Day 6 in Mexico City: The Pyramids

Rachael and I ate breakfast at Lalo again (I can’t quit you Lalo).

I had an almond-inspired breakfast of almond croissant and almond milk latte and huevos rancheros (not so almondy).

Rachael got a white chocolate pastry and some egg bean thing (not pictured).

The Journey to the Pyramids

The bus station (our bus was not as nice as those pictured above)

We went to the bus station afterward. I’d heard about armed robberies on the bus to teotihuacan, and Rachael and I packed light just in case. Literally seconds after the bus left the terminal and turned down an alley, a bunch of guys in black leather jackets boarded. Rachael and I were concerned for a second…until they pulled out their guitars and started playing. Rachael took some pictures, and I joked it was part of their scheme to get all the tourists to take out their valuable phones and cameras. After playing for a few minutes, they collected some tips and got off at a rest stop. An armed police officer got on at that point and walked up and down the aisle filming everyone and then got off.

The bus curtains had holes in them and the window on the door was shattered

The bus ride was really cool. We got to see places outside Mexico city and also just how large Mexico City is. The houses and neighborhoods seemed to go on all the way to the horizon.

Teotihuacan

We got off at Teotihuacan and bought hats for ourselves since there was no shade then walked into the complex. It was huge and it seemed to go on forever. Each time we walked towards a pyramid or temple, another area seemed to open up. You could easily spend an entire day there.

Temple of the Feathered Serpent in the center

There were vendors selling whistles that sounded like jaguars and other trinkets like decorative axes, masks, and jewelry. We walked past the first group of them by gate 1 and walked up to the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, the third largest pyramid at Teotihuacan.

From there we walked along the Avenue of the Dead and crossed two sunken patios. It was remarkable to see how intact everything was. You could see clear outlines of where walls once stood and the stairs were all intact enough to be climbable in most places.

There were lots of stray dogs around the grounds as well. they would take naps in the shade of the ruins and use the small tunnels, originally meant for irrigation, for getting around. They didn’t pay much attention to us, they just went about their own business.

The Pyramid of the Sun

After crossing the sunken patios, we made our way to the Pyramid of the Sun, the largest pyramid in Teotihuacan. It stands an impressive 233 feet and we climbed all of the stairs leading up to it (Update: I’ve got sick quads now).

My legs are killing me and it’s not even the top

The Pyramid of the Moon

The Pyramid of the Moon is the second largest of the pyramids at Teotihuacan, and fortunately for my sore legs, you can only climb halfway up it. In my opinion, this is the steepest of the pyramids. My legs were shaking a bit by the time I made this ascent. However, I’m glad I made the climb. The Pyramid of the Moon offered the best view of the Teotihuacan site. You could see straight down the Avenue of the Dead to the Temple of the Feathered Serpent and also the Pyramid of the Sun to the left of it.