CLIMBING THE SUN (First of 2 Today)

Today's subway and bus ride was 40 miles north of the city to the ancient UNESCO site of Teotihuacan, "The Place Where Man Met The Gods". Built between 100BC and 250 AD, population peaked at 150,000. You can look up all the amazing details, but the impression is huge (11 square miles) and "How did they do this??". The main road "Avenue of the Dead" is aligned at exactly 15.5 degrees from due north. Along this 2-mile road are the three main structures. The Temple of the Sun is the third largest pyramid ever constructed on earth. About 500 x 450 feet at the base and 300 feet high. The Temple of the Moon is only slightly smaller. The Temple of the Feathered Spirit completes this trio. Very precisely laid out among them are the excavated housing, admin offices, baths, etc. There is no evidence of any military presence having been part of their society. More wonders are being dug out still, like the remarkable cave painting of a jaguar, common back then.

Even in today's heat and desert-dry air we were drawn to climb to the tops of the pre-Aztec Big Three. Very steep, narrow steps (no big feet??), rough surfaces. But there are plateaus to stop and stare at the views, and some breeze at the peaks.

The site is beautifully original. No horses, golf carts, or tram rides. No cold drinks sold. To get a real feel for the place, you must walk the miles and bring water. There is local pressure to have a hideous sound-and-light metal structure. And a nearby large US megastore initialled W-M dug up and dumped priceless artifacts. But for now you can climb the Sun and the Moon. And smile that you actually made it!