Will the world end on December 21st, 2012? Not according to our Mayan tour guide, Miguel. (Or, maybe his name was Manuel.) Either way, “Miguel” claimed to be a descendent of the ancient tribe, and when he took us to Tulum, he explained that the Mayan calendars were cyclical. Thus, the calendrical system will start all over again on December 22nd, 2012.

Here’s the analogy that Miguel used: Just because we run out of pages in our appointment books at the end of the year doesn’t mean that it’s Doomsday. The same is true for the Mayan calendar. It’s time to “reset,” and buy a new one.

But if you still want to party like it’s the end of time, go ahead. I’ll be waiting for an invitation!

Tulum is an hour and a half journey from Playa de Carmen in Cozumel. We took a ferry ride from the cruise ship (Royal Caribbean Jewel Of The Seas), and then a bus to the ruins. Tulum means “walled city,” because on one side of the archaeological site is a steep 12-foot wall. On the other side, Tulum is protected by beautiful cliffs overlooking the Caribbean.

There is a path that leads down to a pristine white beach, below the ancient city. The water is an amazing crystal blue, and I could have spent the entire day there, if Miguel had not been yelling, “Vamanos, vamanos.”

The tour was over, and it was time to head back to the ship. Of course, there was plenty of time for a mandatory stop at one of many Mexican tourist traps, where we could buy overpriced souvenirs! Yes, I got caught up in the frenzy and bought several t-shirts and two silver bracelets. I have no idea if the jewelry is real or not, but it looks good!

Here are some pictures of El Castillo (the castle), the Temple of the Frescoes, and the beach. See how many iguanas you can find in my photos. They don’t seem to mind the many tourists who visit Tulum every day. The lizards are at home among the Mayan ruins. Perhaps, they know what really happened to this ancient civilization.