Earth Ancients: Startling New Discoveries from Our Planet’s Distant Past
And Body Mind Spirit Journeys

Present

The Sacred Pyramid Tour of Mexico

Featuring Mexico City, Teotihuacan
Puebla, Oaxaca and more

Hosted by Cliff Dunning

October 7-17, 2021

Join Cliff for a sacred journey to the heart of spiritual Mexico. This is an opportunity to visit ancient places that were aligned with the Cosmos, the rhythms and cycles of Mother Earth.

Body Mind Spirit Journeys, along with Cliff Dunning, invite you to experience a tour that goes beyond the basics of travel and provides an opportunity to discover the people, culture and spirituality of a country with over 3,000 years of history.

 On this enchanting adventure, you’ll connect with nature spirits, the Cosmos and the energies of the ancient wondrous region. In doing so, you’ll be aligning your heart to the signature of the planet so that you may be joyfully lifted as the Earth lifts in her awakening.

 Come ready to cleanse, renew and align yourself in the sacred traditions of the ancients, while opening the path to greater enlightenment and balance. 

This sacred journey is for you.

YOUR HOST: CLIFF DUNNING
Cliff is the host and producer of the popular podcast, “Earth Ancients: Startling New Discoveries from Our Planets Distant Past.” He is also a former Program Director for The Learning Annex, Whole Life Expo, and numerous national conferences. As a writer, his articles have appeared in publications around the world. Cliff has developed a keen awareness for provocative subjects on our planet’s known and unknown civilizations, as well as the thousands of anomalous archeological discoveries which are not covered by conventional science and the media. Possessing a deep understanding of ancient wisdom traditions, the Human Potential Movement, topics on personal growth, and spirituality, Cliff introduces programs which are ahead of their time, controversial and thought-provoking.

JOINING CLIFF:

Escorted by Memo Gonzalez
Guillermo “Memo” Gonzalez is a tour guide who specializes in the Chichen Itza area. One of his clients recently wrote: “His English was great and he was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We had been there before with a guide and did not learn nearly as much about the background on what we were seeing. I would highly recommend Memo Gonzalez if you can get him as your tour guide inside the park.“
 
Special Lectures by Marco M. Vigato 
Marco M. Vigato, a researcher into ancient mysteries and megalithic civilization lives in Mexico City. Much of his recent research has focused on the megalithic remains of ancient Mexico and Mesoamerica, leading him to the discovery of several little-known sites showing evidence of advanced engineering and architecture in the central Mexican highland. He is currently working on a more comprehensive study of the origins and development of megalithic civilizations and the relationship of ancient megalithic sites with sacred geometry, astronomy and geodesy. 

TOUR INCLUDES

• Private transportation for all scheduled activities
• First Class Hotel Accommodations
  • 5 Nights in Mexico City
  • 2 Nights in Puebla
  • 3 Nights in Oaxaca
• Hotel taxes
• Breakfast every day
• 7 Lunches
• 8 Dinners
• Sightseeing as per itinerary
• Sightseeing entrance fees as per itinerary

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Led by Host Cliff Dunning
• Escorted throughout by our spiritually knowledgeable Mexican guide, Memo Gonzales
• Special presentation by ancient mysteries researcher Archaeologist Marco M. Vigato
• Visit the ancient Aztec city of Teotihuacan with Marco Vigato
• Mexico City sightseeing  tour
• Visit to Chapoltepec
• Travel to Teotihuacan to see the ancient Aztec pyramids
• Visit the archaeological sites at Cacaxtla
• Visit Cholula and its famous Pyramid
• Tour Puebla, one of Mexico’s prettiest cities
• Visit to the see the pre-hispanic art at the Amparo Museum
• Visit the impressive Cathedral in Oaxaca
• Stop at the archaeological site of Monte Alban
• Visit  the  Frida Kahlo Cayoacan neighborhood and Museum
• Admire the great site of  Xochicalco Morelos

Featured First Class Hotels or similar:

• In Mexico City (5 nights) – Hotel Royal Reforma
• In Puebla (2 nights) – Hotel NH Puebla Central
• In Oaxaca (3 nights) – Oaxaca Real Hotel

