Please note: I sent Dan an email informing him of the wrong date as of this email I haven't heard back from him. If interested in this excursion please contact me at
nikond@version.net.
Thanks,
Al Stasi
Al Stasi- You've provided me the exact date of Oct. 5, 2008 on the cruise ship- "MS Veendam". The available tour day hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a return to ship time of 4 p.m. for sure party of 2 and or with possible additional tour members to be added before or on Oct. 5, 2008. Your Full 1 Day Tour will include: 1st a.m.-the Ruins of Izapa, 2nd Meal-Lunch/Beverage, and 3rd p.m.- City of Tapachula Tour to be completed in exactly 1 Full Day.
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW CAREFULLY THE EMAIL ATTACHMENT TO THIS EMAIL MESSAGE: "Chipas Mx Izapa Ruins-City Tapachula Info tour.doc"-- which provides background information/description and photos about Izapa Ruins and City of Tapachula.
You will have a bilingual/driver/guide: a. meet you holding a sign ["Al Stasi Group"] at 8 a.m. @ you cruise ship, and b. board a air-conditioned vehicle/or vehicles[if requires more group members] with cooler of bottled water avaiable for the day's drive.
Chiapas Full Day Tour Itinerary:
1. Port Chiapas Group 8 a.m.-Pickup by driver, 2. Departure Morning Tour-Drive to Ruins of Izapa, 3. Group Meal-Lunch/Beverage, 4. Afternoon-City of Tapachula Tour and 5. Vehicle/or vehicles-Return to ship by 4 p.m. to Port Chiapas.
Chiapas Full Day Tour Cost: a. Full tour cost per person-$130.00,
b. a $30.00 reservation deposit per person due immediately by mailing a check[made payable to Dan Tracy] for the cost on exact number of persons by verbal commitment [given from group leader-Al Stasi to Sportventure] on or before Sept. 26, 2008,
c. for the $30.00 pre-paid reserved group members: the balance due amount per person of $100.00 U.S. to be paid/collected in hand-- to the day tour driver from pre-paid list of reserved individually named [Al Stasi] group members in Port Chiapas at 8 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2008,
d. any additional tour member of Stasi group[with maximum size of no more than 8 to 10 members total] added to the group member list for the 1 Day tour after the pre-payment date of Sept. 26, 2008- ***NOTE*** - will be required to pay -- the full day tour amount per person of $130.00 U.S. /and collected by driver in hand in Port Chiapas at 8 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2008 prior to departure by vehicle/or vehicles,
E. the day tour does NOT INCLUDE- any tip, gratituties and personal items purchased during the tour day.
Al- Recall by telephone conversation this p.m. Sat.- that I will be out of town from Mon., Sept. 15 and return p.m. in office on Fri., Sept. 19. for any further question, details or additional concerns to be completed.
Thanks Regards Dan Tracy, owner, Sportventure
Chiapas,Mexico: The Ruins of Izapa and City of Tapachula
The Central Valley highlands and steaming jungles of Chiapas hold some of Mexico's most fascinating archaeological records of the Mayan civilization, strongholds and ceremonial centers, among which is the site named Izapa. The site of Izapa is located along the Pacific coastal piedmont of Chiapas in a location that sat at the juncture between Mixe-Zoquean-speaking peoples to the West and Mayan-speaking peoples to the East. Although there is evidence of occupation at the site during the Early Formative, the site reached its height during the Late Formative period (300 BC - AD 250). The site is most famous for the many stelae that were erected in combination with carved and plain altars. These were placed within large quadrangular plazas that were bounded by pyramidal mounds. The quadrangular plaza of Group B was the focus of ritual activity by 300 BC. While the Group B plaza contains many stela-altar combinations, it is most famous for its triadic arrangement of pillars. Each of the three pillars, measures about 130 cm tall, holds a stone sphere that is about 70 cm in diameter. The triadic arrangement of the pillars was the earthly equivalent of the Three Hearthstones of Creation, which were also reflected in the night sky in the three stars in the belt of the constellation Orion.
The site is large - with more than eighty temple mounds - and important for its evidence of both the Olmec and early Maya cultures. Izapa culture, in fact, is seen as a transitional stage between the Olmecs and the glories of the Classic Maya period. Even though many of the best carved monuments have been removed to museums, including the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City, you can still see early versions of the rain god Chac and others in elaborate bas-relief. Founded before 1250 BC, Izapa continued to flourish throughout the Maya Preclassic period, until around 300 AD; most of what remains is from the later period, perhaps around 200 AD, and the site continued to be occupied until the Post-Classic.
On the northern side of the there's a ball-court, and several stelae, which, though not Olmec in origin, are carved in a recognizable Olmec style, similar to monuments at other early Maya sites. The southern side is a good deal more overgrown, but you can spot altars with animal carvings - frogs, snakes and jaguars - and several unexcavated mounds.
The City of Tapachula
Tapachula, Park Benito Juárez House Of Culture-In Municipal Palace
Old Municipal Palace San Agustin
Volcano Tacana
IZAPA - Izapa is located on the Guatemala - Chiapas border just south of the Volcano Tacana near the city of Tapachula. Izapa is also very close to the Pacific Ocean. The location of this city had large consequences for the inhabitants since it was far removed from the rest of the empire. Its closest Maya neighbor was far away, which in those days was a journey that could only be taken by foot, since the Maya did not use the wheel or beasts of burden for transport. The city is very old in terms of the civilization and flourished from around 300 B.C. to 50 A.D. While the city was far removed from the "empire" it still was very Maya in architecture and contained temples, large stairways and monuments containing hieroglyphics of calendars. The site is large (nearly 1/2 square mile).
There is also a small museum located in Tapachula with artifacts from Izapa on display. The museum is located in the town center by the Zocolo.
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Veendam, 9/30/2008
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