vente cinco

Three eras of architecture side by side. History bleeds in this city.

Talismans of the Virgin.

Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe

Quetzalcoatl

View of the main boulevard from up top the Temple of the Sun.

View of the top of the Temple of the Sun.

I am officially 25 years old. Yoohoo! Actually very low key. I didn't even mention it to my roommates. No point in foisting unnecessary celebrations on strangers. I had a perfect day anyway. Oh, recap of previous day.

- took 4-hour bus ride from morelia back to mexico city after thinking about all the cool things i wanted to do in the city. squished against fat woman who crossed herself when we arrive in mexico city. terrible american movies playing over tv. slept through most of it so journey just fine. :o)
- took the subway and found the hostel i wanted behind the main cathedral after getting lost a bit. settled in 6-bed dorm room with nice Australian girls on a 4-month world trip. very cool. i have my own locker! my passport is finally secure.
- took tourist circuit bus ride through central district. kinda bummer because it started to rain and we were stuck in traffic. also were let out on the main boulevard istead of at cathedral because tour stops promptly at nine. ai! so walked the mean streets at night! but perfectly alright and street well lit. made it home with body and possessions in tact.

And then today...Teotihuacan! I saw the great Aztec ruins that lie just outside Mexico City. Well, first took a detour to Tlatelotco (i may be horribly mispelling that) ruins within the city of pre-Spanish marketplace. Right by a Fransiscan church. And also surrounded by 50s housing complexes upon which Mexican police and army stood to fire down and kill 20,000 protesting students in 1968. Mexico bleeds history. Also a stop at the Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, where our guide gave us an objective history of the shadiness behind the Catholic church's use of saints and images for conversion. Somekind of huge service doing on. Rode on conveyor belts to see the image of the virgin. Also saw the caravan used to carry Pope John Paul II when he came to visit Mexico. When he died the bus was drived empty through Mexico and thousands stood in the streets to see it pass and say their goodbyes. Wow. Ah, then to the coolness. Huge boulevard like formation with the temple of the moon at the end, the temple of the sun at the side, and thirteen smaller pyramid bases all around. So organized and clearly laid. A rush of human enginuity and a culture far different but also perfectly logical and empassioned as our own. Or not. Thankfully no rain, just sun behind the clouds as we trekked up and up and up. Amazing to see how the pyramids were meant to mimic the mountains around. Sad that what was once forest was probably decimated to make the stucco used to cover the stone walls. Stone walls and steps that ran with human blood from daily sacrifices. And there is so much of the culture that is similar with the Mayans and Incans. So much cultural exchange and technology. Must have been amazing with runners bringing fresh fish from the coast and ice from the mountains. Wow.

And then back again to Mexico City, where I enjoyed a dinner of Chinese food (halfway decent but veggies doing my rollicking digstion good) and then a cup of yogurt, fruit, and gelatin from a great pastry-dessert place. Gonna hit that place at least one more time before I head out in two days.

Love being in Mexico City. Love being 25 in Mexico City.