Pyramid of the Sun
22 Jul 2019 08:16![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
karmicdragonflyThe day we climbed the Pyramid of the Sun was also the balloon ride day. So we left the guest house at 6:15AM for the balloons, came back and had breakfast and crashed for a 1/2 hour or so, and then off we went back to Teo!
Even though there were several more levels on the Sun Pyramid, I found it easier to climb than the Moon. For 1 reason: The Moon was the first that I climbed and at first, I was not sure how to handle the steep steps. I eventually learned that going up, I would lean very far forward, and actually touch the step above as a way to steady myself. Coming down, I learned to either walk in a sideways-zigzag down, if there was open space on the stairs, meaning I was facing to the side, and moving forward a bit each time I went down a step -OR- I just went directly down but sideways. Partly that is because I have a weak knee, but also, the steps were just steep and I had a heavy-ish backpack on!
The story the leader told was of seeing a woman once, probably from Mexico City, arrive in stiletto heels and a white tube dress, who climbed the Pyramid of the Moon as easy as if she were out for an every day stroll! Very impressive and with lots of style!
The leader asked us to pick someone to climb the Sun Pyramid with, presumably to call for help if we fell or something. By this time in the trip, I had already buddy-ed up with a particular guy for these kinds of activities, and this same guy and I ended up hanging out in the airport on the way home since we had the same flight back to the states -- it turned out we traveled well together.
We climbed and climbed again, rested at a level, then climbed and climbed again. I was somewhat out of breath, but it wasn't too bad. There were butterflies at the top -- the leader said they were drawn to the energy of the pyramid, but I suspect it was the wildflowers growing on the sides of the pyramid.
Lots of space to walk around on the top level, and there is a further climb of jumbled rock / concrete to climb to the 'very top'. This is where we ran into a dude from Italy, who had already pegged us for gay because he asked if the buddy and I were together, and then proceeded to tell us how he was in a long distance relationship with a guy from Chicago. Diego was his name, and evidently Diego and his boyfriend travel transatlantically once a month to see each other -- that's a very hard thing to do, and I think eventually a couple has to decided to fish or cut bait. Diego was cute and softspoken. Seemed a nice guy!
This is a shot of the Sun Pyramid a couple days before, on a Sunday when the site is free for Mexican citizens -- it was PACKED! The shot is taken from one of the plazas in the center of Teotihuacán.
The day we were there to climb it, things were less crowded. Here is the approach --
The top was fairly crowded, but not horribly so. Here's a pic and of me and the buddy --
I found the view to be less impressive than the Moon. I think that's because it is slightly offset from the rest of the site. Here is a view (looking towards the Moon) from the Sun --
Compare that to this view from the Moon (looking towards the Sun), where you can see other buildings in the site --
So we climbed 2 actual pyramids -- the Moon and the Sun -- and we climbed what is termed the 'citadel' up one side and down the other to get to the foot of Quetalcoatl.
So, my bucket list item of seeing pyramids is definitely checked off!
Even though there were several more levels on the Sun Pyramid, I found it easier to climb than the Moon. For 1 reason: The Moon was the first that I climbed and at first, I was not sure how to handle the steep steps. I eventually learned that going up, I would lean very far forward, and actually touch the step above as a way to steady myself. Coming down, I learned to either walk in a sideways-zigzag down, if there was open space on the stairs, meaning I was facing to the side, and moving forward a bit each time I went down a step -OR- I just went directly down but sideways. Partly that is because I have a weak knee, but also, the steps were just steep and I had a heavy-ish backpack on!
The story the leader told was of seeing a woman once, probably from Mexico City, arrive in stiletto heels and a white tube dress, who climbed the Pyramid of the Moon as easy as if she were out for an every day stroll! Very impressive and with lots of style!
The leader asked us to pick someone to climb the Sun Pyramid with, presumably to call for help if we fell or something. By this time in the trip, I had already buddy-ed up with a particular guy for these kinds of activities, and this same guy and I ended up hanging out in the airport on the way home since we had the same flight back to the states -- it turned out we traveled well together.
We climbed and climbed again, rested at a level, then climbed and climbed again. I was somewhat out of breath, but it wasn't too bad. There were butterflies at the top -- the leader said they were drawn to the energy of the pyramid, but I suspect it was the wildflowers growing on the sides of the pyramid.
Lots of space to walk around on the top level, and there is a further climb of jumbled rock / concrete to climb to the 'very top'. This is where we ran into a dude from Italy, who had already pegged us for gay because he asked if the buddy and I were together, and then proceeded to tell us how he was in a long distance relationship with a guy from Chicago. Diego was his name, and evidently Diego and his boyfriend travel transatlantically once a month to see each other -- that's a very hard thing to do, and I think eventually a couple has to decided to fish or cut bait. Diego was cute and softspoken. Seemed a nice guy!
This is a shot of the Sun Pyramid a couple days before, on a Sunday when the site is free for Mexican citizens -- it was PACKED! The shot is taken from one of the plazas in the center of Teotihuacán.
The day we were there to climb it, things were less crowded. Here is the approach --
The top was fairly crowded, but not horribly so. Here's a pic and of me and the buddy --
I found the view to be less impressive than the Moon. I think that's because it is slightly offset from the rest of the site. Here is a view (looking towards the Moon) from the Sun --
Compare that to this view from the Moon (looking towards the Sun), where you can see other buildings in the site --
So we climbed 2 actual pyramids -- the Moon and the Sun -- and we climbed what is termed the 'citadel' up one side and down the other to get to the foot of Quetalcoatl.
So, my bucket list item of seeing pyramids is definitely checked off!