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After breakfast atop the hostel's rooftop terrace, we took the Metro to Terminal del Norte to catch an early bus
to Teotihuacán, more commonly known as Las Pirámides. About an hour later, we were outside Mexico City. The driver
packed his vehicle in with passengers, making frequent stops at what appeared to be random places.
Teotihuacán is a remarkable site -- a window looking onto an ancient civilization whose true identity no one knows
for sure. There are three main areas: Ciudadela, Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. They are all
connected by the four-km. Avenue of the Dead.
The Pyramid of the Sun covers almost the same amount of space as the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt. At the
spring equinox on March 21, the sun is perfectly aligned with the west face of the Pyramid. We climbed the steep
steps to reach the summit and take in the view of the entire site. The Pyramid of the Moon is only half the size
of Pyramid of the Sun but the first level of this pyramid provides the best view of the Avenue of the Dead. Both
are challenging climbs, especially with the heat of the midday sun.
There are a few more temples along the Avenue of the Dead. Note the Jaguar Temple where there is an unearthed
mural of a jaguar. The Tetitla and the Atetelco temples have frescoes and paintings of ancient symbols and markings.
We were at the site during the hottest part of the day and there were a lot of tourists. So try to catch the
earliest bus at 8:00am to avoid the crowds. We exited from the back and waited by the side of the road for any
bus that would take us back to the city. We discovered a tent food shack around the bend and ate our first
flor de calabaza and champiñones tortillas, squash flower and mushrooms. Flor de calabaza would soon be a
part of our regular fare in Oaxaca.
I had read on CNN.com that mariachi policemen were one of the city's gimmicks to make the place a little
friendlier: mix a little culture with the law and even residents will appreciate the effort. I asked if I
could take a photo with them and they happily obliged. Most law officers around the city, especially the
ones stationed near the Palacio Nacional don't entertain such requests.
Back at the Zócalo, we ate tamales while watching street performers at the plaza.
For dinner, we splurged and had Argentinian steak with some deadly sangrias at Las Esquina del Pibe on
the corner of Bolívar and Uruguay. It was a great way to close out this first chapter in Mexico City. We look
forward to being in a whole different world tomorrow morning.
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 Terminal del Norte
Via Metro Linea 1 or pink line San Lazaro stop. Bus ticket is P21 each.
Go to Gate 8 and you will either the sign Teotihuacán
or Pirámides. The ride is about an hour outside Mexico City.
 Zona Arqueológica de Teotihuacán
Entrance tickets are P35 each. You will need at least two hours to walk around the pyramids, more
if you're climbing both the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon.
 Las Esquina del Pibe
The corner of Bolívar and Uruguay. Our Argentinian steak for two people cost us about $50 with soup and salad.
They accept Visa and MasterCard. You will notice how more expensive restaurants treat their customers a little bit
better.
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