[Throwback] Guadalupe and Teotihuacan

There were a couple of places I absolutely wanted to visit in Mexico. One was Guadalupe because of its significance in the Catholic faith. The other was a Mexican pyramid (I didn't know enough about them at the time to know which one/s to visit but I knew I had to see at least one). When I arrived at my hotel in Mexico, I immediately checked some tour brochures and I saw one that would take me to Guadalupe and Teotihuacan, an ancient city where one can see the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. I instantly booked this tour which I then took the next day.

Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan

Our first stop was Tlatelolco, an ancient Aztec city that is just a short distance away from Templo Mayor. We didn't get to go in but we stopped by briefly so our guide could talk about it a bit and so we could take photos.

Tlatelolco

We then headed to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. One of the most important artifacts to see here is the tilma (cloak) of Juan Diego who saw the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Archbishop Juan de Zumarraga didn't believe in Juan Diego's claims about what he saw so the Virgin Mary asked him to go up the mountain to pick some flowers. He wrapped these flowers in his tilma and presented them to the archbishop.  It turns out that these flowers were Castilian roses which were not found in Mexico at that time. Furthermore, the tilma now had an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. While there are questions about the accuracy of this story and the authenticity of this tilma, I felt I still wanted to see it as it has served as an inspiration of faith to millions worldwide.

Tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe

There are several buildings in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Due to our limited time here, I got to visit Templo Expiatorio a Cristo Rey (Old Basilica of Guadalupe)...

Old Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

...and the New Basilica of Guadalupe.

Inside the New Basilica of Guadalupe

We made a quick stop at a tourist spot/shop where Mexican souvenirs were being sold. Here, we got to have a shot of tequila (part of our tour). Our guide explained that tequila is made from the agave plant. I'm not a fan of tequila but I had to have it when I was there. I gotta say, the shot we had was really good! As I recall, it was pretty smooth and it had a really good flavor.

An Agave plant, from which tequila is made

Finally, we visited Teotihuacan, a holy city that was very significant during pre-Spanish times. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The massive Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building here.

Pyramid of the Sun

Visitors are allowed to go up!

Going up the Pyramid of the Sun

From the top, you have great views of Teotihuacan, including that of the Pyramid of the Moon.

Pyramid of the Moon, seen from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun

Visitors are also treated to a fantastic view of the grounds and the Avenue of the Dead from the Pyramid of the Moon.

Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan

Another significant structure is the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, who was a very important Aztec deity.

Temple of Quetzalcoatl

Our tour only lasted half a day but before we returned to Mexico City, we had lunch at a restaurant that served Mexican food. While I really love the more popular dishes such as tacos, burritos, enchiladas, I decided to have a Mexican mole because I had never had it before. A mole is which is a dish served with dark sauce, kinda like a curry but with a different flavor. I'm glad I ordered it because I enjoyed it and I think to that might have been the only time in my life I've had it.

Enjoying my first Mexican mole

After spending two days and two nights in Mexico City, I boarded a plane to head to Playa Del Carmen, where Amy and John's wedding would be held.

Next post: Playa Del Carmen and Xcaret