Cholula!

For my birthday, we decided to take a trip to Cholula, Puebla. We went to the Great Pyramid of Cholula also known as Tlachihualtepetl  (Nahuatl for "made-by-hand mountain") It is the largest archaeological site of a pyramid (temple) in the New World, as well as the largest pyramid known to exist in the world today. The pyramid stands 180 feet around the surrounding plain and measured 1,300 by 1.300 feet. The style of the pyramid has been linked closely to that of the Teotihuacan pyramids. Excavations have resulted in about eight kilometers of tunnels inside the pyramid, which began with two in 1931 to prove that the hill was an archeological find. Within, altars with offerings, floors, walls and buried human remains from around 900 AD were discovered. Today, only about 800 meters of these tunnels are open to the public, which have been made into well-lit, arched passages. Because of the historic and religious significance of the church, which is a designated colonial monument, the pyramid as a whole has not been excavated and restored, as have the smaller but better-known pyramids at Teotihuacan. If you are claustrophobic at all then this would not be a fun trip for you. It is very tight and has a fairly low ceiling. It wasn't to much of an issue for me, because I'm short, but Gary had to duck quite a bit and all the while carrying Aurora which took a toll on his back by the end of the tour.

Beginning of the tour

Off to the side of the main trail you see where they dug up and found the original steps of the Pyramid.

Here is another shot of more original steps.

Here is a picture of just how cramped it is as we walked down the path.

Another view of the stairs.

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Church of Our Lady of Remedies)

When we came out we paid a tour guide to show us around. 

This is the courtyard of  Altars where they would of done religious ceremonies. The area was mostly likely used for large, spectacular ceremonies as well as for rites associated with the passing of power.

Under this metal roof is the largest pre-Columbian mural discovered in Mexico, with a total length of 187 ft. Unfortunately, this is as close as you can get. Stupid people have destroyed some of it so they have it blocked off now. I was disappointed, because I really wanted to see it.

There is a small section of this Pyramid that is original, but the rest was designed by the archeologists who went about reconstructing this structure, using commercially made cement, leading to the structure being called the Tolteca pyramid, after the brand used. 

A view from on top of the Pyramid looking down into the city.

These are Flyers of Papantla who were performing in the market below.

The town was just gorgeous with brightly colored buildings.

A fun little train coming down the street you can ride 

Convento de San Gabriel

We had a wonderful time and will definitely be coming back as there is much more to see in this beautiful town!

Teotihuacan!

We traveled to Teotihuacan with our friend Marc and his two sons who were here visiting Mexico. We left early in the morning so we could beat the crowds later on. I couldn't believe the magnitude of this place. It was so huge! It was pretty exhausting walking down on all of the pyramids and seeing all the sites. Here is a little history about Teotihuacan.
At its zenith, perhaps in the first half of the 1st millennium AD, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas, with a population estimated at 125,000 or more,making it at least the sixth largest city in the world during its epoch.
Apart from the pyramids, Teotihuacan is also anthropologically significant for its complex, multi-family residential compounds, the Avenue of the Dead and the small portion of its vibrant murals that have been exceptionally well-preserved. Additionally, Teotihuacan exported fine obsidian tools that garnered high prestige and widespread usage throughout Mesoamerica.
The city is thought to have been established around 100 BC, with major monuments continuously under construction until about 250 AD. The city may have lasted until sometime between the 7th and 8th centuries AD, but its major monuments were sacked and systematically burned around 550 AD.
Teotihuacan began as a new religious center in the Mexican Highlands around the first century AD. This city came to be the largest and most populated center in the pre-Columbian Americas. Teotihuacan was even home to multi-floor apartment compounds built to accommodate this large population.  The term Teotihuacan (or Teotihuacano) is also used for the whole civilization and cultural complex associated with the site.
Although it is a subject of debate whether Teotihuacan was the center of a state empire, its influence throughout Mesoamerica is well documented; evidence of Teotihuacano presence can be seen at numerous sites in Veracruz and the Maya region. The later Aztecs saw these magnificent ruins and claimed a common ancestry with the Teotihuacanos, modifying and adopting aspects of their culture. The ethnicity of the inhabitants of Teotihuacan is also a subject of debate. Possible candidates are the Nahua, Otomi or Totonac ethnic groups. Scholars have also suggested that Teotihuacan was a multi-ethnic state.
The city and the archaeological site are located in what is now the San Juan Teotihuacán municipality in the State of México, approximately 40 kilometers (25 mi) northeast of Mexico City. The site covers a total surface area of 83 square kilometers (32 sq mi) and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It is the most visited archaeological site in Mexico.

 Temple of Quetzalcoatl

 New dig site!

 Lizard!

 Pyramid of the Sun

 On top of the Sun pyramid

 View from on top of the Sun pyramid

 La Gruta Restaurant

 This restaurant is literally in a cave which is super cool.

 The boys ordered fried worms which they kept wanting me to try, but I didn't give into the peer pressure. ;)

 A view from on top of the cave

 Moon Pyramid

 Awesome mural of a Jaguar I believe

 Here are a couple of views from the Moon pyramid

 Looking at the "Avenue of the Dead"

 Incredible carvings still intact

 This red color was so intense! I can't believe it is this bright after all this time.

 Here is another partial mural on a wall.

Mixquic!

In October we traveled to a little town called San Andres Mixquic is best known for its Day of the Dead celebrations, which consists of both ritual and cultural events lasting from October 31 to November 2nd. These events draw thousands of Mexicans and international visitors each year. 

 When we got there early in the morning the town was pretty empty, but by the time we left there were a ton of people. The only unfortunate thing that happened on this trip was that I lost my brand new cell phone. :( We looked all over the place, but with all the crowds it was impossible to find it anywhere. Here are a few pictures of the town and a couple of the events that we saw go on.

                                            

                                           Alters for the dead were placed all over the town

                                           Here is one of many murals we saw in the town

 

Church

 Courtyard of the church

 

Cemetery where families would lay flowers on the graves of their loved ones. Families would then gather round the grave and talk about memories of the decreased. It really is kind of beautiful. There were so many flowers! Everything was covered with them!  

 

 

 More alters

 Musical & Dance performances

Closer to home we celebrated the Day of the Dead with getting our faces painted and looking at everyone's costumes and face-painting. There was suppose to be a march downtown, but we never figured out where we were suppose to go for that so we just stayed where all the festivities were going on. 

While we were waiting in line to get our faces painted Aurora was getting fussy, but there was no where to sit to feed her so I just laid my bag down on the ground to and sat down to do it. I guess I must of looked like a beggar, because a guy wanted to give me 10 pesos. I told him I didn't want it and he moved on. When I mentioned it to Gary he even said I looked like one..lol

                                   

                                         We weren't going to get Aurora's face done, but I'm so glad we did!

                                         She looked so cute! (Also, this lady was in love with Aurora! Her makeup                                            was extensive. I can't imagine how long it took her to take it off...lol

We were briefly interviewed by Mariana Ochoa, a pop singer from OV7 (very popular in the late 90s). Apparently she does a vlog on YouTube. I think they mostly just wanted to get a shot of Aurora honestly,..heh. It was fun though. Gary did most of the talking.
 

 More Alebrije!

Bat!!

Dragon!!!

Hydra!!

Hummingbird!

They lit up the famous Angel statue for the occasion. It was an awesome night and one we won't forget anytime soon.