viva mexico :: part 4

view over Teotihuacan and the Avenue of the Dead from the Pyramid of the Moon
In the afternoon of our first full day in Mexico City, after spending time in the morning at one of the community centers of Armonía - we headed north to the ancient Aztec city of Teotihuacan.

side of the Temple of the Feathered Serpent • view towards the pyramids • painted remnants
Home to the third largest pyramid in the world, this city which began as early as 200bc, was amazing to see and learn a little bit about. We began at the southern end of the site known as the Citadel, where apartment buildings and public gathering spaces once existed. The Temple of the Feathered Serpent is in this area and we explored around the grounds trying to understand what it must have been like to be here at the city's pinnacle.

stealing shade • line going up • just in case
From the southern end we made our way north along the Avenue of the Dead, which was the main thoroughfare and stretched for more than 2.5km. From this street one can see how detailed the layout of the city was, as it was divided in symmetrical sections each corresponding to astrological patterns. Some believe that this was to help with their calendar planning in dealing with seasonal farming.

Pyramid of the Sun • looking up • coming down
In the center of the Avenue is the massive structure, the Pyramid of the Sun. It looked big even from a far way off, and kept getting larger and more daunting as we approached. It's hard to capture it in a photo, plus adding to it the heat of that afternoon, and the crazy crowds, it made me laugh (but feel a bit more at ease) to see a permanent paramedic stand just outside the main staircase.

The line to go up wrapped around the front and one side of the structure, as the crowd size is controlled by several guards along the staircase. Finally, when it was our turn, we trekked our way skyward and then hung out on the top for a while to people watch and take in the scenery. The way down was just as harrowing and there was still one more pyramid to go...the Pyramid of the Moon.

emerging from part of the Aztec drainage system • detail of the stone work • street vendor
On the Avenue of the Dead again, there were many things to explore, as there didn't seem to be any regulations on what you could and couldn't climb on, walk on, or crawl through. We saw several little kids going from one structure to the next crawling through the remains of a system of drainage pipes. Some were definitely only suited for people shorter than 2'...but a couple openings looked like I might just about fit - so I tried it out. And I fit. And my calves got a big workout. And the kids behind me looked at me funny. And I didn't care :)

After another climb up and down the final pyramid, then a walk back to the parking lot, we headed back to the guesthouse for a good night's rest...as the next morning we were heading to the community center again to help out with the all-day children's program...