Teotihuacan, Monday, 7^th September

We had a free day to do what we wanted so Lawrence, Paola and I booked a tour to go out to Teotihuacan and its famous pyramids which would also take in a few other sights en route. Paola was flying home that evening so was concerned about timings but we were assured that the tour would be back by 6pm.

It was due to arrive between 9 – 9.30 but arrived 9.40 and half an hour later we were still just a kilometre away at the Plaza Garibaldi where Mariaches usicians hang out and will pose with you for a fee but I was lucky enough to catch a pair relaxing.

Plaza Garibaldi is also where there i a museum dedicated to tequila in an unsightly looking building but the rest of the square is a night club hot spot that looks rather ordinary in the daylight.                

Next stop was the Plaza de las Tres Culturas representing the pre Columbian, Spanish colonial and independent mestizo cultures. We had just a brief introduction but it is worth visiting by yourself and spending some time there looking around rather than the brief overview that we got from one corner. We picked up some more tourists here and I felt that the stop was more of a convenient stopping place for the tour company than for our benefit.

Another stop just up the road was at a jewellery makers and this wasn't on the schedule although we spent some time there.

It was getting on towards midday when we were finally on the road heading out of town for the hour long journey towards the ruins which were the aim of the trip. We passed some interestingly coloured houses perched on a mountainside en route.

Mexico DF is surrounded by hills so any pollution tends to get trapped within the bowl and the haze was quite distinct as we looked back towrds the centre of the city.

Yet another unscheduled stop followed at a gift shop area to view hand made crafts, miel de agave, tequila tasting, to have agave cacti's importance explained to us, hairless Mexican dogs, yet more jewellery, statutary and other tourist bric a brac and still no sign of any ruins.

At last we reached the Teotihuacan pyramids and after a brief introduction by our guide we were left to wander around.

The Avenue of the Dead.

The Temple of Quetzalcoatl.

A detail of the inner steps of the Temple of Quetzalcoatl.

The Temple of the Sun from a distance before we started walking up the Road of the Dead but took a diversion to the museum which was small enough to be interesting and informative without being overwhelming.

Paola taking a photo of the Temple of the Sun.

That small blob near the summit to the left is Lawrence which gives an idea of the height, and the 248  big steps to get to the top.

Its quite a climb up.

Some photos of Paola and I at the top and that building between my hands in the Temple of the Moon.

Paola.

Just to give an idea of how steep the steps are taken from 50 steps up the Temple of the Moon which is as high as tourists are allowed to go. Best not to climb the steps if you suffer from vertigo.

After walking around the site in the hottest part of the day it was time to stop at a restaurant for an unscheduled lunch starting at 3.30pm. But we were treated to a display of local dancing and music at the end of the meal.

After an hour long drive through the worsening traffic as we made our way back towards the centre, next and last on the schedule was a basilica where we would spend an hour but it was already 5.30pm and Paola needed to get to the airport and Lawrence and I had seen the ruins and all three of us were happy to leave the tour and get a taxi back into the centre of town. so we never did get to see the basilica.

In retrospect we would have been happy to spend a tenth of the cost of the tour and take the local bus there and back and still have an afternoon to do what we wanted to see and do in DF.