Mexico City and the Aztec Pyramids at Teotihuacan

Our plan was to climb to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan at sunrise on the first day of the new millennium. We had a collection of crystals and Shaman Wands we wanted to recharge.

But first we had to get there. We'd been at Las Hadas in Manzanillo for Christmas, then flew to Guadalajara after Christmas to visit with friends. On December 30, we flew into Mexico City and rented a VW Bug (for five of us, plus luggage!!) to drive up to Teotihuacan (about 50km).

We had booked two rooms at our favorite kind of hotel in Mexico, the Club Med Archaeological Villas. We'd stay at their locations in Uxmal and Chichen-Itza (in the Yucatan) and loved the ambience and the convenient location to the pyramids there.

This Club Med was just as good, if a little bigger. There was great food and small but tidy rooms in a fantastic location. We spent the next day (December 31) touring the pyramids, followed by a wild New Year's Eve party at the Hotel.

On January 1, at about 5:55am, we piled into the VW for the very short drive to the main entrance (on the south side) to the Pyramid park. We managed to wake up a hungover guard who waved us off, saying the park was closed. The sign said the park opened at 6am, and sunrise was scheduled at 6:30am.

We decided to drive around to the entrance on the east side of the park and got the same answer. Then drove about to the north entrance and once again were waved off.

Feeling the pressure of the time (dawn was approaching), we drove back to the main entrance, and this time the guard was waiting for us and waved us in. All we could figure was that all the guards were on the radio with each other, and determined that they were being invaded by a bunch of crazy gringos!

We drove in, parked, and RAN up to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun. Now this is a GIANT pyramid, and running up the steps was an effort. But we all made it, recharged our wands and crystals, and spent the early morning enjoying the energy. We were not, by the way, the only ones up there. Two local families had also decided that this day, this morning, this location had special meaning.

The wands work, by the way. One Navaho Healing Wand helped a good friend of our conquer cancer (at least that's what she thinks, and who am I to argue?).

And please don't hesitate to drop me a line with your own observations about this journal/review. I like to see if my advice has value. Email me at rickhowe@aol.com.