High Blue Star in Mexico : day three

---

This day we set out to Teotihuacan to check out the pre-Aztek pyramids. We started in a bit of a rush as there was much to do. The itenerary for today had only two things on it but much travel was required. We tryed to set off at 8am but were running late. We ended up geting coffee at a place close to the subway enterance. I stopped in a bank vestibule to get some cash for the journey while the others enjoyed their coffee. It was a little un-nerving in that at the time I needed to go into the bank they were getting a cash delivery. I didn't count but I believe there were about 7 guards, armed with shotguns and military rifles, watching the perimeter. I got my cash, drank my coffee, and it was off to the subway.

The ride in the subway was kind of a long one to get to the Terminal del Norte which, thanks to "random ass-hole security dude", I couldn't take a picture of. I did snap a few of us infront of it though.



(in the second of these pictures you can see "random ass-hole security dude" coming across the road to tell me to quit taking photos- apparently they didn't want anyone to know that the biggest city in the world has a bus terminal)

We arrived at Teotihuacan at around 12pm after an hour or so bus ride. Half way through the ride a group of Mariachis borded the bus and, after the driver turned down the radio, proceeded to serenade the bus in hopes that captive audience, consisting mostly of Americans and Europeans, would liberate some of their pesos. After the initial barrage of meandering venders and locals offering up their tour guide services, we proceeded down the first set of steps, but not before being mistaken for the band "The Cure".


We decided to climb to the top of the Sun pyramid (the largest of them) and passed on the Moon pyramid upon reaching the top of the Sun pyramid. There are five stages of stairs to the top. I think the second was the most brutal. After climbing down we wondered down the Avenue of the Dead, trying to avoid more of the meandering venders. I did find a set of bracelets I thought a friend of mine would like and negotiated a price.




As we were leaving it was ocuring to us how much sun we had gotten - even though it was supposed to be about 65 degrees and cloudy. Our bus came a little before 3pm and we started back for the city. We had an interview with a magazine at 6 so we had enough time to get something to eat when we got off of the train. We ate at a place called "Tacos de Burladero". It had been raining on the bus ride back to the city but somehow we missed it and ate outside. Somehow Leonardo convinced a Taxi driver to cram the five of us into his car, which was a VW Derby...somewhere between a Jetta and a Passat. We made the interview just in time and the sky opened up once again and stopped when we were done. Its like the rain was scheduled on the itinerary.

After the interview we walked back to the area where we had dinner and hopped back on the subway to our familiar neighbourhood and to Bizarro Cafe for some beers.

---