Flight Information 3/24-31/18:

Departure: March 24/18: JetBlue #1913 from Orlando @ 11:59am -1:02pm

Return:       March 31/18: JetBlue #1914 from Cancun @ 2:02pm - 4:37pm                                         

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Week 12 Spring Break-March 24-31, 2018

Travel Itinerary to Yucatan, Mexico  

 

All cultural activities and excursions included in the itinerary are strictly connected to course learning outcomes. While visiting many Maya and Hispanic colonial cities and participating in cultural activities, meeting and conversing with local people, students will have a basic grasp of the spiritualties of the indigenous, creole, and foreign inhabitants of the Yucatan, and will gain knowledge of cultural systems that are often tremendously different than that of the United States. 

 

Saturday, March 24th:  Arrival to Cancun/Valladolid.  Setting the Context: A Brief History of Maya civilization before and after the Spanish conquest in 16 century.  

 

This session will situate Maya civilization in historical context and its major contributions to the world of astronomy, architecture, etc...  What are the experiences and legacies of the Maya?  

Evening walk downtown to the major plaza of Valladolid. 

 

Dinner and overnight accommodations will be at El Meson de Marquez in Valladolid 

 

Sunday, March 25th: Ek Balam - Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 

 

Today we will transfer for your tour of Ek Balam, “Black Jaguar", a capital of Mayan empire in its middle pre-classic and post-classic period. Afterwards the tour will continue to the small fishing port of Río Lagartos. Here you will take a boat tour to view the resident flamingos which will be in fewer numbers than during the prime season but, your tour guide will know where to find at least a few of the beautiful creatures.  Next you will transfer to a nearby cenote (a natural sinkhole resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath).  Lunch will be provided at a local seafood restaurant then the group will return to Valladolid.  

 

Dinner and overnight accommodations will again be at El Meson de Marquez in Valladolid.  

 

Monday, March 26st: Life in Maya village of Yaxchuna 

 

From yesterday to today life in Maya village changed very little. Some traditions such as cooking the buried fire-pit of “cochinita pibil” or “puerco pibil” (buried baby pig), a traditional Mayan slow-roasted pork dish, originated in the Yucatán Península.  We will walk through the village learning about the various fruits and plants growing there, visit the mill where the villagers grind their corn, and have the opportunity to prepare their own torillas. After witnessing the uncovering of the pibil, we will share lunch in a typical Maya home. Afterward, there will be a very special opportunity to witness and participate in a blessing ceremony by an authentic Maya shaman. 

 

Overnight accommodations at El Gobernador in Merida. 

 

Tuesday, March 27th Colonial city-Mérida established by the conquistadores 

 

Learning on the history of the city and the religious practices of the Franciscans in the peninsula. We will tour the historic structures of Merida, the first city in the Yucatán established by the conquistadores. The group will visit, among other things, the Palacio de Gobierno, the seat of executive power of the State of Yucatan. There we will find a permanent exposition of the murals of the famous painter, Fernando Castro Pacheco, that depict important episodes in the history of the Yucatan.  

 

Overnight accommodations at El Gobernador in Merida. 

 

Wednesday, March 28th Franciscans - building colonial cities of God 

 

Spreading Christianity to the newly discovered continent was a top priority of the Spanish. The Franciscan Order had the responsibility. Franciscan influence in the Yucatán is considered unique because they enjoyed sole access to the area. No other religious orders, such as the Jesuits or the Dominicans, were competing for the territory. Essentially, this meant that there was no one to defy the goings-on of the Franciscans at this time. They were able to use whatever method they deemed necessary to spread their beliefs, although at the beginning they tried to follow the "conversion program" that had already been used in Mexico. Traveling through The Convento Route we will notice the impact of the Franciscan missions as a territory and their attempts to adapt and work with Maya architecture. 

 

Overnight accommodations at Mayan Resort in Uxmal. 

 

Thursday, March 29th    Uxmal, the city of lights and sounds 

 

Uxmal, considered by many to be the most beautiful of the Maya cities. Due to its relatively good state of preservation and the quality of the Pu'uc-style stone mosaic decorations, this is one of the best known and most frequently visited of the Mayan sites.  The name Uxmal means “three times constructed". According to archeological research, the first inhabitants of Uxmal arrived around 800 B.C. It is possible that many of the current buildings belong to this period, but the excavations could not verify it. An excellent element concerns the adoration offered to Kukulcán. One of the most impressive structures is The House of the Magician or of the Dwarf.  

 

Overnight accommodations at Mayan Resort in Uxmal. 

 

Friday, March 30th: Two important cities then and now-Izamal & Chichén Itza  

 

Izamal is now a jewel of a colonial city, with almost all the buildings painted an egg-yolk yellow. Cobblestone streets and colonial lampposts complete the scenery. Clean, peaceful and quaint, this is a great town to stroll through. To visit Izamal is to visit a city/town that is alive with three cultures – the ancient Mayan, the colonial, and the present day bustling Izamal. Awarded the prestigious “Magic City of Mexico” distinction, this place is a monument of color, history and pride that can be felt in its streets, buildings and people. There are Mayan pyramids, colonial-style buildings, parks and plazas, horses and buggies, and lots of people watching. While there you will visit the famous Franciscan monastery built over a Mayan ritual center pyramid.   

 

Forever dinner in Cancun and overnight accommodations at Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Cancun. 

 

Saturday, March 31: Return to Orlando, US