Teotihuacan is home to famous archeological pyramids – the pyramid of the sun and the pyramid of the moon. This ancient city had been on our bucket list for a while, and we couldn’t wait to explore our first ruins on this Mexican tour! So, when exiting the highway, leaving Hidalgo behind, and saying hello to the state of Mexico, you can imagine the excitement in the air when taking in these sights from afar. And wondering just how imposing these pyramids must have been to your average Aztec! A city planned and built on a huge scale!
Well, we would just have to learn all about it tomorrow, because it was late in the day, and we needed to set up camp.
Our campsite for the following few days was situated right in the center of the ‘new’ Teotihuacan. Being located 50 km northeast of Mexico City, and the only gig in town, it was actually quite a hub for travellers. We’re talking pre-covid times, that is. Upon arrival, we saw many campers parked up from all across the globe: Europe, America and even Australia. But rather than the lively campsite you would hope for, it felt more like a graveyard. Vacant RVs waiting for their inhabitants to return. Return is just what our Swiss friends Sarah, Olivier, Naomi and Iloa did. 16 months after they had to abandon their trip of a lifetime, they flew back in and were once again reunited with their home on wheels, ready to take off where they left….and have a few beers with us of course.
We actually enjoyed a lovely weekend with them, sharing some ribeyes over the grill, and some rather scary waltzer rides at the local fairground too, as well as taking in the grand sights of Pre-Columbian pyramids in Teotihuacan.
So, back to those ruins…this UNESCO World Heritage Site represents a once powerful and influential Mesoamerican city during the time of 400AD. But its history dates back even further to around 400 BC, with archeological studies showing evidence of agricultural communities at work. The site had developed over centuries with many sources stating that it was during the ‘Platachique’ phase around 1AD where the population increased and the great pyramids of the sun and moon were built. From then on until the city was booming 400 years later, development in construction, sculpture, art and pottery continued. But after its peak around 650 AD and before the Aztecs stumbled across this site, no one is quite sure why it was left derelict. Invasion, internal strife or just simply running out of resources due to the ever-increasing population? It is said that the Aztecs discovered Teotihuacan in its state of ruination and assumed that it was a holy place from a previous age, and thus gave it its name today meaning the ‘place where men became gods. And well, what had happened after the Spanish conquest, we all know… hence it being a museum today.
It was a very impressive museum nevertheless, and although one isn’t allowed to climb the pyramids anymore, there is much to see along the ‘Avenue of the dead’ which connects the two. If only the tourist vendors had left this avenue alone, it got a little tiresome having to listen to their sales pitch over and over again, but hey ho, everyone needs to make a living.
Our last day in Teotihuacan was actually spent in Mexico City. It was Richie’s birthday and we decided to splurge on an Uber ride (our first) into the capital. There are after all too many restrictions when trying to drive with a foreign vehicle. Dealing with the police and their very many bribes was just not worth bothering. So we settled for a $30 ride instead. This pleasant journey taking one hour and a half was still cheaper than feeding our ‘Silverskin’ all that diesel.
In our taxi we got to take in the enormity of the megalopolis, driving past its many colourful hillside suburbs and glancing at the very many leaning towers. No, we’re not talking towers of Pisa here! It turns out that Mexico City is sinking! The capital sits on an ancient lake bed, and with an ever-increasing population (currently 30 million people) and centuries of water drainage, the pressure is on!
We got dropped off at the historical center and spent an afternoon checking out some of the capital’s highlights, which included walking along the ‘Oxford street’ of Mexico City, running around Mexico’s largest square (Zoe): the “Plaza de la Constitución” better known as “El Zócalo”, and having a look at the famous excavated Aztec Templo Mayor which was replaced by the cathedral back in 1521. Yes, those Spaniards were at it again during their conquest.
And as with any visit in a city, it was time to get some grub. We had found ourselves a charming outdoor restaurant to satisfy our appetites. ‘Azul Historico’ offers a range of regional foods from Mexico and we indulged in quite a different type of meat…grasshoppers! These Oaxacan chapulines, along with some treats from Yucatán gave us a perfect ending to Richie’s special day.
We took our Uber back, taking in the city lights at night. Today was only a glimpse of the capital but we’re pretty sure we’ll be back for more soon.
So, after all these cities- ancient and new, it was time to get behind the wheel again and drive south, driving through the beautiful state of Puebla. And what a drive that was. The landscape changed dramatically from lush cornfields, to farms planted on rich agricultural soil, to then dry and dusty roads surrounded by forests of cacti and fuzzy Joshua trees. And this isn’t mentioning the backdrop of Popocatéptl and Iztaccihuatl behind us. These volcanoes can be seen far and wide. One dormant and the other very much alive, there is of course a love story created by the Aztecs that explains the relationship between the two; the reason why Popo refuses to be silent whilst mourning his beloved Izta.
It was very interesting to drive past the volcano evacuation signs and actually witness some of Popo’s rage during our stay at the fish hatchery in Atlixco. Clouds of smoke spewing out of his mouth could be seen from our camper. Very cool! And the fact that Richie caught about 12 fish made it a very worthwhile stop too.
Other than the tiny little pit stop here and there, that was it for Puebla. The road to Oaxaca got increasingly more scenic though, with the southernmost tip being the most breathtaking. And if the police hadn’t pulled us over, our journey would have been seamless. Oh well, it had to happen one day. They checked all our documents, foremost our ‘TIP’ and then tried to squeeze a little money out of us because our windows were tinted (apparently that wasn’t allowed in Puebla), but a bit of Spanish and some of Richie’s charm went a long way; we were off the hook!
That night spent in the middle of nowhere, close to the Oaxacan border was a peaceful ending to a very long day. Fireflies danced amongst the prickly pears; tiny dots of light reminding us of the wonderful treasures we’ve experienced so far and the great journey that still lies ahead.
Thanks for reading and we’ll ‘meat’ you guys around the world!
