Mexico City, Mexico: The Adventure Begins with the Pyramids

Welcome to the next adventure!  On my way down to Chile, I stopped for a few days to see my dear friend Gala's parents, Mama and Papa Camacho.  After arriving yesterday evening and being treated to a delicious meal at a local taquiera, Mama Camacho and I got up this morning and went to explore the pyramids at Teotihuacan.  The biggest and central pyramid is the Pyramid of the Sun, so our first task was to climb the 285 steep stairs to the the top.  Here we are in the middle...

...and at the very top!  The Pyramid of the Sun was a focal point for the Teotihuacan people, who lived from around 150 BC until 650 AD.  This pyramid was part of a city, also called Teotihuacan, which at its peak (350-550 AD) had a population of over 100,000 people and covered an area of over 20 square km, making it the world's sixth largest city.  Even more impressive is that this pyramid, all of the lesser temples, and all of the city's apartment buildings were built of stones that were hauled by hand (no carts or horses) from the other side of the mountains ringing this valley--a distance of over 20 km.

The complex containing what is left of the city of Teotihuacan (pronounced tay-o-tee-wah-can) also has a nice museum, which houses some of the more impressive sculpture work that once adorned the various pyramids and temples.  Particularly impressive is the fact that this was done by people who didn't have metals--so the carving was done exclusively by stone, bone, or rock.

This is the best view of the ruins of the city, with the Pyramid of the Sun in the distance.  This picture was taken from the top of the Pyramid of the Moon, the second most important pyramid in the city, which sits at the end of the city's north-south artery, the Street of the Dead.  Quite a vista!

Me at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon, one of our last stops before leaving Teotihuacan.

The rest of the day was deliciously devoted to food.  Before we made the drive back in Mexico City, we stopped at this restaurant near the pyramids called La Gruta--aptly named, as it is in a sort of grotto created from volcanic rock.  It was used by ancient people as a natural shelter, but now it is a restaurant that serves up traditional Mexican fare...Aztec tortilla soup and mole, for example.

To cap off this wonderful day, Papa Camacho took us to Bellini Restaurante Giatorio, the world's largest revolving restaurant, to enjoy a delicious meal while taking in the lights of Mexico City...all 360 degrees of them.  What a fantastic start to this adventure!