End of days tourism

Tourists climbed the Mayan pyramid of Nohoch Mul at the archeological site of Coba, Mexico. Thousands of New Age mystics, spiritual adventurers, and canny businessmen are converging on ancient ruins in southern Mexico and Guatemala to find out what will happen to the world on Dec. 21, the date, as Mayan legend has it, represents the end of the world.

Tourists got their picture taken next to a slab of stone counting down the days until Dec. 21 at the Xcaret theme park in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Dec. 21, 2012, marks the end of an age in the 5,125 year-old Mayan calendar, an event that is variously interpreted as the end of days, the start of a new era, or just a good excuse for a party.

A local resident waited to fetch tourists to the Mayan ruins.

Tourists climbed the Mayan pyramid of Nohoch Mul.

Tourists climbed down the Mayan pyramid of Nohoch Mul.

Archaeologists say there is no evidence the Mayans ever made any such prophesy about the end of days.