(Joshua Berlinger) Well, the 5125-year Mayan calendar comes to an end on December 21, 2012, and no one knows what will happen next. True believers suppose we might see cataclysmic solar flares or an incident involving a black hole or a collision between Earth and a planet called Nibiru.
To prepare for these scenarios — or, if you prefer, more conventional fears like economic collapse and nuclear war — we have identified some places for you to hide out.
They won’t keep you safe if the world is completely destroyed, but they’re good bets if there’s some kind of post-apocalypse.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
All you really need to know is that this idyllic city in the North of Thailand is where famous investor Marc Faber makes his home. Faber is one of the most gloomy people you’ll meet in the investment world, constantly issuing warnings about where you should live if the war comes (rural farmland), and what will happen to the dollar (it will be worth less than toilet paper).
What’s more, while Southeast Asia has been a hotspot for war, heroin, massacres, and political turmoil for decades, Chiang Mai has remained a stronghold of peace and stability. That’s a great sign that it can probably survive no matter what history throws at the rest of us.
Geneva
Hear us out here.
The Large Hadron Collider, located in a 27-kilometer loop on the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva may not seem like the perfect place to spend the apocalypse. One of the world’s largest scientific experiments that can create conditions colder than deep space, it sounds more like a place where the apocalypse would start.
But it’s 100 meters underground, and you’ll have a front row seat to some of the most impressive scientific discoveries to humankind. If scientists at the LHC are studying the “fundamental building blocks of all things,” they’ll probably have a better idea of what caused the apocalypse — and how to survive it — than your average Joe.
Yukon Territory, Canada
The Yukon is the westernmost of Canada’s federal territories. It is sparsely populated and these days the economy is heavily dependent on government and tourism. But if things fall apart, the area is certainly capable of sustaining small, thriving communities. There is plenty of wildlife for hunting and trapping, which will be very important in the early years following a global catastrophe when farming is not really a viable option.
As civilization rebuilds itself, the areas rare metal mining will be a boon. Lots of rivers mean you’ll be able to get around easily.
The weather is harsh, especially in winter. So bring a warm coat. And if you are on your own in the wilderness, you’ll have to be especially careful of bears.
Mount Weather, Virginia
Nestled in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Mount Weather currently serves as FEMA’s National Emergency Coordinating Center. Its high altitude and remote location makes it ideal for avoiding most natural disasters or invasions. The high frequency radio is great for contacting other survivors, and the underground facility supposedly includes a hospital, crematorium, dining area, sleeping quarters, reservoirs of drinking and cooling water, an emergency power plant, and a radio and television studio.
It is also where then-Vice President Dick Cheney was moved after the 9/11 attacks.
Site R, Pennsylvania
Site R, also known as the Raven Rock Mountain Complex
AP Photo/Paul Vathis
Also known as the Raven Rock Mountain Complex, Site R is located about six miles away from Camp David, Pennsylvania. It was built in the 1950s and is still shrouded in mystery.
We know it has a presidential weather support facility (presumably for Air Force One) and probably electromagnetic pulse protection, according to Wired. But it’s rumored to have an entire underground city too.
Sederot, Israel
Shutterstock / R.Age
Perth, on the western coast of Australia, is considered to be one of the most remote cities in the world.
It’s also exploding as a hot spot for the rich, thanks to a giant new wave of wealth being generated by the region’s booming resources industry. And it’s close to a major diamond mine, which could provide work and cash flow in the even that you survive.