Bugarach - a sleepy village of some 200 souls on the French side of the Pyrenees - has, to its dismay, become a centre of attention because, some believe, it is the only spot on Earth expected to survive a coming global apocalypse on December 21. The ending of a 5,125-year cycle in the Mayan Long Count calendar on this year's winter solstice indicates - according to some interpretations of an inscription from the Mayan city of Tortuguero about the arrival of the god Bolon Yokte' K'uh - that the end of the world is nigh.
That has somehow fed into interest for the village of Bugarach which, for reasons that remain obscure, became the focus of attention by New Age fanatics some time around the turn of the millennium. The 1,230-metre Pic de Bugarach, at the foot of which Bugarach lies, was created by an unusual tectonic shift that has resulted in an "upside-down" mountain, whose partially unexplored caves have provided a fertile ground for tales about a landing pad for extraterrestrials. These aliens - so the stories go - will take a chosen few with them to the safety of outer space when the world does come to an end.
France's MIVILUDES - a government secretariat tasked with countering bizarre cults and sects - has been observing events around Bugarach with concern for some time. The officials remember only too well the events of December 1995, when 16 bodies were found in the Vercors region near the Alps in south-eastern France.
Members of the Order of the Solar Temple had apparently committed suicide. The suicides were part of a series; all linked to solstices or equinoxes, that also took place in Quebec and Switzerland. The prefect of the French department of Aude, Eric Freysselinard, is cordoning off the mountain as a precautionary measure to keep New Age enthusiasts out. A closed zone was due to be set up around the Pic de Bugarach and parts of the woodland five days before December 21. An area of 45 square kilometres around Bugarach has been subjected to restrictions, with only residents and their families allowed free access.
The prefecture has banned events like rave parties for the period around the fateful day, with 150 officers on duty to ensure the bans are observed. Heavy traffic is nevertheless expected. Le Presbytere Hotel is completely booked out for the big day, and there is nothing in the way of accommodation to be found in the village.
Locals are cashing in on end-of-the-world fever. A four-room apartment is advertised in local newspaper La Depeche du Midi for 1,500 euros (2,000 dollars) per day. There is also a tent available for 450 euros a day. Water from a source on the Pic de Bugarach is said to protect against flu and piles, as well as guarantee the return of a strayed lover - at 15 euros a bottle.