Sweat dripped from my scalp into my eyes, ran in rivulets down my cheeks and pooled in the hollow of my neck. A merciless sun beat down on my bare head, laughing at my attempts to staunch the flow with the few measly tissues left in my backpack. I stood atop the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan, looking down upon ruins stretching far into the distance, wondering how an ancient civilization ever flourished on this God forsaken, barren plateau, and marveling at the massive structures they were able to erect without the assistance of machines.
As I descended the steep stone steps, I glanced down the wide avenue leading to the Pyramid of the Moon. Despite oppressive heat and torpid air, I knew I would also climb this sister pyramid, if only because it was there.
Can’t view the above slide show of the ancient ruins at Teotihuacan, Mexico? Click here.
Late in the day, having survived two steep climbs, I hurried to the far end of the park before it closed to see the final pyramid, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. I debated whether or not I needed to climb it for about a nanosecond before turning for the exit. Maybe later I’d kick myself for not having stood atop this third ruin, but I was out of energy and out of tissues.
It wasn’t a “God forsaken, barren plateau,” when they built all of this. It was very highly wooded at the time not far from the shores of lake Texcoco. A lot has changed in 2000 years. I think it’s odd that three times in history the largest (or one of the largest) cities in the world has been in this basin at 7400 ft. elevation.
It does make you wonder, doesn’t it? What in the world could have been so attractive about this particular location that it was the site of three important cities?
very good article
What a sweat to climb to the top in that heat – not much shade to be seen, I hope you had some water.
From the top I thought it was water in between the structures. Mirage? I wonder if the builders also saw things during their labors. I think I would have passed out.
I was just thinking what you said at the end of your video. It just boggles my mind at what people were able to build without advanced machinery.
Your series makes me want ot go to Mexico more and more. What extraordinary structures for the times. The Sun Pyramid must be huge. Like many of these temples, I bet the site is full of special alignments on solstices or equinoxes or other significant pre-Columbian dates.
Amazing. In the background I have on a video about the Terracotta Army at the moment. These things these peoples did……and we moan if we have to walk to work or whatever. What the world could do if we could harness the determination and imagination of those times….still, without the slave labor of course!
Nice to hear your voice!