ITINERARY

Day 1, Thursday, October 7:  Arrival in Mexico City (D)
Tour starts in Mexico City. Upon arrival and after going through Immigration and Customs, transfer on your own to our hotel. Check into our hotel and some time to relax before our “Welcome to Mexico” dinner. Here we will do an opening meditation to set intention for the trip. We will meet personal guide, Memo that will be with us for the duration of the journey. Overnight and welcome dinner in Mexico City

Day 2: Friday, October 8: In Mexico City (B/L/D)
This morning, open our mind to live new experiences. We begin our journey visiting Mexico City, the only city in the world where you can see the union of three eras: pre-hispanic period, colonial period and modern time. The city was built on the very site that was once the center of Aztec Culture and where we will visit “El Templo Mayor.” It’s located on the ancient site that was the Aztec city of Tenochtitlán. We continue with a visit to Zocalo (or Plaza de la Constitución), the main square. Continue to the National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral. Just outside the National Museum we will enjoy lunch at Casa de los Azulejos while enjoying the outside architecture at its surroundings.  We end our touring  with a visit at the National Museum of Art (MUNAL). Return to our hotel for dinner and our overnight.

Day 3: Saturday, October 9: In Mexico City –  Chapultepec  tour (B/D)
After breakfast we depart for Chapultepec for a morning of touring.  We start with spending some time at the world-famous Museo Nacional de Antropología, designed by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez.  The Museum features many anthropological, ethnological and archaeological materials in the collection date from the pre-Hispanic period. Exhibited on two large floors, these displays show ancient human remains and art objects including figures and pottery of the Pre-Classical Period that began about 5000 bc, as well as frescoes and statuary of the Classical Period. Continue to Chapultepec, known as the “Hill of the Grasshopper” and that has played an important role in the history of Mexico. The Aztecs fortified the hill but were expelled by neighboring tribes. Then after their consolidation of power in the Valley of Mexico about 1325, they built a religious center and a residence for Aztec rulers on it. After the Spanish conquest, a chapel was built and in the 1780s the Spanish viceroys began the construction of a summer palace on the site.  Return to Mexico City for lunch on our own and some free time before dinner and overnight at our hotel.

Day 4: Sunday, October 10: In Mexico City  (B/L/D)
We depart our hotel for the Coyoacan neighborhood.  We start with a walk around the district that is home to many of the Mexican artist community and features charming houses and a beautiful Coyote Fountain. We then visit the Frida Kahlo Museum also known as the Blue House, for the structure’s cobalt-blue walls. It’s a historic house and art museum dedicated to the life and work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. After lunch at a local restaurant, we continue to the San Angel neighborhood and the Casa Estudio Diego & Frida,  including a visit to the Mummies of Guanajuato Museum, the Alley of the Kiss and the Pipila Monument.  Return to Mexico City for an early dinner followed by a special presentation by Marco Vigato to prepare us for our next day’s visit to Teotihuacan that Marco will lead.

Day 5: Monday, October 11: In Mexico City – Teotihuacan tour (B/D)
After breakfast, we recharge our energies and our spirit as we travel to the Teotihuacan, a UNESCO city known as the “The City of the Gods”, and is the most important and largest city of pre-Aztec Mexico. During the Aztec time, it was even one of the largest cities in the world, as well as the region’s major economic and religious centre. Here we will tour the archaeological sites including the Avenue of the Dead that is capped by the Pyramid of the Moon, the second largest structure in the city that rises to 140 feet. Next to the Pyramid of the Sun, one of the largest structures of its type in the Western Hemisphere. It dominates the central city from the east side of the Avenue of the Dead, and stands over 200 feet high. Continue to the Ciudadela (“Citadel”), a large square courtyard where stands the Temple of Quetzalcóatl (the Feathered Serpent) in the form of a truncated pyramid an where we see projecting from its ornately decorated walls numerous stone heads of the deity. In the early 1980s archaeologists discovered the ceremonially interred remains of 18 men, probably soldiers who had been ritually sacrificed. Further work has revealed more than 130 skeletons of both sexes in mass graves along the edges of the temple, as well as beneath it. We will have some free time to explore and also have lunch on our own before returning to our hotel in Mexico City. This evening we have a free evening to  experience some of the city’s wonderful local restaurants. Overnight in Mexico City.

