Mexico City - Teotihuacan (Piramides)

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On the bus ride out from the centre we picked up all sorts of randoms; playing traditional music, selling food, jewellary, all sorts, as we sped through the ever deterioting suburbs. Non-descip., grey, stone, half built houses - some built on steep slopes like the favellas of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. It´s a depressing sight and shows the vast contrast from the centre to the outskirts.

On arrival at Teotihaucan I was initially struck by several things; the shear size of the place, the way tourists were massively outnumbered by school kids and finally that I had been a idiot to wear jeans.
The main two sites are the Piramida de el sol and the Piramida de la luna (Pyramids of the sun and moon). After climbing the steep steps of the first pyramid I quickly realised I seemed to be a point of great interest to the numerous school kids. Maybe the sight of a 2m high 'gringo' (I'm not actually from the States but it's all the same to them), by himself (an easy target) is not one they are used to. First I had a couple of teenage girls asking me endless questions for their ´homework´, then some little kids, then some more. At one point I was surrounded by about fifteen of them as I tried to walked to the next period firing questions at me in both Spanish and English. I carried on walking but undettered they keep coming - it was really starting to get quite comical . Several photos later my appeal and the call of teachers gave me a little peace. I walked up the next pyramid and I admired the beautiful view and sight over the, err, site. I was then decended upon by some primary school kids. This was good fun as they were quite patient with me as I struggled away in my broken Spanish trying to get a meaningful conversation going.

Later on I visited the Basillica, where apparently the Virgin Mary once appeared and left a golden image of herself. As a result thousands upon thousands of pilgrims descend each year. The area is attractive with seven churches packed in and around the main plaza - of course complete with the normal opportunists selling anything and everything.
The 3ft Virgin Mary figures seemed popular, I decided against buying one.

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Photos

Basillica de Guadalupe
The most important religious site in Mexico, over 20 million pilgrims come to this site each year.