France Blocking Mountain to Keep Doomsday Believers, Media Out

Were you planning to run off to France here in another week or so to get beamed up by aliens when the world ends?

You better make some other plans. France Friday banned access to the Pic de Bugarach, a mountain that’s one of the few places on Earth some think will be spared when the Mayan calendar — and the world — ends on December 21. Rumor has it that the hilltop there will open on the Earth’s last day and aliens will come out with spaceships to save humans who were smart enough to come there.

Eric Freysselinard, the main government representative at the area, says he’s more worried about another invasion — humans, and he thinks the mountain will be full of New Age fanatics, sightseers and the media crews that will arrive to film all the frenzy, NBC News reports.

Freysselinard said the 100 police and firefighters he plans to deploy will also control approaches to the tiny village of the same name at the foot of the mountain, and if too many people turn up, they will block access there too.

We are expecting a few visionaries, a few people who believe in this end of the world, but in extremely limited numbers. We are expecting greater numbers of people who are just curious, but in numbers we cannot determine. Above all, we are expecting lots of journalists.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if journalists are the only ones saved — but nobody would be left to watch the news? Now that is a Doomsday situation!

But other nations aren’t so worried about the potential crowds. Guatemala’s culture ministry is hosting a massive event in the capital of the country, where half the people are of Mayan descent, and tour groups are promoting doomsday getaways.

However, the country’s Maya alliance Oxlaljuj Ajpop says the government and tour groups are perpetuating the myth for monetary gain.

[The time change simply] means there will be big changes on the personal, family and community level, so that there is harmony and balance between mankind and nature.

If you think about it, that really doesn’t sound so bad.