A few miles north of Mexico City in Teotihuacan, an ancient civilization built several pyramids and other structures. This culture thrived between 100 BC – 550 AD. In it’s prime, this area supported an estimated 150,000 people. The largest pyramid is known as the Pyramid of the Sun, the third largest pyramid in the world.
Pyramid of the Sun A view from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun A view of the Pyramid of the Moon as seen from the Pyramid of the Sun
Below is a view down what is called the Avenue of the Dead from the Pyramid of the Moon. This was seemingly a massive settlement at one time. The Pyramid of the Sun is on the left:
Avenue of the Dead
Interestingly, much of the area, especially underground, remains un-excavated, i.e., unexplored, with the likelihood of more artifacts to be discovered in the future.
Among Catholics, there is a tradition that over the years there have been a number of apparitions of Jesus and Mary throughout the world. In Mexico, Mary is said to have appeared to an Indian peasant in the year 1531. When he reported the appearance to church authorities, they asked him for proof. He presented them with his cloak, upon which was imprinted an image of Mary. Many Mexicans still venerate this image (known as Our Lady of Guadalupe) and you will find it everywhere.
The original cloak is on display at a large (holds 10,000) church (basilica) in Mexico City and it is a popular destination for visitors. The most popular day to visit is December 12, the “feast day” for this Saint. Since we happened to be in Mexico City on that day, we made a trip to the church. Below was as close as we got to the cloak, due to the crowds. The cloak is in the frame below the cross between the green and red banners.
On the drive we encountered dozens of buses, bicyclists, caravans, torchbearers, etc., making pilgrimages to the church from miles around. It was hard to get a good photo, but here’s a group of cyclists on the highway following a truck carrying a small shrine.
Bicyclists on pilgrimage to the basilica
As we approached, the crowds were significant. We saw many people carrying statues or paintings of the Lady of Guadalupe. Some come crawling on their hands and knees. People believe they will be blessed for making the journey, such as receiving healing from an illness, forgiveness, or the ability to give up alcohol or other vices.
Woman crawling to the basilica
Masses run all day, while outside, dozens of groups perform Aztec and other types of dances.
We found a couple of buildings in Mexico City covered with hanging gardens. The perspective in this photo makes it look to me like rows of crops growing in a field…
Hanging gardens
But it’s actually hundreds of small succulents growing on the sides of a building. Here’s a wider view:
We decided to get out of our small town for a while, so we drove to Mexico City and spent ten days there. It’s a thoroughly modern, cosmopolitan city which also happens to have a lot of history visible at every turn.
We stayed on the 32nd floor of a high rise just a couple years old (it’s the red one):
Mexico City apartment towers
Here’s a view of the sunrise from inside our apartment:
Mexico City sunrise
We were within walking distance of every amenity – multiple grocery stores, shopping malls, Starbucks, the Soumaya Museum of Art:
Soumaya Museum of Art
The Soumaya Museum of Art was funded by Carlos Slim, one of the richest people in the world. It contains art from around the world representing many genre’s and eras. We went back a second day because we didn’t get to see everything on our first visit.
We visited the National Anthropology Museum, the pyramids of the sun and moon at Teotihuacan, the basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and more. Sometimes we drove, sometimes we walked, and we rode the metro. Walking to the metro was a lot like walking on the Iron Horse trail to BART. Here’s a photo of the path:
Walkway to the subway
Overall we had a great time, but as they say, “it’s a nice place to visit”. Even though it had everything you could possibly want, just as in any other large, cosmopolitan city around the world, it was a bit large and crowded and busy for me. That’s not to say we won’t visit again, but as for living, I’m enjoying our small town life for now.
September 8, 2017 – Some of our friends and family heard about last night’s big earthquake. Fortunately, it was not near us and did not impact us. The earthquake hit in southern Mexico and was felt as far away as Mexico City (650 miles north of the quake’s epicenter). We are another 250 or so miles north of Mexico City, and did not feel anything.
Pray for those who were impacted by the earthquake.
