teotihuacán

We visited Teotihuacán Saturday with some friends. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about this place:

The name Teotihuacán was given by the Nahuatl-speaking Aztec centuries after the fall of the city...[and] translates to 'birthplace of the gods.' Teotihuacán was a multi-ethnic city, with distinct Zapotec, Mixtec, Maya and what seem to be Nahua quarters.

Teotihuacán was a major religious centre. The priests probably had a great deal of political power. As with other Mesoamerican cultures, Teotihuacános practised human sacrifice. Human bodies and animal sacrifices have been found during excavations of the pyramids at Teotihuacán. When the buildings were expanded, sacrifices were probably made to dedicate the new building. The victims could have been enemy warriors captured in battle. They were then brought to the city to be ritually sacrificed so the city could prosper. Some were decapitated, others had their hearts removed, still others were killed by being hit several times over the head. Some were even buried alive. Animals that were considered sacred and represented mythical powers and military might were also buried alive. They were imprisoned in cages, though. Cougars, a wolf, eagles, a falcon, an owl, and even venomous snakes were among those found.

The city's broad central avenue, called "Avenue of the Dead" (a translation from its Nahuatl name Miccaotli), is flanked by impressive ceremonial architecture, including the immense Pyramid of the Sun (second largest in the New World after the Great Pyramid of Cholula) and the Pyramid of the Moon. Along the Avenue of the Dead are many smaller talud-tablero platforms. The Aztecs believed they were tombs, inspiring the name of the avenue. Now they are known to be ceremonial platforms that were topped with temples. Further down the Avenue of the Dead is the area known as the Citadel, containing the ruined Temple of the Feathered Serpent. This area was a large plaza surrounded by temples that formed the religious and political center of the city. The name "Citadel" was given to it by the Spanish, who believed it was a fort. Many of the rich and powerful Teotihuacanos lived in Palaces near the temples, the largest of these covering more than 3300 m². Most of the common people lived in large apartment buildings spread across the city. Many of the buildings contained workshops that produced pottery and other goods.

Look, I'm just trying to educate you guys. This is the Pyramid of the Moon.


Pyramid of the Sun - or Del Sol, the larger of the two pyramids.


The Avenue of the Dead.


A creepy-looking opening underneath the pyramid.


A cool-looking statue.


It was a long flight of stairs to the top.


B and L huffing it up to the top. They were champs.


Isn't that sweet... I'm sure Viky was all over Alejandro after this.


L and Erin having a little heart to heart.





"Strike a pose, L," and this is what he gave me. What can I say. This kid is special.


B and my friend Amanda's cute little boy who's 2 1/2. They were buddies on the hike around the pyramids.


M never made it to the Pyramid of the Moon. She got distracted by the heinously dirty gravel on the way. I was too tired to stop her, and she ate a few.



Here's my favorite dude of the trip. Selling his rain sticks with "Hecho en America" etched across the side. "Were these made in Mexico?," Bruce asked him. "Si, señor!" Huh. Muy interesante.