TravellingStrom

Sunday – Ciudad De Mexico,(Mexico City), Mexico

We had an early start with a basic muesli bar breakfast before heading off for Mexico City, or specifically a BMW dealer about 20km’s away where we were to meet Gary. We found the place OK, met Gary on a Vstrom 1000 and he guided us in to his place via some very dubious riding tactics, but that seems to be the norm here, so while in Rome etc etc 🙂

Welcome to the City of Mexico 🙂

A bit more running through some narrow streets where the Sunday traffic was quite light, before we arrived at his house and we locked the bikes away 🙂

Here we met the rest of the family, Ivonne, Lloyd and Ivonne’s mum. After a bit of chit chat and unload some things off the bike, we had a quick taco snack before we all piled into the family wagon with a nephew called Memo and headed to see the pyramids at Teotihuacan(except Lloyd who went to a soccer game). The trip was about 40km and we passed a lot of busy street vendors and also some of the new multi deck freeway system, I hope they are earthquake proof as this is an active area!

About an hour after starting we arrived at the site where we paid a small entry fee of P$51, unless you are Mexican where it is free on Sunday’s 🙂 Here we had our first real glimpse of the Pyramid of the Sun. The area was covered with hawkers selling all sorts of stuff, it all looked nice, but there is only so much space on a bike 🙂 There were info panels and I took pictures but they were a pastel colour and a bit hard to read, but never mind, and just to prove I was there I get into a photo with Gary my host 🙂

Well, the next step was not one but many and pretty much straight up as well!! The climb up here was steep and very crowded, the pathway also narrows half way up so there is a bit of a bottle neck, but we all eventually made it to the top, maybe a bit out of breath though as we were at over 2.5km above sea level.

Now, right at the top in the centre is a small metal button, apparently if you can get your finger on it you draw some energy from the pyramid 🙂 Well, I must say if I did so, I used it all up in the free for all trying to get out afterwards from a crowd of people, it is a tight squeeze in there! That is my hand bottom right 🙂

From up here the views were great, you see all the way down the Avenue of the Dead towards the Pyramid of the Moon which itself was great to look at 🙂

Of course what goes up must come down, this was a bit easier, but still quite busy, I wonder what it would be like when it was a normal tourist season, this one has been a bit light on due to the scares.

Now, down below I was approached by a T-shirt hawker and I was interested in buying a shirt, so I haggled, he wanted P$150 for the black shirt with a great design, sorry no photo, I forgot, but it was a beauty. In the end after walking away a few times we agreed on P$80(AU$6.60), I still probably got ripped off, but I felt happy with the price 😆

Then we headed up towards the Pyramid of the Moon and on the way passed a section of original stucco painted wall with one of the only existing murals on it of a Puma. This place would have looked real good when it was at its prime I reckon 🙂

On the way we passed a big rock with no info on it at all, but it had been carved a bit by the looks. Then we arrived at this smaller pyramid and with this one you could only climb up to the first platform.

Guess what, yep, more steps, even steeper than the last ones with a bigger step, whew my leg muscles were taking a hammering! But, once at the top the views were spectacular, well worth the climb 🙂

A long way down and very steep, this is Memo and myself doing the high knee step down and I have to say my left knee complained bitterly, ouch!

From here we went to a side area where they had found some bass relief carvings etc as well as some painted stone walls. They also excavated under the pyramid and found that the one we can see is built on top of another and another, like a Russian matryoshka doll!

Around the corner on the way to the museum there was another info panel for the Sun pyramid, so have a read of this one as well then 🙂

The museum was only small, but it had some nice artefacts and some other displays.

The other place we had not been to yet was the pyramid of the feathered serpent.

Then more pottery type items were displayed.

We then had to retrace our steps passed the hawkers who were not that intrusive and get back to the car and head to the pyramid of the feathered serpent. Of course this meant more steps, lucky I am a fit bugger eh!

From the top of the wall in front you get to see the worn down fascia but there were still some nice stone heads sticking out. This place is under extensive repairs so most was off limits, but it was still impressive 🙂 And also from here you get a nice side on view of the other two pyramids.

Well, that was the end of the tour, now we had to negotiate Sunday return traffic back to the city. The pyramids are outside the city on the north east, Gary lived on the outskirts in the south west, so it was a long drive through the city, but we stopped for dinner at a place they liked which served a Greek style food, carved off the kebab thing!

Now this was interesting, they serve this up to everyone when they arrive. The cook grabs a block of cheese and just rubs it around and around on the hot plate a fair bit, then when he considers it done he uses a scraper to peel it off and rolls it into a roll and you just break off bits and eat it, very nice, I may try that at home 🙂

The carver bloke was very quick, he would throw a few tortillas on the hot plate, then after a few seconds carve some meat into them, slice off s slice of pineapple from the top and add some garnish and sauce and Bob’s your uncle, meal served up with one minute 🙂

After dinner we walked for a short while down past where the bikers hang out, a few HD’s of course but a nice old trumpy in the mix as well 🙂

And a Harley wanabee!!!

After this we headed back via a supermarket to buy a few items, beer being one of them 🙂 We had a pleasant evening chatting about whatever, as you do. Tomorrow was going to be a town day, I needed to get a ‘power of attorney’ sorted out, I would need to check the internet and maybe get to the Auzzie embassy.

Day – 37 miles and 60 km
Trip – 39,839 miles and 64,115 km

Salud
TravellingStrom

USACanadaMexico

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