Mexico
Seaside Retreat for Dan Winters Part 2 Sacred Geometry course- Sept 26-29
Tour of Mexixo Pyramids- Sept 30 - Oct 2
Peru
Peru / Curzo Valley and Sacred Sites: Oct 3 - 10
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Maya Tulum
is a beautiful retreat located on the Caribbean seashore of Mex'co's Yucatan Peninsula. The combination of nature, privacy, isolation, comfort, delicious food and easy access from the USA and Europe make it the perfect place for any kind of retreat, therapy group or vacation. REGULAR BUS will take you one and a half hours after arrival at Cancun's International Airport (with flights from major US and European cities) to Maya Tulum where you can experience some peace and tranquillity of the surrounding area and beach.

The crystal clear, turquoise colored, warm Caribbean sea water invites you to swim or snorkel at any time. Unspoiled white sanded beaches extend for miles. Walk through the jungle to visit a "cenote" (fresh water jungle pool), explore the "Sian Ka'an" Biosphere Reserve, visit yesterday's great Maya cities, or simply relax on the beach to the ever present rhythm of the waves.

The climate is ideal, the sun shines all year with cooling sea breezes and a glorious clear sky particular to this part of the world. It's always a good time to come to Maya Tulum.

The restaurant is basically vegetarian. Fresh fish, seafood, and lobster are served a la carte. Breakfast is a feast of freshly cooked eggs, pancakes, French toast, homemade scones, pastries, fresh breads, cereals, tropical fruits, and juices. Lunch and Dinner include a wide range of soups, pastas, crepes, fresh vegetables, quiches, souffles, various stuffed vegetables, delicious salads, rice, desserts and tea or coffee. We also offer fresh fish and seafood.

Special care is taken in the cleaning and preparation of all fruits and vegetables to ensure the good health of our guests. If you have any particular dietary requirements we will do our best to help you.

Maya Tulum is bathed by the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, land of the ancient Maya. The resort iis located at the entrance of the Sian Ka'an national park (Mayan for "where the sky is born"), an intact biosphere reserve of lagoons, mangroves, tropical rain-forest and awesome beaches.

Despite Tulum's admittedly convenient proximity to Mexico's most popular tourist destination, the place still feels remote, rugged, and real. Instead of over air-conditioned high-rise hotels, Tulum's waterfront resorts consist of free standing thatch-roofed huts cooled by nothing more than a strong ocean breeze. These rustic palapas don't come equipped with TVs or telephones. And you can forget about bringing along your laptop, hair dryer, and alarm clock. Out on the beach road, electricity is typically available for only a few hours each night. Even Maya Tulum, the most luxurious resort on the beach, keeps thing romantically rustic, with all white beds suspended by ropes and covered in sheer mosquito netting.

"Although big changes are taking place, it's still possible to have a barefoot escape at this hotel that provides a flashback to the old Riviera Maya. Yoga is a way of life at Maya Tulum, just south of Tulum, which also has some of the best massage therapists this side of Esalen. The 41 simple stone-and-thatch cabanas, most with private baths, line a white-sand beach. Though primarily vegetarian, the restaurant does serve fish and lobster."

Read exerpts on Maya Tulum

After our retreat with Dan Winter Sacred Geometry Seminar - Join us for our three day tour:
Surrounding Area: Natural Reserve
The Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, which begins just outside our gate (where we stay for the 4 day Dan Winter Retreat) is a protected natural area with miles of empty beaches, unspoiled rainforest and vast lagoons. The second largest protected area in Mexico, Sian Ka'an (which means "where the sky is born" in Mayan) is home to hundreds of species, birds, peccaries, tapirs, alligators, manatees, iguanas, fish and sea turtles.. Approximately 345 species of birds including more than a million migratory ones live here. Sian Ka'an is an ecotourist park where you are able to swim, snorkel and scuba dive inside the cenotes. Snorkeling equipment is available for rental. Bike rentals and horseback riding is also available.

TULUM
There is Tulum Ruins and there is the town Tulum. The town Tulum is around 5 kilometers south of the Tulum Ruins. The town is small but has many restaurants, bars and hotels. There are some nice hotels in the area and many miles of white sandy beaches. Tulum town is also close to the ruin sites of Coba, Muyil and Tulum.

