End of the world is out of sight as tourists expected to throng Copan in Honduras

While some Hondurans interpret the Mayan calendar countdown as presaging the end of the world in 2012, the city of Copan Ruinas in western Honduras is getting ready for a big celebration for the thousands of tourists expected to turn up as the count begins.

"One thing is the interpretation some people make of the Mayan calendar, not only in Honduras but in neighboring countries as well, and another is the new interest in Copan Ruinas," Tourism Secretariat spokeswoman Nora Schauer said.

"What we're expecting here in 2012 are thousands of Honduran and foreign tourists on hand to witness the countdown to the end of the Mayan calendar," Schauer said.

Original source: Efe