With Epigrapher Stanley Paul Guenter

Journey with Far Horizons on an eleven-day exploration through Central America and Mexico's Chiapas state to explore the Capital Cities of the Ancient Maya. More than archaeology awaits us as we encounter dense rain-forest teeming with wildlife, ferns, orchids, and bromeliads. Our itinerary begins in Copán and Quiriguá, two breathtaking sites that have attracted explorers and scientists for 150 years. Continue to the enormous Maya center of Tikal where, swathed by a cacophony of jungle wildlife sounds, we will walk through the myriad of canopy-shadowed trails that lace the park.  

ITINERARY: (B) breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner

Day 1: Fly to San Pedro Sula, Honduras and drive to Copán Village. Spend the next two nights in a charming, colonial-style hotel in Copán village with lovely gardens and a swimming pool. Gather for our festive welcome dinner at a hacienda, nestled in the hills overlooking the village. (L/D)

Day 2: Upon viewing the stunning art and architecture of Copán, archaeologist Sylvanus Morley proclaimed it the Athens of the New World. This UNESCO World Heritage Site represents one of the most spectacular cultural achievements of antiquity. Recent work has helped restore the magnificent hieroglyphic stairway to its former grandeur, and art historians are presently reconstructing the elaborate facades on the buildings. Throughout the site, finely chiseled writing tells us of the powerful kings in the Copán lineage, from Yax K'uk Mo', the founder, to Waxaklajuun Ubaah K’awill (commonly known as 18 Rabbit), one of the greatest of the rulers. (B/L/D)

Day 3: After a private introductory talk by archaeologist David Sedat, Field Director of the Copán Acropolis Project, we will tour the Copán Village Museum located in the town square. Then we depart Honduras and cross the border to Guatemala and Quiriguá, a lovely site near the shores of the Motagua River. Quiriguá’s stelae are the tallest and most intricately carved in the Maya world. The Great Plaza contains zoomorphic sculptures and elaborately carved stone monuments honoring K’ahk’ Tiliw Chan Yopaat (commonly known as Two-Legged Sky), who freed his city from Copán when he captured 18 Rabbit in 738 AD. Drive to the Rio Dulce and overnight at Banana Palms Resort, overlooking the river. (B/L/D)

Day 4: This morning we will take a short boat ride to El Castillo de San Felipe, located at the point where Rio Dulce ends and becomes Lake Izabal. Built in the late sixteenth century, this fort was erected by the Spanish in order to prevent the pirates from stealing caravans and pillaging villages along the lake’s shores. After lunch at a local restaurant, transfer to Flores with time to shop and explore the brightly painted buildings of this charming island town. Continue to Tikal and overnight for two nights at the Jungle Lodge, located within the national park. (B/L/D)

Day 5: For the last 25 years, Tikal has been a national park. Wild pigs or peccaries, native to Central and South America, walk the jungle paths, and brilliantly colored ocellated turkeys parade through the forest. Here, in the shadow of the magnificent pyramids, and accompanied by the distinctive call of the howler monkey, learn about the royal families of Tikal as told by their carved stone monuments. For example, the Golden Age here began in 682 AD when King Jasaw Chan K’awiil began his reign. The famous Temple I, towering above his tomb, has carved, wooden lintels that depict the king seated on his throne beneath a towering jaguar god. We will learn about the wars of conquest that rocked the region for centuries and begin to understand how the ties of blood created an allegiance between this impressive city and the other sites we are seeing, and how these ties were often frayed by battles between the powers that ruled the jungle cities. (B/L/D)

Day 6: Spend the morning in the Tikal’s two museums where the finest carved monuments are preserved along with other artifacts from the years of excavation. After lunch, drive to the village of Bethel, located on the banks of the Usumacinta River, the largest river in Central America and the border between Guatemala and Mexico’s Chiapas state. Here, we board lanchas, local boats to travel Africa-Queen style down the river to the tiny village of Frontera Corozol. Overnight for two nights in a remote and simple jungle lodge. (NOTE: This drive will be long, and part of the trip may be on dirt road.) (B/L/D)

Day 7: This morning’s boat trip takes us down the mighty Usumacinta River to Yaxchilán. Similar to the Amazon in South America, this river contains the largest volume of water flowing in Central America. Located deep within the rain forest on an oxbow of the river, Yaxchilán was until very recently almost inaccessible. Here, the rulers Itzamnaaj Bahlam (known as Shield Jaguar) and his son Yaxuun Bahlam (known as Bird Jaguar) built towering memorials to themselves in the 8th century. There are more than 125 carved monuments at Yaxchilán, including inscribed altars, thrones, steps, walls and stelae, but it is the door lintels that are the site's claim to fame. Sheltered from the elements, these great stone slabs span the tops of 56 doorways, and on many of them, the incised hieroglyphs are still fresh after more than 1200 years. Here, we will learn the history of the elite and their blood sacrifice to the gods as your study leader translates the texts. The howler monkeys hanging from the trees, scarlet macaws soaring overhead, and the rushing river make the overall experience at Yaxchilán very special even for the seasoned traveler. In the afternoon, return back upstream to our jungle lodge. (B/L/D)

