Teotihuacán and (much later) mescal

We are woken by the strident alarm at 5am - when Oswaldo groggily realizes he's set it to Brazilian time. But at 7 we get up to get ready for Señor Cristobal, the cab-driver, who will take us out to the Teotichuacán ruins an hour and a half northeast out of the city. We've been warned to slather ourselves with sunscreen, wear hats and carry water - all of which we do. We get there early, before the crowds and make our way down the Calzada de los Muertes - dribbling several salesmen, who offer blankets, stone masks, axes, tablecloths, silver, and when we politely decline they all ask to trade their goods for the black nylon backback Oswaldo is carrying!

We climb up the stairs to many rampants and the down on the other side, which in itself is quite tiring, but the enormous pyramid of the Sun is getting closer and we discuss nervously whether we'll even attempt scaling its steep and narrow steps.

In the end, after vigorous stretching, we do climb it of course (when in Rome...) and are quite proud and not really so winded when at last we stand on the top. The view is spectacular with a fresh breeze cooling our hot faces and backs. 

The descent is much less strenuous and we notice that the tour crowds have begun to arrive and are huffing and puffing up the stairs we just mastered. Once down we continue along the calzada in the direction of the imposing Moon pyramid. In front of it is the large flat platform where they did their human offerings. This was a violent culture indeed. I try the stairs to the Moon pyramid, observed by Oswaldo who has decided it's not for him, and I too give up a short way up. Then we walk back towards the entrance, I'm now holding an umbrella the sun is that strong, and find a pleasant upstairs café where we have the breakfast we didn't have time for this morning. We're hot and exhausted and happy to sit in the air-conditioning. After a visit to the local museum 

it's back into the car, and after a short stop at the airport to change money (again!) I get dropped at the Mercado de Coyoacán to indulge in some shopping, while Oswaldo goes home. Much later we're ready to go out and have a very late lunch. We walk down to the Jardin del Centenario and try a new Mexican restaurant, Los Danzantes. The guidebook says it's famous also for doing mescal tasting, so we decide to try.

It's a serious business, we have to try 3 different bottles and after each sip dip orange slices in a red spice and eat it all. It doesn't take long to realize all this is REALLY strong, so we eventually decide on a drink 'Cielo Azul' made with mescal, lemonjuice and curação, which seems like a safer choice. We have a wonderful meal with red snapper and 2 desserts, a tart made with fresh little black figs with their peel on and pancakes filled with apple and covered with a light caramel sauce - served with ice-cream. Yum.

Click on the picture here if you want to see more photos from the day: