Day 76: The Pyramids at Teotihuacán

On the morning of Saturday, October 7, we headed to Teotihuacán with our new friend and fellow Canadian biker, Simon, to see the pyramids.

The origin of the city’s founders is uncertain; however, what is known is that the area was a large urban center around 1,000 years before the Aztecs, and the city was already in ruins by their epoch. The Aztecs did give the city its name, which means “birthplace of the gods” in Nahuatl because they believed the gods created the universe at the site.

Upon arrival, we paid 160 pesos (~10.65 CAD) at the entrance for the two of us and proceeded to the parking lot at Gate 2, which was the closest lot to the pyramids.

The first stop was the Pyramid of the Sun, located along the Avenue of the Dead. While the pyramid was constructed around 200 AD, the Aztecs were the ones who gave it the name we know today. The pyramid is the third largest in the world at 65 meters high (about half the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza) and is a 248-step climb to the top.

The number of steps doesn’t sound like much, but when you make those steps narrow and high, it feels more like 1,000 than 248. I was wheezing like I was 80 and had half a lung by the time I reached the top. Two thoughts crossed my mind as I climbed:

1. I repent me of all I have done
2. The people who built this thing must have been very tall with tiny feet

In the end, the view from the top was incredible and worth the journey to get there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had taken our drone with us in the hope of capturing some amazing footage to share with our audience. Unfortunately, shortly after launching it into the air on its programmed flight plan, our resident drone-operator lost connection and it went out of sight so the drone was flying around secretly on its own for a few minutes before coming back. Not the operator’s fault because this appears to be common with the Parrot Bebop 2.

While the drone was exploring Teotihuacán by itself, a security guard came up to us and told us that we weren’t allowed to fly it (even though there were no signs prohibiting it). Phil apologized and explained that he lost connection and didn’t know where it went. The guard laughed and shook his head. Clearly, he thought we were dumb foreigners.

As expected, the drone caught a lot of attention; however, what we weren’t expecting was that people would be curious enough to boldly ask us how much it cost. Telling them it was bought in Canada didn’t deter them from wanting to know the dollar amount so we eventually decided that saying it was a gift was the best answer.

We don’t want people thinking we’re wealthy foreigners because we’re not. If anyone wants to change this though, let us know 😉

 

The Pyramid of the Moon, located on the West end of Avenue of the Dead, was the next challenge that I chose to let the guys take on by themselves because the afternoon was getting warm and I didn’t want to summon the Grim Reaper upon reaching the top.

This Pyramid of the Moon was smaller than the Pyramid of the Sun at 43 meters high and while it is a shorter climb, it is far steeper than its larger counterpart. I was glad I chose to sit this one out when Phil told me. The structure that the Pyramid of the Moon covers is also older than that of the Pyramid of the Sun, dating prior to 200 AD.

 

 

 

 

 

After Phil and Simon returned from the second pyramid, we decided to visit the Palacio de Quetzalpapálotl before lunch. It was built around 250 to 300 AD and is believed to have served as a home for a high-ranking priest or similar dignitary due to its location and the quality of its art. The name of the palace comes from the mythological bird carvings on the pillars in the courtyard.

 

 

We stopped at one of the tourist-trap restaurants on the way out of the area so lunch was, unsurprisingly, a mediocre meal for a high price tag. At least they had beer 🙂