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Published: June 26th 2009
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So yesterday we booked a trip with the hostel to visit the pyramids of Teotihuacan. We thought it would be nice to visit them this way as we would also get a chance to meet some other people from the hostel. There were 6 of us going on the trip, so after breakfast we got on our minibus with a French couple and the lovely Michelle from Switzerland. Our guide for the day was Alex who turned out to be really informative and friendly and our driver Oscar who multi tasked doing other things throughout the day such as working in a gift shop we visited and being the singer in a band over lunch, what a man!!
Our first stop was at the site of the excavated temple area of Tlatelolco. This area is the site of one of the Aztec cities on the island of Mexico city (as it used to be which rivalled the capital Tenochtitlán. After the Spanish arrived they were ordered to knock down all the temples and they built the first Catholic church on this site instead. The church still stands and it was built using the stones from the temple. The excavated ruins
Mew basicillica building
This is where the shroud is keep now of the temple were only excavated in the last 60 or 70 years and it was great to see the different network of temples etc. the plaza of the' tres culturas' stands next to us and our guide explained the horrific events of the 1968 protests to us, where hundreds of protesters where rounded up in this square and either shot or imprisoned, their families still, to this day not know what happened to them.
After jumping back on the bus, we went the short ride to see the Basicillica of the Virgin of Guadulape. She is the most important religious symbol in the whole of Mezico and the main reason that a lot of indigenous people converted to Catholism. The Basicillica reminded me and Dara both of the rRedemer church in Dundalk and on the site there are two older churches also. One of these is sinking and they are doing work on it to try and straighten it. This sinking is a problem all over Mexico city as the area was once a island in the middle if a lake and it was the Spanish who decided to drain the lake and build on it, thence all
the sinking problems. The only area which still remains as it was is the canal system of Xochimlco where we were the previous day.
We climbed up to the top Basicalla after lighting a candle below and admired that view on what was a lovely day. Back on the bus, we started the 45min drive out to the pyramids of Teotihuacan. It's an amazing sight driving up to them as the pyrmaid of the sun is massive on the skyline. We first stoped in the little village right beside the site, where indigenous people have re-learned the ancient crafts of the Aztec people. Our guide, a lovely lady, showed us how they used the Agave plant in many different ways. They let it grow for 10 tears, then drain 4 litres of liquid a day!!! from the massive centre stalk for 6 months. At this point the plant dies. The centre pant is also hollowed out and showing us a cone with a spiky tip which is filled with more identical cones, getting smaller and smaller to the centre. She peeled off a layer of the fibre that makes up the centre to show us how each layer gives
Listening to Alex
Alex, our great guide! paper (you peel a very fine layer from both the out side and inside this is very tough almost like a plastic) Then she showed us how a needle and thread could be got,,,, which was amazing and how they dyed the thread naturally (with flowers just by rubbing them on the thread) to create the most amazing vibrant colours which were then woven. It was great! The liquid that the drain is made into tequilia ( if it's the blue agave plant) or mexcal, so we all tried a small shot of both and this catus liqour. these, were apparently essential if we were going to climb the pyramids that afternoon. they were surprising smooth, compared to the tequila you get at home. After a spot of shopping in their gift shop, we piled into the restaurant for a fab lunch of guave juice and these stuffed corn patties, which were delicious. Our driver as I said earlier, was the lead singing in the band who seranaded us with music and after fond goodbye to the family run business, we were back on the bus to the pyramids.
It really was an amazing sight. We spent the first
Oscar the bus driver
Singing for his supper! He was really good 40mins with Alex as we went through the history of the place. the site being over 2,000 years BC and finding out that it had belonged to an ancient culture before the Aztecs. Much of it is very well preserved, down to the intricate wall paintings. It's amazing how the layout of the site was all alined to the journey of the moon. There are two main pyramids , the pryamid of the sun and the pyramid of the moon, so we all went off the climb the pyramid of the moon. You can only go half way up this one, but it was very steep, so we were all a bit nervous as we stared to walk to the massive pyramisd of the sun. Dara was in flip-flops so decided it was safer to stay at ground level rather than risk the climb so myself, Michelle and Aoife started up the steep steps. We stoped at each level, not as out of breath as we thought we'd be and after not too long we reached the top. It was really windy up top and we had lots of fun taking silly windsweep pictures of ouselves and pretending to do
a sacrifice. Sitting on top and looking at the dot that was Dara was mad and the view really was breath taking.
Once down, the altitude seemed to have gone to our heads a little and as we started walking down the avenue of Death we meet a street seller, with his Mexican balls! These Balls were for massage and he took no time in giving us all a demonstration in how to use them. This set me off in the biggest fit of the giggles that I've had in ages, and soon we were all falling round the place laughing (you had to be there). Michelle obviously liked his Mexican balls as she bought a pair and still in fits of giggles, we continued on a way with the beginnings of thunder behind us. Rain sure comes fast in Mexico and as we were leisurely heading back to our meeting point, the storm approached quickly from behind. The fist drops of rain were as sharp and shards of glass and ice cold so we started running, but to no avail. By the time we got to the meeting point we were like drowned rats (but only on our
The pyramid of the moon
As viewed for the top of the Sun Pyramid backs because of the direction of the rain). Again we thought this hilarious and drippingly wet we got back on the bus.
Back at the hostel, before getting a shower and changed out of our wet clothes, we said a fond goodbye to Michelle who was racing to catch her plane back to Switzerland, sorry that she wasn't able to join us for dinner that night. Once freshened up, we went out for a disappointing meal which had been on the guides recommendation and then, knackered after an extremely funny day, sauntered back to the hostel.
(funny pics on next page of pictures)
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Michèle
non-member comment
saludos de Suiza
dear all! it's very nice to read from you and to hear of all your glourious adventures throughout the journey. I'm well back home. I got the theme for my master thesis today and it sucks;-)... I'm really sorry that you didn't find a good place to eat in Mexico D.F. I would have loved to go out with you for dinner that night;-). by the way: my mother loved the Mexican Balls I bought at the pyramids. so I gave it to her. take care, my dears! and enjoy your trip. I'm looking forward to reading more of you on the blog, abrazo suizo, Michèle p.s. there are some DEADLY places to come in Guatemala. enjoy!