 Hz..
Time zone :
Mexico : GMT - 5 hrs.
Belize and Guatemala : GTM - 6 hrs.
Glossary
Information on its way.....
Steps preceding any departure:
- You select the tour and dates you wish to book (or reach an agreement with us on your Tailor Made Tour's program.
- Using our Booking Form you make your reservation / booking.
- As soon as your booking request is received we get in touch with you to confirm the booking and we send you an invoice including payment instructions and booking conditions.
- Upon reception of this invoice you must send your initial deposit (25%) to secure your booking. NB: If your package includes the international flight and/or an insurance plan, it will be integrally payable with your initial deposit. You will receive your flight tickets and/or insurance enrollment confirmation on the next business day following the reception of your payment.
- After reception of your initial deposit we will send you a detailed and complete TRAVELER'S FILE.
NB: Unless your booking request is received within 30 days from the departure date, in which case you will receive your Traveler's File upon payment of your initial deposit, please allow between 15 and 30 working days for the preparation of these documents and 2 or 3 more days before receiving any printed material.
This complete file will contain the following detailed information:
- Voucher / proof of your booking.
- Detailed program with a map of the tour's route.
- Information on your tour guide(s) and other human resource(s) connected to the project.
- Information on the meeting point and a list of the inns and hotels with their description, address & contact information.
- Info on the cities, sites & regions visited on the tour.
- Technical & practical information.
- General recommendations for the traveler.
- Emergency plan and detailed maps of the country and /or region(s).
- Travel insurance complete documents and/or flight tickets (if included in your tour package).
- Your balance must be received 30 days before your departure or in the week following the reception of your Traveler's File if you are booking within 30 days preceding your departure.
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Comparing our tours and prices with others, consider...
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- The number of participants in the tour. The GROUP SIZE has a major incidence on the quality of the services provided by the tour leader and the driver. Small groups remain personal unlike large groups.
- What IS and what is NOT respectively included in the tours you compare.
- Our tours respect the principals of ecotourism. Our guides, staff members and providers are meticulously selected to meet our exacting requirements and standards and they are remunerated equitably and considered with great esteem as we much value their participation to our mission.
- The quality standard of the services and accommodations we provide in our tours is high and our customer service is exceptional. We are committed to offering the very best to our travellers before, during and after their tour.
- We provide our travellers with the contact information of their tour manager who is available 7 days a week, reachable at all time before and during the tour to promptly assist them with any situation or simply answer questions or doubts before the tour starts.
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Procedures and deadlines summary:
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- Upon reception of your booking request we send you a booking confirmation & invoice (or another offer if your request cannot be confirmed).
- You send us your initial deposit (30% of tour price + 100% of flights and/or travel insurance, if these services are booked through us).
- You send us your final payment 45 days prior to your tour departure.
- We send you your travel documents by FedEx courier 30 days prior to your tour departure or before. We also send you at the same time an electronic version of your documents to keep as backup copy in your files.
All payments received are confirmed by our accounting dpt. the next day with an updated account statement sent by email.
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Copyright © 1998 - 2009 Amerika Venture
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