Mexico from Slides prt6: Teotihuacán

the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl

(9 shots) | Near the Pyramid of the Moon was the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl. Build around 250 AD and found in 1962. Quetzalpapalotl means “feathered butterfly”; kind of God, to be seen in the carvings on the pillars. Others think that it’s the “Spearthrower Owl” an important military god at Teotihuacan. Very well restored; but I liked the rough stuff better.

The Pillars

Quetzalpapalotl

Quetzalpapalotl prt2

Central Courtyard Floor

The Palace is configured around a square courtyard. I liked the floor a lot. But with stories about human sacrifices and torn-out hearts in mind, I was wondering what had all been washed away down that drain, in those days. The colours helped a lot with that…

The Drain

The Temple of the Feathered Conch Shells

The Palace of Quetzalpapalotl was built upon an older structure: the Temple of the Feathered-Conches, probably built around 200 AD. It was a dark place with great paintings of a bird, that looks like an eagle but is assumed to be a Macaw that gives power to, most likely, a maize-plant.

Mystics of a Bird and a Crop

Mystics of a Bird and a Crop prt2

Mexico from Slides prt5: Teotihuacán

The Pyramid of the Moon, seen from the P.o.t.Sun.

(9 shots).- From The Pyramid of the Sun we had a great view on the Pyramid of the Moon. It is at the end of the ‘Totenweg’; some kind of apotheosis. In front of it is a plaza, surrounded by a number of smaller Pyramids. It was built in several phases, roughly between 0-500 AD. It was dedicated to the goddess of water, fertility, the earth, and even creation itself.

From the Sun to the Moon

Handrail detail

All these Pyramids were very colorful in those days. Somewhere between the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon was a niche with a painting of a jaguar. I assume this shows how Teotihuacán must have looked when it was still inhabited by Aztecs and or other ‘tecs’.

The Jaguar

The Pyramid of the Moon

Inhumanly Stairs

Leftside view

Looking back

Pyramid of the Sun

Mexico from Slides prt4: Teotihuacán

The Pyramid of the Sun, taken from The pyramid of the Quetzalcoatl

(8 shots) From The Pyramid of the Quetzalcoatl we had a great side-view on the largest Pyramid of Teotihuacán; the Pyramid of the Sun.

Avenue of the Dead

The ‘main road’ of Teotihuacán is enormous. It was called “Miccoatli” which means: “Avenue of the Dead” (I like it even better in German: “Totenweg”). At the end is the Pyramid of the Moon. It starts with several terraces that are connected by rough stairs. When reaching the highest level, the view is immense. I imagined thousands of people, chanting together, while somewhere upon one of those huge pyramides an animal or human being was sacrificed, for reasons nobody knows for sure anymore.

Avenue of the Dead, upper level

Approaching the Pyramid of the Sun

The way up

The largest Pyramid is the Pyramid of the Sun. Got it’s name from the Aztecs, who did not start to build it. It’s not clear who were the founders of Teotihuacán; but the Aztecs entered the City after it was abandoned for quite some time. The Pyramid of the Sun was completed around 100 AD… According to just one Wikipedia-page the Pyramid is 65.5; 71.2 and 75 meters high; so pick what you like, but believe me, it’s very high. I’m not a hero when it comes to climbing on structures that were designed by the human brain; but this one I had to conquer. The higher I got, the more the vertigo took hold of my muscles and mind; but finally I reached the top. Enormous view over the site. The worst moment for me was to start the descent; that ridge with ‘nothing’, pulling on me. The first two stairs I did sitting on the butt. 🙂 Then things got better and I was glad to find myself on the ‘Totenweg’ again. I did not climb the Pyramid of the Moon, which was less high, but much steeper.

Along the front-side

View from the Pyramid of the Sun

Looking back

Mexico from Slides prt3: Teotihuacán

Teotihuacán, first view

Our travel-guide was a good one. She wanted us to be in the bus early for our trip to the remains of the Aztec City Teotihuacán, because she knew that later on the place would be crowded. It was a dreary day. We skipped the coffee and an introduction and started immediately. My first impression was: huge!