Day 6: Tuesday, October 12: To Puebla (B/L)
We depart Mexico City and head for Xochicalco for a visit to the great site of Xoxhicalco Morelos (In the Place of the Flower House). It’s a fortified ancient city known for its impressive ruins and is located on the top of a large hill and parts of surrounding hills near Cuernavaca.  Xochicalco was built after the fall of Teotihuacán primarily during the 8th and 9th centuries ad. Its ruins reveal multicultural influence, including Aztec, Zapotec, and Olmec elements.  After lunch at a local restaurant, we depart for Puebla, one of Mexico’s prettiest colonial cities where we have the afternoon and evening free for independent activities.  Marvel at the splendor of its elegant colonial buildings, its streets and its flavors that honor its nickname “De los Ángeles.” It’s a city with beautiful facades covered with talavera, and is as an authentic and unique place to be found in Mexico. Walk through the beautiful historical center with its cobblestone streets. Make sure to stop at the Amparo Museum, one of the most important historical museums in Mexico. It features a collection of pre-hispanic, colonial and modern art of Mexico. The gastronomy in Puebla is also well known. It is a fusion of Mexican, European and even Asian traditions. The dishes seduce the eye and the palate, which is why they have gained fame worldwide. Dinner on your own at one of the many local restaurants to try one of the traditional dishes, such as chiles en nogada. Or the molotes criollos that are made by mixing corn and wheat and then filled with a pumpkin flower, potato or cheese. Overnight in Puebla.                      

Day 7: Wednesday, October 13: In Puebla.  Visit Cacaxtla & Cholula. In Puebla (B/L/D)
After breakfast we depart for a visit to the Tlaxcala workshop to explore the archaeological site of Cacaxtla, widely known because of its well-preserved colorful murals – some over 1,000 years old including a series of virtually untouched murals. Of particular interest is the fact that most of the murals seem to combine the symbology of Altiplano cultures with influences from the Maya, making Cacaxtla unique in this regard. Cacaxtla also has the oldest mural painting featuring a human figure and symbols from other cultures (Teotihuacan, Maya, Mixtec and Totonac). These paintings portray the bird man and the feline man, possibly ruler – priests of the Olmecs Xicalancas who inhabited Cacaxtla between the years 600 and 900 AD. The bird man is associated with Quetzalcoatl, the generous deity who taught people the arts and agriculture. The feline man is associated with the rains that fertilize the earth. After lunch we continue to visit the magic town of Cholula, considered the oldest city in America that has been inhabited without interruption since its origins. The former Franciscan convent of San Gabriel, one of the oldest in America, is located in this city, and Cholula is famous for its massive pyramid, the largest such structure in the Americas, and the largest pyramid structure by volume in the world.  Afterwards, we will make a stop at a Talavera Workshop famous throughout the world for hand-painted ceramics featuring indigenous roots and European colonial influences.. Continue to Puebla for our overnight and dinner.

Day 8: Thursday, October 14: To Oaxaca (B/L)
This morning, we leave Puebla and travel to Oaxaca. On the way we will stop in Tehuacan for a city tour that features a visit to the Mineralogy Museum, the Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion y Cueva Parish, also known as Tehuacán Cathedral whose construction began in the year 1724. It’s all made using stone and bricks in a Renaissance style and the town’s Historic Center. We will have lunch at a local restaurant as we enjoy local dishes as  chalupitas or molotes. Maybe try a lapo, a typical beverage from Tehuacán that is prepared with pulque and sugar cane juice. Then later in the afternoon its onto Oaxca that was founded in 1529 and is located in the majestic Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains. The city is surrounded by small villages and towns where over 16 different language and cultural groups speak more than 200 dialects, making it one of Mexico’s richest architectural melting pots. After checking into our hotel, we have the afternoon  and evening on our own for some independent exploration and to try one of the wonderful local Oaxaca restaurants.  Overnight in Oaxaca.

