Page 45 - 201311 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - November 2012

UFOs In The News Doomsday French mountain to be closed 'on day the world ends' The Telegraph A mountain in the French Pyrenees that doomsday cultists claim will be the only place still standing after the end of the world, slated December 21, is to be closed to visitors to avoid pandemonium on its peak. New Agers and UFO watchers will be barred access to the flat-top mount outside Bugarach, population 179, during a four-day period around the date they are convinced represents Armageddon. Harbingers of doom base their apocalyptic prediction on an ancient Mayan calendar predicting the end of the world will happen on the night of December 21, 2012. They believe the Pic de Bugarach is an French village which will later Mossad, the Israeli secret services. "alien garage" and that extraterrestrials are A visit to Bugarach is said to have quietly waiting in a massive cavity beneath the 'survive 2012 Armageddon' inspired Steven Spielberg in his film, Close rock for the world to end, at which point they plagued by visitors Encounters of the Third Kind – although the will leave, taking, it is hoped, a lucky few actual mountain he used is Devil's Tower in humans with them. The Telegraph Wyoming. It is also where Jules Verne found the To avoid a sudden, massive influx of entrance and the inspiration for A Journey to the esoteric outsiders, the mayor has banned The mayor of a picturesque French village has Centre of the Earth. gatherings of any sort, and anyone landing in a threatened to call in the army to seal it off from Recently, however, interest in the site light aircraft will be arrested. a tide of New Age fanatics and UFO watchers, had skyrocketed, said the mayor, with online But some from among the end-of-the- who are convinced it is the only place on Earth UFO websites, many in the US, advising people world crowd claim the real reason authorities to be spared Armageddon in 2012. to seek shelter in Bugarach as the countdown to are shutting down the area is that they are really Bugarach, population 189, is a peaceful Armageddon commences. there to investigate dozens of recent UFO farming village in the Aude region, "Many come and pray on the sightings. southwestern France and sits at the foot of the mountainside. I've even seen one man doing Local police are also clamping down on Pic de Bugarach, the highest mountain in the some ritual totally nude up there," said Mr those hoping to cash in on doomsday fever by Corbières wine-growing area. Delord. selling end-of-the-world memorabilia at out of But in the past few months, the quiet Sigrid Benard, who runs the Maison de this world prices. village has been inundated by groups of esoteric la Nature guesthouse, said UFO tourists were Local press reports say one landowner is outsiders who believe the peak is an "alien taking over. "At first, my clientele was 72 per offering to rent out his four-bedroom house on garage". cent ramblers. Today, I have 68 per cent the slopes of Bugarach for 1500 euros a night According to them, extraterrestrials are 'esoteric visitors'," he said. next month, or an empty field for those wishing quietly waiting in a massive cavity beneath the Several "Ufologists" have bought up to camp at 400 euros. rock for the world to end, at which point they properties in the small hamlet of Le Linas, in the "I possess a rare asset, the land of will leave, taking, it is hoped, a lucky few mountain's shadow for "extortionate" prices, immortality," the owner is cited as claiming in humans with them. and locals have complained they are being La Depeche du Midi. Most believe Armageddon will take priced out of the market. Strange sect-like Intergalactic hitchhikers can book a place on December 21, 2012, the end date of the courses are held for up to €800 a week. "For this place in a bed and breakfast room 19km away ancient Maya calendar, at which point they price, you are introduced to a guru, made to go on December 21 for the cut price of 500 euros, predict human civilisation will come to an end. on a procession, offered a christening and other even though it is outside the "pick up zone". Another favourite date mentioned is 12, rubbish, all payable in cash," said Mr Delord. A local winemaker is even marketing an December, 2012. They see Bugarach as one of Valerie Austin, a retired Briton from End of the World vintage – and a Survival perhaps several "sacred mountains" sheltered Newcastle who settled in Bugarach 22 years ago Vintage next year for those who make through from the cataclysm. who said the alien watchers were spoiling the to the other side. "This is no laughing matter," Jean- village atmosphere. Eric Freysselinard, the prefect of the Pierre Delord, the mayor, told The Daily "You can't go for a peaceful walk Aude department, or county, which comprises Telegraph. anymore. It's a beautiful area, but now you find Bugarach, expressed outrage over the trade last "If tomorrow 10,000 people turn up, as people chanting lying around meditating. week. "I find it really outrageous to abuse the a village of 200 people we will not be able to Everybody has the right to their own beliefs, but naivety of people and rush into commerce that cope. I have informed the regional authorities of the place no longer feels like ours." She said defies common sense," he said. our concerns and want the army to be at hand if alien watchers planted strange objects on the With the clock ticking, a government- necessary come December 2012." mountainside. backed anti-cult watchdog is warning against a Mr Delord said people had been coming Recently she found a black virgin repeat of the 1995 mass suicides by the Order of to the village for the past 10 years or so in statuette cemented to the rock face. the Solar Temple sect in the Alps when their search of alien life following a post in an UFO Although she described the alien claims predicted Doomsday failed to take place. [] review by a local man, who has since died. "He as "total rubbish", she said there was claimed he had seen aliens and heard the nevertheless something special about the place. %2/ C)D *87/ #+.38 %'B$28? humming of their spacecraft under the "It has a magnetic force in the scientific with mountain," he said. sense of the word. There is a special feeling Rob McConnell The internet abounds with tales of the here, but if I really believed the world were Live 26 Hour Broadcast late President François Mitterrand being about to end, I'd have a whale of a time over the 2012.12.20 23:00 hrs to 2012.12.22 01:00 hrs curiously heliported on to the peak, of next two years" rather than look for salvation, www.xzone2012.com mysterious digs conducted by the Nazis and she said. []