Tulum (7 km. north of Maya Tulum) is the largest Maya construction built on the coast. Today it is Mexico's most visited pre-Hispanic site. Tulum was a very important center of commerce and a place of pilgrimage in the past.

MAYA RIVIERA
Stretching from Punta Brava just south of Cancun International Airport to Punta Allen just south of Tulum exists one of the most fascinating destination spots in the world. Tropical beaches, ancient ruins, abundant marine and wildlife abound. The Great Maya Reef is the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere.

We do not know if there exists an exact spot where the Maya Riviera starts but the general concensus is that once you get onto highway 307 along the coast in Quintana Roo you are pretty well in the Maya Riviera. This highway runs from Cancun all the way down to Belize. The Maya Riviera ends after Tulum and the Costa Maya begins.

As you drive along highway 307 you are usually around a kilometer away from the beach. The land is flat and the scenery will appear similar to that of any flat-forested region of Canada or Europe. The highway itself is brand new having just been widened in recent years and is in impeccable shape.

Along the Maya Riviera, on the highway there is the occasional Mexican craft market, small industrial center, and lots of resort entrances. On the shoreline there are numerous privately owned rental cabanas, fishing and diving operations and beaches.

The most popular travel destination in the Maya Riviera is Playa del Carmen which is where you can get the ferry to go to Cozumel. After Playa del Carmen the next town of any great size is Tulum.

Mexican's tend to refer to the Riviera as "Riviera Maya" while foreigners call it "Maya Riviera".

What are the best Maya ruin site to visit?
The answer is:

Chichen Itza
Uxmal
Tulum Ruins/Coba

So the three day tour of Mexico will focus on these locations The famous cities of Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Konhulnich, Xpujil and Chicann? are a few hours drive from Maya Tulum. They are magnificent examples of the science and the art of the ancient Maya.

Chichen Itza
is recommended as it has a large pyramid temple and the biggest ballcourt in Mesoamerica. Nestled on the south-east Yucatan Peninsula, this archaeological park houses El Castillo - a steep pyramid, a large Ball Court, the "Nunnery" and much more ancient surprises. Much of this area has been restored and it is exhilarating to climb the El Castillo Pyramid. There is much to see at Chichen Itza and we will need at least 5 - 6 hours here at a leisurely pace.

Uxmal
is one of the most well known of the Maya cities, and rated by many archaeologists as the finest. It is permitted to climb the largest structure, the Pyramid of the Magician, and the view from the top is well worth the effort, though the steps are extremely steep.

Considered by many archeologists as one of the finest examples of an ancient Maya city. The name Uxmal means 'thrice-built' in Mayan, referring to the construction of its highest structure, the Pyramid of the Magician. The Maya would often build a new temple over an existing one, and in this case five stages of construction have actually been found.

Uxmal was one of the largest cities of the Yucat?n peninsula, and at its height was home to about 25,000 Maya. Like the other Puuc sites, it flourished in the Late Classic period (around 600-900AD).

Puuc architecture has several predominant features, most notably constructions with a plain lower section and a richly decorated upper section. Carvings most commonly found include serpents, lattice work and masks of the god Chac.

Chac was the god of rain, greatly revered by the Maya at Uxmal because of the lack of natural water supplies in the city. Although the Yucat?n has no surface rivers, most Maya cities, including Chich?n Itz?, used cenotes to access underground water, however there were no cenotes at Uxmal. Instead, it was necessary to collect water in chultunes or cisterns, built in the ground. The proximity of the Puuc hills did mean, however, that comparatively rich soil from the hilltop forests was washed down the slopes during rainstorms, making the area one of the most successful agricultural regions of the Yucat?n.

The Pyramid of the Magician
Standing 117 feet (38 m) high, this structure dominates your view as you enter the complex. Unusually built on an elliptical base, this pyramid is the result of five superimposed temples. Parts of the first temple can be seen when ascending the western staircase; the second and third are accessed by the eastern staircase, in an inner chamber at the second level. The fourth temple is clearly visible from the west side, a giant Chac mask marks the entrance and Chac's mouth is the door! Note also the series of Chac masks on the sides of the stairway. Climb to the top of the east stairs to reach the fifth temple and view the whole site.

