Mexico City Day 4

One cannot leave Mexico City, by not visiting the Teotihuacan. It is massive, one of the first great cities of the Western Hemisphere but its origins are still a mystery.

Construction at Teotihuacan began around 200 BC. Since the ethnic group and the language spoken by the inhabitants of Teotihuacan is unknown, they are referred to simply as "Teotihuacanos." At its peak between 300 and 600 CE, this was one of the biggest cities in the world. It was abandoned around the year 800, which is considered the end of the Classic period in Mesoamerica. The causes of the fall are not known, but it's possible there was a prolonged drought or an epidemic. It's also possible that there was a conflict with another group or an internal conflict: some of the buildings show evidence of destruction by fire, as opposed to merely being abandoned, like many of the Mayan archaeological sites. The Aztecs considered Teotihuacan a sacred site even though it had been abandoned long before their time. Teotihuacan is the name that was given to the site by the Aztecs and it means "city of the gods" or "where men become gods." - This was told by the guide and I am stating here.

There are many things to explore at the site.

The Citadel : When the city was inhabited, this was the center of the city of Teotihuacan. The Citadel is a large open space with temples surrounding it . If you climb the steps on the opposite side , you will view the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl was one of the most important gods in the Mesoamerican pantheon, and its name means feathered serpent - snake with feathers. The building is also decorated with snails and shells, symbols of water.

Avenue of the Dead: Though its called avenue of the dead, the guide said its actually the opposite and people used it as market kind. It stretches from the Citadel all the way to the Temple of the Moon.

Pyramid of the Sun: Its one of the largest structures in Mexico, but unlike the pyramids of Egypt, they are flat on top and they are places of worship. The views from the top of this pyramid are excellent and climb is around 300 stairs.

Pyramid of the Moon: The best view of the Avenue of the Dead is from the top of this pyramid.

There are five entrances to the archaeological site. To do a full tour of the site, enter at entrance 1 at the south end of the site. You will walk the length of the Avenue of the Dead. Its better to reach early as it gets really crowded in the later parts of the day.

We then went to a restaurant where there was free tequila, puluq and other local drink tasting, exhibits to buy and finally lunch. Reached town by 3.30 PM. I went for walk again to buy souvenirs if any . Reached hostel by 8 and rested.