Ancient

The Temple of Quetzalcoatl

This was the first pyramid we met. It’s The Temple of Quetzalcoatl or, The pyramid of the Feathered Serpent (or a mix of the two..). Quetzalcoatl (=”Feathered Serpent”) was the God of the winds and rains and the creator of the world and mankind. He appears as a mix of a bird and a rattle snake. A large number of sacrificial burials were found at the pyramid, believed to be carried out as part of the dedication of the temple. We didn’t see one.

The Temple of Quetzalcoatl prt2

Quetzalcoatl and Tláloc in Relief

The reliefs on the facade of the pyramid show the heads of Quetzalcoatl and Tláloc, who is the God of rain, water, lightning and agriculture. In the days of the Aztecs these pyramids were painted in hard colours. Too bad all that has faded completely.

Tláloc

Stairway of the Past

SteepStairs

Dark in the Rain

Mexico from Slides prt2: Mexico City

The Metropolitan Cathedral, right side

Our main goal was the remains of the Indian cultures; but in Mexico City there was a lot of Western-Christianity surrounding us during our first steps. We sneaked inside some of that. On the Zócalo was a huge cathedral: The Metropolitan Cathedral. I liked the cars in front of the right entrance. Inside more gold than heaven can bear.

The Metropolitan Cathedral, inside

The Antigua Basilica of Guadalupe

Above, The Antigua Basilica of Guadalupe in the rain. It was sad anyway, because it was replaced by a modern one. At first glance I didn’t recognize it as a church. Then I had this funny form-association with the intake of a vacuum cleaner; hoovering the souls straight into heaven.

Basilica of Guadalupe

Basilica of Guadalupe prt2

Doglike Devotion

Inside it was quite dark and crowded.

Basilica of Guadalupe, inside

The Virgin of Guadalupe is the ‘non-mother’ of this church and she did some pretty amazing healing in her days. Above the high altar hangs an icon-like painting of her behind bullet-proof glass. Downstairs was a small assembly line, which led me quietly along the Virgin while I took a shot.

The Virgin of Guadalupe

Finally our first Aztec-meeting. The ruins of the Templo Mayor, that used to be one of the main temples of the Aztecs in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, as Mexico City was named in those days.

Templo Mayor, Aztec ruin

Templo Mayor, Altar of the Toads

Mexico from Slides prt1: Mexico City

Mexico

Last year, on the third of March, I started a series of posts about India; based on slides I took in 1990. It was fun to re-live that trip; and quite some people enjoyed those posts. So, here we go again; back in time, to Mexico.
In 1993 my wife and I decided to visit Mexico. We both were interested in the old-Indian cultures, so we booked us a bus-trip that would take us along the major Aztec/Maya-remains in Mexico. I had bought a Dutch translation of Popol Vu; the holy book of the Maya’s, for some reading during our flight. As far as I can remember, pretty gruesome tales sometimes; but with more fun than most biblical stories. When I stopped reading, we had arrived in a Hotel in Mexico City.. 😉 It was pretty close to the ‘Zócalo’; the central Plaza of the City. Although we traveled as a group, everybody was free to go his own way, as long as you were at the right time at the right place for moving on to the next location. My wife and I started with a short walk in the neighborhood of the Zócalo and something to eat.

Waiting for food

Harmoniman

On a Government Office

Demonstration

Frente del Pueblo

I liked this kid, demonstrating with the FP (Peoples Front), but walking the other way. (One of my deviations to have an eye for that…)

The Guitarist

On a little street-party in a park, his little brother was dreaming of becoming a guitarist.

Clown-gestures

The funny clowns needed some help from someone in the audience; guess who they picked… I’m a pretty good biker; but not on one wheel. Fortunately they were very helpful while making fun… 🙂

Playing the funny Fool

TurtleHerd

TurtleHerd

(looks best full screen; click once; and once more on the image and then F11)

A Shadow on my Wall

A Shadow on my Wall

(looks best full screen; click once; and once more on the image and then F11)

A Nice, Warm Day

A Nice, Warm Day

(looks best full screen; click once; and once more on the image and then F11)

The Fading Structure

The Fading Structure

(looks best full screen; click once; and once more on the image and then F11)