If you are traveling as a tourist then it is probably important to you that you find a hotel that is located close to attractions. Many of these offer promotions and discounts to surrounding attractions as a means to attract and encourage additional business. By researching your hotel options before arriving - perhaps using Internet, you can save yourself both money and time - both of which you will need for your vacation.

Travelers can find a hotel over web, through newspaper, in magazines, or by making contact with a travel agent. Depending on age and interests of traveler, hotel they choose can vary. Many people select to stay in a hotel that is located close to airport, or to city's attractions such as shopping centers. This means that traveler can sometimes avoid renting a car if they find a hotel in a central location. Cities with public transportation also make this easier. Depending on traveler~s budget, they can find a hotel with wonderful accommodations in great tourist spots. Preparing ahead of time helps to guarantee best rates and available options for ultimate trip.

The author is an avid traveler and has found a few simple rules that will make your travels a breeze.

I had read Carlos Castaneda a lot and always had wondered about his teacher/brujho's claim that he was last Toltec. I presume he was claiming to be last pure Toltec and since time I was at Chichen Itza I have discovered more sources that indicate they were not indigenous people but most likely Ovates of Keltic tradition. The teachings of Don Juan as reported by Carlos and then performed by him, include dimensional shifts and time or immortality issues, that I felt were connected with this game in 'Pelota'. Barbi had heard my theory a few times I guess and wanted to have 'fun' egging me on to explain why some teams of winners might choose death.

Carlos Castaneda had been a UCLA anthropology student when he began his association with 'cult hero' Don Juan and his sorcerer friends like Don Gennaro. The rumor was that Carlos did no longer exist in this physical frame of reference and that journalists who waited to interview him at his publisher’s offices had always been frustrated. He would deliver his books from time to time and journalists or paparazzi would chase after him. When he would duck into a stairwell and they would converge on him from above and below he wouldn't be there anymore. I didn't think any journalist who really understood his work would be interested in being a journalist once he was an adept. The Castaneda debunkers have their position that they understand everything he writes but I am sure they don't.

It requires a great deal of right thought and attunement to shift physical dimensions or dematerialize. Barbi and I had been watching a cable access show called Tootlevision after its host Harry Tootle. We had seen Al Bielek describing his work as a physicist dealing with nature of Time and its seven levels of a helical nature. The universe seems to expand, with logical progression from lesser to greater cardinalities playing role of time. I knew that 'viewing' time through Philosopher's Stone had given many people like priestly Michel Nostradamus insight to his confusing quatrains. The work of David Ovason in Secrets of Nostradamus is best I have found on that matter.

I had met some people who had more than just premonitions and I had had a couple of them myself. It seemed to me that parallel or alternate universes had a part to play in confusion. I think deja vu is a very common time frame feeling that is at earliest stage of helical structure of time.

The pyramid that you always see pictures of, in reference to Chichen Itza, dominates a plaza or field of immense proportions with large spaces between each of main buildings. The Observatory or Caracol was being worked on and was unavailable for entry at time of our visit. I found Parthenon like columns of interest after having seen statues at 'Villas', and we walked among them first. It was getting hotter by minute and it was very humid.

"Bob, I'll race you to top of Pyramid!" Barbi called to me as she came running up beside me. It wasn't going to get any cooler and August in Mexico is always hot. I guess I would have asked her to do it herself and tell me what she was able to see from small altar room at top, if she hadn't challenged me in this way.

"When have you ever beaten me at anything physical, Short Stuff?" It didn't matter to me, whether this was famous Kukulcan jaguar cults' pride and joy or not, by time I reached top. It was my primary concern to not breathe too hard so that my younger lady wouldn't think I was too old or something like that. She was excited and rushed to me with news that she had gone under altar and had been able to see original temple structure below.

The Popul Vuh is Bible of Mayan peoples, or I guess I should say what Bible purports to be. The historical and legendary traditions and laws of their ancestors; had mentioned current temple was built around an earlier one that jaguar cult of Kukulcan had built. It says that three brothers from across ocean to west; designed and led their ancestors to build this structure.

I think very existence of Mayans had been presented as a no longer existing factor at some time in twentieth century: it was because they intended to wipe them out. I know in Mexico that many in government wishes that were case, and I know Mayans had successfully kept away from Spanish for many centuries since Franciscans came to rob and ridicule them. Their mercenary brethren like Cortez had tried their damndest to 'make it so'. At this time I was not sure I had really met a Mayan except at Fritz's once, a few months earlier. I found out more about these things later in an extended visit that included living in Belize for about five months. The Mayans had been much more than their primitive Aztec conquerors. In fact Aztecs held Mayans in very high esteem and basically plagiarized Mayan calendar and anything else they could. The Mayan still have a racial purity that makes them look like their original ancestors from Orient or Mu.

As I re-energized, Barbi and I hugged in presence of a vista once shared by a priesthood of austere and unproven origin who I was sure we could learn a lot from. The Mayans have a saying that can be expressed in many different ways that goes like this: "Don't put yourself in front of your Self!" The soul is our true nature for sure; I mused as I saw Barbi's wide-eyed excitement and shared her awe of this beautiful view. I felt vindicated in my zeal or often apparently ludicrous pursuit of something others only gave a modicum of care about; but much more was 'in store' for us that wonderful and 'freaky' day.

"Bob, I actually feel that I am somewhat responsible for bringing some of these things into your life. The truth is you bring them or make them a reality for me, in ways that no one else could. I don't tell you that I love you enough, do I?"

"Yes, Barbi, you do. But, I always love to hear it.” We kissed before beginning more difficult journey down side of pyramid.

It was so steep going down that it was amazing to both of us that they allowed old and infirm tourists to do it alone. Barbi probably made some crack about me having to do it on hands and knees some time in near future. There were some old people and even some who weren't so young who did this at some tricky points on descent to 'terra firma'. I was still naive enough to think Mexican government and its fifty extended Spanish families that owned everything, had some kind of ethic. This illusion was rudely and totally corrected in my next visit to this land where might is still right.

We headed directly for 'Pelota' after reaching ground. This building was ominous, and we saw royal box looming high above field where 'little people' played out their life and death game or struggle.

Author of Diverse Druids Columnist for The ES Press Magazine Guest 'expert' at World-Mysteries.com