Cayo Scoop! The Ecology of Cayo Culture

National Geographic got Joshua Berman's firsthand report of staying overnight on Ca'ana at Caracol, for the Winter solstice, to celebrate the end of the long count Maya calendar.  He got some great pictures, including one of Dr. Jaime Awe explaining Caracol's history.

"Tonight, one era ends and another begins.  The most complex, far-reaching of the various calendars that the Maya created is the Long Count, developed at least 1500 years ago by the Maya and, probably, by their Olmec ancestors.  On this day, an important cycle of the Long Count — 13 b’aktuns, which is equal to 1,872,000 days, or 5,125 years — is coming to completion...  They lit the candles and incense and invited us to light ours and place them on the stone.  As the sky darkened and the candles burned, a man played a beautiful Native American melody on a wooden flute, adding to the dusky jungle cadence of birds and insects.  Eventually, everyone descended — except me.  My vigil carries on as I drift in and out of sleep.  As morning approaches, I awake to the throaty grunts of howler monkeys, carrying across the canopy from several directions."

The Central Bank of Belize is going to have special 2012 coins made for collectors, and they are going to be worth more than just a dollar.  Does that say $250?

"The front of the coin displays drawings from the Hokeb Ha vase depicting the hero twins described in the Popol Vuh (Maya sacred book).  The hero twins are in conversation, dressed simply in kilts, necklaces, ear flares and featured white cloth headdresses.  The glyphs in the centre of the figures represent the Maya Mythical ‘End of the World’ date.  This date, according to archaeologists, completes a ‘great cycle’ of 13 baktuns (periods of 144,000 days each) since the mythical creation date of the pre-Columbian Maya calendar.  The back of the coins depicts the Jade Head discovered in a large tomb at Altun Ha, a Maya archaeological site.  This tomb housed the remains of an elderly adult believed to be an elite ruler during his lifetime.  For the Mayas, jade was the most prized of all stones.  The Jade Head remains the largest single carved object yet discovered in the Mundo Maya (Maya World).  This exquisite carving represents the Maya sun god, Kinich Ahau, one of the most important deities of the Maya pantheon.  The Jade Head, which became known as the Crown Jewel of Belize weights 9.75 pounds, stands almost 6 inches high, and is representative of an era between A.D. 600 and 650. "