Teotihuacan
The walk to the pyramids from the entrance at Teotihuacan Mexico is a long one. It’s two miles in all. Here I realized how enormous this place is. The walk to the “Sun” pyramid includes walking up and down stairs entering a courtyard, walking through the courtyard, and climbing up and down stairs to leave the courtyard. Little did I know that there were five such courtyards to climb through to get to the first pyramid.
While walking along the “Avenue of the Dead” I tried to imagine the peoples who have lived here, the Olmecs, the Aztecs, and later the Spaniards. I wanted to imagine what kind of life went on around this place. It felt as though for centuries the winds have swept the memories away, and what’s left are only organized stones, theories, visitors, and venders selling crafts. The design and purpose of the place is still a mystery, and most of what is known about it is from the Aztecs, who arrived after it was already abandoned.
Climbing the 248 steps to the top of the “Sun Pryamid” was strenuous because the steps are very steep, but it was well worth the effort. I spent a long time sitting at the top enjoying the view, contemplating what might have happened here, thinking about how it was that I was here. The overall view from the top was enchanting.
Another enchanting part of my visit was the stillness of the place broken up by musical sounds that different venders were making. Some were playing small clay ocarinas that sounded a high pitched 4 note song. Others had a clay jaguar head that when blown into sounded like a growling jaguar. The two kinds of sounds were woven into the silence throughout the long walk and set a soulful mood for the place.
The enormity of the place and the mystery of its origins makes it an enchanting and wonderful place.
Click On this link to see more pics and a panoramic view from atop the Sun Pyramid:
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