Echoes of the Past - Teotihuacan

We never really planned to do a day excursion from Mexico City, but some of our friends convinced Ron that Teotihuacan was well worth a visit. Happily, our hotel offered a tour to that exact spot, with a stop at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, as well.(It pays to be flexible when travelling.) There are a myriad of ways to get there, private tour, multi-guest day tour, by bus, by cab - choose your option. We were completely lazy and took the hotels offering for a private tour, lunch not included. (This is sad for us, but as we only had a short amount of time, we didn't want to miss the stunning breakfast that our hotel offered, which would have been a requirement for a multi-guest tour that met at a major local hotel. Missing one meal is sad, two is just too much to ask, especially when it's included in the price of our room.)

Rogelio, Teddy and I, post adventure

The site, itself, is quite amazing. The location is situated on a flat, bowl-like plain, surrounded by mountains. (Much like Cuenca, actually, but flatter.) Then suddenly, out of the ground, rise three larger pyramids, surrounded by smaller edifices, clustered like baby chicks around a hen. Who built them? Nobody is quite sure, but the current thinking is that they were constructed by two groups who met in the plains, due to environmental changes or natural disaster. These two groups had similar belief structures and cooperated to build the "pyramids". The thing that I found strangest, was that the insides are basically precursors to the final product, sort of like Russian nesting dolls. There aren't really any chambers, they aren't burial mounds or places to hide secret rituals. Nope, for the most part they're solid inside. Some of the smaller buildings are considered to be the seat of government for the area and a market place, or the governing body that oversaw trade in the region. This idea is mostly due to the fact that images of various products were found on individual buildings.

Sun (Eagle) Pyramid - centre
Moon (Jaguar) Pyramid - left
Citadel - foreground

Pyramid of the Sun (left) and Avenida de los Muertos

When the Aztecs rolled through, they thought it was a burial site and left the whole thing unmolested. The main thoroughfare (avenida de los muertos or Avenue of the Dead) got it's name from them, because of this erroneous belief.  We aren't the only people who didn't know what was going on back then. The two main pyramids are know as the pyramid of the Sun and pyramid of the Moon. Conversely, they are also temples to the Eagle (representing day and its power) and temple of the Jaguar (representing the power of the night0>

Sun pyramid (or Eagle pyramid)

Moon Pyramid (Jaguar Temple)

Towards the end of this harmonic joint venture, things seem to have gotten tense. The citadel, (named because it's shaped like a military fort) indicates that there was a challenge to the ruling class and their deities. The pyramid was just a pile of jumbled up rocks with no gods like Quetzalcoatl (the serpent god), or Tlaloc (god of the rain). It's lacking in animal gods as well, no jaguar or eagle, no owls or pumas. 

The top portion shows the original pyramid

Jaguar and Eagle temple from the citadel

Kid hanging out with his family, rocking the skull mask

That is until a dog disappeared into a hole at the top of the pyramid. When he reappeared, sometime later in the day, a curiosity was born. (Humans are funny that way.) Under the neat pile of practical stones was another pyramid. Not surprising really, as the others were similar, but this smaller pyramid was bedecked with the old gods. They may never have seen the light of day again, but for a clumsy dog. 

We then stopped for a traditional lunch at a small restaurant on the outskirts of the historic site. I had a delightful amaranth patty, served with salad and a salsa on the side that was stuff of the gods. We started with soup and Ron opted for a cacti fruit dessert that was also amazingly delicious. Mexicans know their sauces. We still haven't found a bad meal. 

Government project offering free house paint

There were lots of takers!

After the refreshment of a good lunch, we went to the Basilica. The old basilica could only house a few thousand faithful, but the new, modern Basilica can hold services with 12,000 in attendance. Pope John Paul II, seems to have an almost cult status there. The site has a rich religious history and was chosen by the Virgin Mary, herself. She appeared to
Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, insisting that a church had to be built on the site and he was to go to the Bishop immediately. The Bishop was dubious, to say the least and it wasn't until Juan Diego brought flowers from the barren hilltop and presented them to the Bishop, exposing an image of the Virgin on his poncho that the Bishop believed and did as he was told. (Mary had to appear to Juan Diego four times, before the Bishop was convinced.

Old basilica, atilt, but safe

And open to the public

Interior of the new basilica

One of the ancillary chapels

The graven image is hung for all to view in a nifty section that run under the altar, by means of small moving sidewalk. All terribly high tech. Mass is held every hour between 7am and 8pm daily. (Except during the festival of the Virgin on October 12.) This is the most visited Christian site in the world.

Jan Diego's poncho

It was an interesting day filled with contrasting religious beliefs and iconography. We were blessed with sun, good food and an experienced guide. It was well worth the extra day.