Mayte Dominuez, shaman of the town of Cuisnahuat, holds up the sacred fire during a ceremony at the Maya archeological site of Tazumal in Santa Ana, about 75 km (47 miles) away from San Salvador December 21, 2012. Mystics, hippies and tourists descended on the ruins of Maya cities to mark the close of the 13th bak'tun - a period of around 400 years - and many hoped it would lead to a better era for humanity. This week, at sunrise on Friday, December 21, an era closes in the Maya Long Count calendar, an event that has been likened by different groups to the end of days, the start of a new, more spiritual age or a good reason to hang out at old Maya temples across Mexico and Central America. REUTERS/Ulises Rodriguez (EL SALVADOR - Tags: SOCIETY)