Day 8: To reach Bonampak, travel through the Lacandon Rainforest, some of the last of the uncut jungle in this area. Here, within a palace, are three rooms containing remarkable murals telling of the accession of a new king of Bonampak, whose untranslated name is “Man-eating Jaguar”, in 790 AD. The city collapse about this time and these vivid colored paintings were never completed. Bonampak is well known for its murals, but the immense stelae, or carved monuments, here are equally lovely as they tell of the center's close relationship with nearby Yaxchilán. Overnight for two nights at the Chan Kah Resort, where private bungalows are situated amidst an immaculately-kept jungle environment and clustered around an immense, free-form swimming pool. Dinner is on our own tonight. (B/L)

Day 9: Set like a jewel in the lush jungle-clad emerald foothills of the mountains of Chiapas, Palenque is certainly one of the most beautiful of the Maya sites. The tomb of the great ruler, Lord Pakal, was hidden deep inside the Temple of Inscriptions until, after four years of excavations, Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz discovered it and raised the 4 1/2 ton sarcophagus lid with truck jacks to uncover the king wearing his mosaic jade death mask. Palenque is unusual in having almost no carved monuments, but stucco sculptures depicting the city’s royalty decorate many of the buildings while lengthy hieroglyphic texts can be found on tablets inside the palaces and temples. The three temples in the Group of the Cross are the most magnificent buildings in the city. Built high on the side of a mountain, these beautifully decorated sanctuaries dominate the site. In their interiors, massive, finely carved hieroglyphic panels tell the history of the kings and the glorification of their gods. Dinner will be at one of Palenque’s finest restaurants. (B/L/D)

Day 10: This morning we will tour the Palenque Museum containing an outstanding collection of artifacts found in excavations. These include breathtakingly beautiful incensarios, or ceramic incense burners, some as tall as three feet high and richly adorned with masks of Maya gods. After lunch, we will return to the ruins and walk along a delightful trail following a series of waterfalls, including the Queen’s Baths, that flow past the homes of the people of ancient Palenque. We will then transfer to Villahermosa for our farewell dinner and overnight at the Villahermosa Hilton. (B/L/D)

Day 11: Transfer to the airport for our flight back to the USA. (B)

(B) breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner

NOTE ABOUT ITINERARY CHANGES: Changes in our itinerary, accommodations, and transportation schedules may occur. A good book to read as well as a flexible attitude and a sense of humor are essential.

STUDY LEADER: Stanley Paul Guenter, born in the prairies of Canada, was first introduced to the Maya culture and ancient script at the age of ten. He has been studying the MesoAmerican cultures ever since. He obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary, and completed his Master’s Degree at La Trobe University, in Melbourne Australia, with Dr. Peter Mathews. He is now ABD (All But Dissertation) for his PhD in Archaeology from Southern Methodist University. He has worked on archaeological projects in eastern Tabasco, Mexico and is currently an epigrapher and archaeologist with two archaeological projects in Guatemala: The Regional Archaeological Investigations of Northern Peten, Guatemala (RAINPEG), directed by Dr. Richard D. Hansen, and the Southern Methodist University El Peru/Waka’ project, directed by Dr. David Freidel. Stanley is one of the outstanding rising stars of MesoAmerican writing systems and has taught and presented at many conferences in Canada, the United States, Australia, Germany and Denmark. He has done a full study of the inscriptions of Dos Pilas in relation to Tikal (you may see the readings on the mesoweb.com site) His knowledge of the written history of the ancient Maya, especially in the lowlands of Guatemala, will make the trip a fascinating one.

TRIP DATES: March 3 - 13, 2009

TRIP COST: $6,895.00
(per person, double occupancy)
Includes round trip air fare from Houston to Honduras and returning from Villahermosa, Mexico; all hotels; most meals (as noted); ground transportation; and entry fees.

COST DOES NOT INCLUDE: passport or visa fees; airport or departure taxes; beverages or food not included on regular menus; laundry; excess baggage charges; personal tips; gratuities to guides and drivers; alcoholic drinks; telephone and fax charges; or other items of a personal nature.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $595.00
Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single supplement must be charged.

FUEL SURCHARGES: Far Horizons must pass on price increases for uncontrollable charges such as flights and other services due to additional fuel charges.

DONATION CHECKS: The cost of the trip does not include the separate donation check for $100.00 per person to the Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute (PARI). As a tour company that benefits from the historical, cultural and natural riches of our destinations, we have a policy of donating to scholars, archaeological and cultural projects, museums and other organizations in each of our destinations. The Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute (PARI) supports and carries on research and exploration of Mesoamerican civilizations, their art, archaeology and glyphic texts, as well as doing research concerning the tropical environment and its ancient monuments.

RESERVATION: A deposit of $500.00 along with a separate $100.00 check made out to the Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute is required along with your registration form. Final payment is due 75 days before departure.

Upon receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will be sent a reading list and tour bulletin containing travel information. An information book designed for this trip, including maps of archaeological sites and articles of pertinent interest will be sent upon receipt of final payment.

PRIVATE TOURS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES: The private tours of archaeological sites and talks by specialists are scheduled in advance and include a donation to each. Specialists working at these sites are excited about showing their work to interested enthusiasts. However, please be aware that there may be times when the director or a member of the staff may not be onsite when our groups arrive due to other commitments, or that the date or time of our visit to their project must be changed.

LIMITED TO 17 PARTICIPANTS