Day 9: Friday, October 15: In Oaxaca: Visit to Monte Alban (B/L/D)
Today, we visit the archaeological site of  Monte Alban, located on a mountain top and one of the most important cities of Mesoamerica. We will walk around the site including the Grand Plaza, a large open area on the flattened plateau as we learn about Zapotec history and culture, and gaze at ceremonial platforms, including a series of rock carvings called The Dancers (Los Danzantes). Monte Alban has 170 tombs, whose excavations revealed a range of paintings and stone carvings including pyramids, temples and altars. Our tour ends with viewing a I-shaped ball court constructed in 100 BC. We return to Oaxaca  for lunch followed by a city  walking tour that starts with a visit to Mexico’s most awesome church. Continue to traffic-free, Zocalo, shaded by tall trees and surrounded by elegant portales (arcades). It is the perfect place to start soaking up the Oaxaca atmosphere. Onto the Alameda, the theater Macedonio Alcala and the beautiful Templo de Santo Domingo, a 16th-century Baroque-style church and former monastery, where we learn of the church’s Spanish colonial past. Return to our hotel to rest before dinner and our overnight

Day 10: Saturday, October 16: In Oaxaca: Visit to the Central Valley (B/L/D)
After breakfast, we board our coach for a day of touring the region’s Central Valley. The valley is Y-shaped with Oaxaca City in the center and it’s the largest ‘flat’ patch of arable land in the state. Not surprisingly, this is where the earliest settlements were founded and where we will view amazing archaeological sites, indigenous villages and great markets for shopping for local items like wood carvings, black ceramics.  We will have lunch at one of the many local restaurants before returning to our hotel to prepare for our farewell dinner and overnight

Day 11: Sunday, October 17: Depart Mexico (B)
This morning depart on your own to the Oaxaca city airport (OAX) to board your flight back home. You will return renovated and full of new vibes, beautiful memories and new knowledge of ancient cultures. Hasta pronto Mexico.

Please read the Terms and Conditions of this tour.

** Bonus! SAVE! You will receive a 5% discount if ALL payments are made by check or money order. This discounted price is noted below in red.

*Special No Interest + No Payments for 6 Months Plan Now Available!
RMC Travel now offers the “PayPal Credit” Plan (Click here for details)

PRICING

Tour – Land Only Costs Per Person, double occupancy:
$2,299 payments via check or money order
$2,419 payments via credit card

Tour – Land Only Costs Per Person, single room occupancy:
$2,799 payments via check or money order
$2,949 payments via credit card

Pre-Paid Gratuities:
$85 payments via check or money order
$89 payments via credit card

NOTE: The Single Room Supplement applies for those who would like to secure a private room throughout the tour.

ROOMMATES: We will be happy to try to find a suitable roommate for those who are traveling alone and would like to share a room. Per our Terms and Conditions, registration for the tour will be held open until four weeks before the departure date in order to try to match everyone with a roommate. If, by that date, we have not been able to match you with a suitable roommate, you will be responsible to pay for the single supplement. An early registration will facilitate this process.

Deposit Schedule:
Non-Refundable Deposit Payment – due as soon as possible in order to ensure a place on the tour
Per Person Double or Single accommodations: $500 by check or money order, $525 by credit card

Final Payment (final installment due on or before August 7, 2021)

If you have already registered and would like to go to the payment page, Click Here.

Air Reservations

BMSJ is pleased to announce that it has opened an expanded Air Reservation Desk headed by Jeannifer Brady.

Jen can be reached at 1-800-545-1300 or travelbyjeannifer@gmail.com.

Jen will be happy to answer your questions and assist you in making your airline reservations to join your BMSJ Spiritual Journey. 

Travel Insurance

As travel professionals, Body Mind Spirit Journeys highly recommends travel insurance.

Photo credits:

Museo Nacional de Antropología  by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Blue House by Peter Andersen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Teotihuacan – Pyramid of the Moon by Jarek Tuszynski licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
Teotihuacan -Temple of Quetzalcoatl by David Broad licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
Mural Hombre Jaguar Cacaxtla by Gustavo Velarde se encuentra bajo la licencia Creative Commons Genérica de Atribución/Compartir-Igual 3.0.
Great Pyramid of Cholula, Puebla, Mexico by Diego Delso, delso.photo, License CC-BY-SA
Chicken with mole coloradito by AlejandroLinaresGarcia licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán: DavidConFran, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Oaxaca market: Anagoria, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons