The Teotihuacan Pyramids - Mexico vacation part 1
The intense dry heat of the central valley of Mexico had been scorching, and this brief reprieve was welcome. I had told myself that this trip, I was going to take everything in. Each and every detail was going to be recorded and stored in my mind for future reference. After you reach the summit of this vast pyramid, though, all 365 steps seem to strip away any pretension or thought you might have had. My flip-flop covered feet picked their way to the very crest of the wind-worn rocks and I sat. The panorama of the ancient city of Teotihuacan was my only vista.
I let the ancient winds brush my face with their cooling splendor. I was back.
I have many twisting tales and memories of each trip we've taken to Mexico - to this south central area that rises 7,000 feet above sea level. Our two-week vacation encompassed so much, and I will entail each episode in many blogs to come – probably enough for you to become an expert on Mexico yourself. The time spent with my husband's family here was a nourishing, soul-reviving space in time. Family stories, a trip to Acapulco, Guerrero, and many other things will be shared in the future.
The pyramids were something I didn't expect when I first traveled to Mexico with George. Realizing that they existed in his town was an eye-opener. The first time climbing up them was amazing. The vista is and was incredible. Climbing up them some 21 years later is a different experience all together.
When you enter the Zona Arqueologico you find yourself transported to a windswept place of the past. Vendors play ancient whistles (albeit newly made), and sell masks and totems made of sparkling black obsidian. The vendors are relentless and a polite "No, gracias," usually does the trick.
We entered the zone at the Pyramid of the Moon, and made our way to its base. Smaller than the Sun Pyramid, it's nonetheless astonishing to look at. We trekked up its steep steps, but alas, were unable to climb to its zenith. Crumbling atop its crest has gotten worse over the years, so we only reached halfway. Climbing down, we made our way down the Avenue of the Dead. This stretch contains many plazas with short steps climbing to their plateau. What these were for remain a mystery. We stopped and admired the wall painting, uncovered in the '60s, of a jaguar. Hunter bought a clay jaguar head that when blown into properly, makes a haunting jaguar growl. Vendors blew these whistles while we continued down the avenue to the spectacular Pyramid of the Sun.
Each step straight up the takes you higher and higher. The wind whips around your head, and your only thought is to hold onto the measly rubber handrail that stops you from falling straight down the precarious steps. My breath came fast and just when I thought I couldn't make it one more step, we reached the top. Lots of people think the pyramids exude energy, and even though I tend to disagree, there is a certain lightness and glee you feel while sitting at the top. You can see the outlines of the ancient city of Teotihuacan and you feel transported.
As a young woman of 20 years old, it's a fascinating climb. As a woman of 42, getting to the top and really seeing, just seeing, is the adventure.
I watched my kids race around the edges of the pyramid, taking pictures from all sides. I was content to sit with my husband, as we had all those years ago, and take in the view. You can see for miles, and even though it's the same vista I had seen all those years ago, it seemed different to me. It was a view for someone that had seen more, experienced more, done more.
The wind whipped around my head, and we gathered the kids for the trek down. I turned for one last look and heard that ancient flute blowing in the distance. My time here may be short, but there is something there. A pulse that keeps drawing me back to the land of my husband's ancestors – that Aztec blood pumping vicariously through my veins.