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Teotihuacan (Monday 27/08/07)

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-01-19T16:07:07+0000

Teotihuacan (Monday 27/08/07)

For reasons of traffic you should visit Teotihuacan in the morning. For convenience, we endorsed one of the many taxi drivers affiliated with the hotel, and it was good.
As a first step took us to the place of a cooperative living by making Obsidian objects and multicolored fabrics made of cotton and agave. They shown us the working of obsidian, how to build cord from the agave and how to extract the Pulche, agave lymph, which can be drunk as it is slightly alcoholic (not bad after all).
Subsequently, the driver took us to the Pyramid of the Moon and he waited us at the end of the Way of the Dead, but only after making a long introduction to the site and having us hear the cry of an ancient extinct bird, a strange acoustic effect produced clapping in the middle of the squares of some archaeological sites (also at Chichen Itza).

Teotihuacan where "men become gods"

Lying forty kilometers northeast of Mexico City, the city is located in a huge valley in the middle of the arid mountains, it was the largest city and capital of Mexico's largest pre-Columbian empire.
It is one of the most important archaeological sites. In its period of maximum splendor, the place where “men became gods”, was inhabited by 250,000 people. It was founded in 150 BC in a strategic position, by the excellent climate, capable of controlling the traffic to the Gulf of Mexico. From farming town soon became a manufacturer of obsidian and trade center.
Today is one of the most visited sites of Mexico and the local population continues to live on the production of obsidian, manufacturing beautiful pieces based upon models collected in different sites of the country.
In the seventh century began its decline. I Its inhabitants abandoned it in 750.
Entering you see the Great Sacred Way, Avenida de los Muertos, the main axis, is flanked by wide platform for the celebration of religious rites.
The Great Sacred Way leads to Ciudadela, built in the classical period, reaches a considerable length of 400m. It consists of four platforms and preserves the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, whose facade has fine examples of Teotihuacan tablero. The steps of the temple is flanked by numerous alfarda with huge heads of plumed serpent.

Avenida de los Muertos

Head of plumed serpent

On the left rises the gigantic the Pyramid of the Sun: a square base with 225m and 63m high, 365 steps.
Get ready for a long, steep climb (in the whole site there are also steps on the road in plain …), but from the top the view is remarkable.

Pyramid of the Sun

At the north stands, in the Plaza de la Luna, the Pyramid of the Moon: 46m high, formed by four superimposed levels, with 112 steps. This ascent was certainly easier to accomplish than the climb to the Pyramid of the Sun, also because it was limited the first steps, as you can not climb to the top.

Plaza de la Luna

Pyramid of the Moon

The Plaza de la Luna includes other buildings such as the Palace of the Butterfly or Placio del Quetzalpapalotl, with a patio that has several columns with depictions of the Quetzal Butterfly, the Patio of the Jaguars with traces of paintings and the Temple of the fledged shells dating back to second century.

Patio of the Jaguars - traces of paintings

Guadalupe, Our Lady India

Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe

In December 9, 1533 the Virgin appeared close in a cloak embroidered with gold, to the Indian Juan Diego in the woods, on the Cerro El Tepeyac, where once stood the Aztec temple of the goddess Tonantzin, mother of the gods. Our Lady asked him to build a chapel in her honor, but the bishop, Fray Juan de Zumarraga, gave no regard to the words of Juan Diego. The Mother of Christ, then clear again, imprinting his image on the white mantle of indium and telling him to gather the roses that grew in that place and to bring them along to the mantle, to the prelate.
The coat is hung above the marble altar of the new Basilica.
Since then, Our Lady of Guadalupe was the saint patron of Mexico. Thus the work of conversion of indigenous peoples was also facilitated by this prodigy, used instrumentally by Spanish clergy.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The new basilica

⇐ Day 2: Mexico City

⇒ Day 4: Mexico City

Travels, Mexico, Mexico City, Teotihuacan, Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mexico City (Tuesday 28/08/07)

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-01-19T16:07:07+0000

Mexico City (Tuesday 28/08/07)

Museum of Anthropology

Museum of Anthropology

Built in 1964 by Pedro Ramirez Vasquez, the structure revolves around a giant pylon that supports, by means of steel rods, the roof from which descends a scenic waterfall.
At the entrance stands a giant statue of the god Tlaloc. The rooms follow chronologically the evolution of pre-Columbian civilization, the museum has very clear approach that allows to understand the intricate interweaving of the various civilizations that have lived in these regions through time.
Archaeological and ethnographic collections relating to the various current Indian population are unparalleled. The museum has also a restaurant and a well-stocked bookshop.
Immediately after the taquilla, there is room on the right of temporary exhibitions, on which follows that of Mesoamerica, with the map of the location of the various centers and a comparison between the different pre-Hispanic cultures. in the Hall of Teotihuacan, thre is the copy of the Mural Tlalocan on which you look at the conception of the world beyond, there are some elements of the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, with the heads of the Plumed Serpent. The monolithic sculpture of 57 tonnes of water goddess Chalchiuhtlicue and, in a display case, encrusted with turquoise and coral, funeral masks.

Head of the plumed serpent

Statue of the goddess Chalchiuhtlicue

Funerary mask

The Sala Mexica is the most important room of the entire museum dedicated to the Aztec culture, in the opening it has a sculpture of an ocelot, which were placed the hearts of human sacrifices intended to fuel the Sun.
In the room there is the city of Tenochtitlan reconstructed model, the Aztec calendar, an 24 tons circular (a diameter of 3.60m) stone filled with reliefs and the statue of Coatlicue, of the goddess of Earth.

Aztec Calendar

Sculpture of an Ocelot

Statue of Coatlicue

Zoo

At the zoo we went a bit as a joke to do a short tour before heading towards the city center… the joke lasted several hours. The zoo is huge, an uncountable number of races from all continents including aviary and reptile house that we could not see since the zoo closes at 17:00 (as virtually all museums in Mexico) and all visitors must be out.
It was exhausting.

⇐ Day 3: Teotihuacan

⇒ Day 5: Mexico City - Puebla

Travels, Mexico, Mexico City, Museum of Anthropology

Mexico City (Saturday 25/08/07)

Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) — 2019-01-19T16:07:07+0000

Mexico City (Saturday 25/08/07)

Welcome to Mexico City, capital of the country, considered as the largest city in the world with its approximately 23 million inhabitants, all is well positioned at a high altitude, 2240m above sea level, this means that even in warmer periods in Mexico City the temperatures are very mild.

Città del Messico

Mexico City

During the pre-Hispanic times, this marsh city was the capital of the “Aztec” or “Mexican” empire.
Founded in 1321 with the name of “Tenochtitlan” by the priest “Tenoch”, Tenochtitlan in the indigenous Nahuatl language means “the city of Tenoch”. After the Spanish conquest, will retain its role of capital, to become today the largest urban concentration in the world. Mexico D.F. (Federal District) is the administrative, political, economic and social country; all is centralized in the capital, even if the government tries to create local agencies.
With its 23 million people in this enormous city knows the real problems of circulation, sanitation, insecurity and above all pollution. However Mexico City remains a beautiful city with an history immensely rich.

After 12 grueling hours of flight, we arrived at the airport, collected our luggage and took the car (unfortunately with automatic gear), then we settled into the hotel. To drive the car is better to know “something” for driving in Mexico (recommendations for driving).

⇐ Faces of Mexico

⇒ Day 2: Mexico City

Travels, Mexico, Mexico City