Teotihuacan-The City of the Gods

Yes, I went there a few weeks ago and this is late in being posted, but I've been busy with riots.

Pictures of Teotihuacan

Pyramid of the Sun
Pyramid of the Moon
Living Areas
Statues and Murals



Day One. Getting there.

Ah, the Mexican bus system. While it’s very efficient, it can get on your nerves. My Dad and I took a first class bus to Teotihuacan. And while it sure beats driving through Mexico City, it did leave a few things to be desired.

First. I’d like to say that it is NOT first class when compared with First class with like...the airlines.

First, they play HORRIBLE movies. Not even B-rated but movies with a budget of a few thousand at best. The first was French. There were orphans and singing. Enough said, The only movie in English was about a fictional rock group. They were cloned. And after hearing them sing, one can only wonder WHY.

Finally, the seats recline so far back that the person in front of you is in your lap. If the guy in front of me turned over we’d be have sex right now. And considering he’s rather cute—not a bad idea. At least it would kill the time because the screaming baby and the girl singing behind me are NOT helping pass the time on a six hour bus ride.

BUT the trial and tribulations of riding on a buss for half-a-day were worth it when we arrived at Teotihuacan. There are no words for a site this large and complex. Breathtaking? Awe inspiring?

I think the best word is humbling. To think that people built this complex without the help of machines make you realize what people can accomplish when motivated. Or are slaves. Or if a government is simply looking to keep it’s population working. Or if they have alien help.

One thing about Teotihuacan is that they don’t know who built it and so all of the hypothesis about it’s people are just that—hypothesis

Day Two:

Our first day at Teotihuacan and Dad I went early in an effort to see the place before it was overrun with tourists. It was a good move. We hiked up the Pyramid of the Sun, and other than a French guy, we were the only people there. Very well worth it. The view. The construction. The sheer effort it takes to hike up a pyramid where the stairs vary widely in height and steepness…

It does make me wonder how long it took the people to contract such a monolith. Generations is my guess.

Next, we walked over to the Temple of the Moon. While smaller than the Pyramid of the Sun, I think it’s prettier. It’s also situated at the end of the Avenue of the Dead (the pyramid lined street that goes through the site) which make the view more impressive.

Much like the pyramids at Monte Alban in Oaxaca, the stair that scale the initial level of the Pyramid of the Moon are over a foot in height. What the hell is that about? From skeletal data, it looks like the people were short. Did they climb up? I can’t think of anything else unless there was a race of giants that we don’t’ know about…

The rest of the day, we spent wandering around the site. Now I know what doesn’t sound like much, but if you saw the site, you’d understand the scale of what ‘wandering’ means. The site is X in length and X in width and there are STAIRS everywhere. You can’t throw a rock without hitting a set and I think we’ve gone up Every. Single. One.

We also ventured off the beaten path and hiked up a few pyramids that were not excavated as of yet. VERY cool. Granted, we didn’t find anything (not like we were digging or anything) but we did see walls and the like. I know some of you are shaking your finger at me and saying “Bad Sharron.” Hey, it’s not like we excavated anything. And we even left the pot shards in place (and they are everywhere!)

Dad estimated that we walked about ten miles and it sure as hell felt like it. I was crippled by the end of the first day. I mean crippled!

Day Three:

I explored more ruins—saw a dwelling that still had the remains of murals. What stunned me (like a monkey) is that a thousand years ago, some woman had these painted. I could see her standing there, haranguing the painter (or not) but basically getting the house to look like what she wanted. Perhaps making her husband nuts in the process

I finally came home around 4 because OH MY GOD my feet were KILLING ME. I had blisters on top of blisters and I am NOT exaggerating,. I just don’t get it. I have worn these hiking shoes umpteen times but I got blisters where. Perhaps it’s the fact that I was walking on stone all day. Wined helped. Even better, was that sitting by the pool, under a covered area with a thunderstorm going overhead. Thunder. Lightening. The sky raged!

...time passes...

A slice of chocolate cake later, a glass of red wine, a raging thunderstorm later, and memories of one of the most spectacular sites in the Americas…. and I didn’t ever care that my feet hurt.