The Nunnery Quadrangle
This collection of four buildings around a quadrangle was named "Casa de las Monjas" (The Nunnery) by the Spanish, because the 74 small rooms around the courtyard reminded them of nuns' quarters in a Spanish convent. Each of the four buildings has a unique ornate fa?ade, and each is built on a different level. The northern building is the oldest and the grandest; here you can see many typical Puuc embellishments - Chac masks arranged one over another vertically, serpents and lattice work. The building to the east and closest to the House of the Magician is the best preserved, with a stack of Chac masks over the central doorway and serpents above the doorways to the left and right. The exact purpose of the group is not known, though, given the size and importance of the site, it is thought likely to have housed visiting dignitaries or administrative offices.

The Palace of the Governor
Regarded by many experts as the best example of Puuc architecture in existence, the Palace of the Governor stands on an artificial raised platform and is thought to be one of the last constructed building on the site (around 987AD). The structure has a typical plain lower section and a richly carved upper. Amongst the depictions are serpents, lattices and masks and also a central seated god-like figure with a long plumed head-dress.

House of the Turtles
Next to the Palace of the Governor and on the same raised platform stands the House of the Turtles, so called because of a frieze of turtles carved around the cornice. It was believed that turtles suffered with man at times of drought and would also pray to Chac for rain.

The Great Pyramid
Originally nine levels high, the Great Pyramid has been partially restored. It seems that another temple was to be superimposed on the existing structure and some demolition had taken place before the plans were halted, leaving the pyramid in bad condition. However, you can still see Puuc-style stonework on the fa?ade.

Cob?
Deep in the Yucatecan jungle- ancient roads converge at a long lost city. Cob? is beautiful and mysterious - a visit here requires some effort but is very worthwhile. Its name means "ruffled waters", derived from the five lakes in the vicinity, and it is one of the oldest Mayan settlements on the peninsular. It also has the highest pyramid in the area and the greatest concentration of sacbeob (Mayan roads constructed from stone), both of which suggest a major city - yet the ruins were not discovered until the late 19th century. Even today, only a small fraction of the many structures in this vast site have been excavated and this, together with the remoteness and jungle setting, contribute to the feeling of exploring new ground. Bring a Panama hat and imagine you're Indiana Jones... !

The pyramids of Coba are isolated in the jungle 30 miles west of Maya Tulum surrounded by several lagoons. Walk the paths and experience the powerful meditative energy. Climb to the top of the pyramids and sit quietly enjoying magnificent views over miles of virgin jjungle.

There are no crowds here, as Cob? is not on the tour bus routes, and any other travelers you meet will be of the serious kind rather than the bikini-clad tourists at Tuloem.

Cob? was a thriving city from around A.D.600, although it had been settled for around a thousand years before this date. It is more similar to Tikal in Guatemala than to its Mayan neighbors, and depictions of female Tikal royalty on several stelae found here have led to speculation that there was at least one marriage between the royalty of the two cities.

Another interesting feature of Cob? is the convergence of around forty sacbeob, built by the Maya, one of which has been traced a distance of 60 miles (100 km). Each sacbe was constructed with stones to a height of one to two meters and then covered with white mortar. Their purpose is puzzling as this civilization had no wheeled transport and had yet to see the horse, but may have been built for religious processions and pilgrimages.

Cob? is one of the oldest settlements in the Yucatan

Muyil
Located only about 30 kilometers south of Tulum, this site has been continuously inhabited since approximately 200 B.C.. A combination of architecture from the Classic Period of Maya history characterized by the design of El Castillo of the Petan style and Puuc style architecture characterized by El Templo built in the Post Classic Period. There is evidence of extensive trade from the Maya highlands in Belize and Guatelema as well as with the Puuc region of Western Yucatan. The site is very old and still only partially restored.

Join us for our 10 day tour of Peru after Mexico

Costings:
4 day Tuition with Dan Winter - Sep 26 - 29 - / $600
Accomodation and all meals at Maya Reatreat - / $600
3 day Tour with food and accomodation - / $600

All enquiries and bookings:
rogergreen@fengshuiseminars.com