Mexico City - Part I

The flight from Tijuana was good enough. I was impressed with the comfortability of Mexicana airlines. The seat felt wider than usual and there was definitely more leg space than any other plane I have ever flown. They served dinner on a 2 1/2 hour flight plus two different types of peanuts.
Lam had arrenged for me to stay at "Fiesta Inn Aiport". It was a very decent hotel. I left my luggage in the roonm and rushed to free dinner, a genuine Mexican food buffet! yesss!!! LOVE buffets! I asked for a diet coke and the server brought me a tiny glass filled half ice half soda. When I was done with the drink I asked for another glass and she looked at me weird. She told me usually people had to pay for the re-fill. The dinner fee included only one glass. I had completely forgotten that is the same way in Brazil.

I returned to the room and it was way too warm inside because the air conditioned wasn't working properly. I opened the patio door to let the breeze in. I knew that would be the only way to have a good night sleep. While I watched TV I made plans for the next day. Wake up and leave at around 10am for the check out and drop my stuff at the hotel storage. I had noticed that the hotel offered tours to the Pyramids. At the board I noticed it was a 3 to 4 hours tour. It was my first time in Mexico City and I thought it would be more interesting to do some sightseeing around the city, plus it would be cheaper. The hotel workers, very friendly, got me a cab.

On one note regarding the Mexican people, I noticed that they have a hard time looking in the eyes, have eye-to-eye contact. For us Brazilians who need eye contact it can become a little annoying.

The cab I took at the hotel was a private car available for the guests. My driver's name was Axcel as in Axel Rose. He was 21 years old and like his father and older brothers he worked as driver for the hotel.
We were in outr way to downtown when out of curiosity I asked him how far the Pyramid were. He started insisting I should see them. I felt tempted but rejected the suggestion and told him I would rather go downtown. He kept insisting and told me we could go to both and still make to the airport on time, plus he would only charge 120 whereas the hotel tour costs 160. 120 for everything??? and he confirmed. I thought the price was ridiculously low considering that 1 dollar = equals 10 pesos. 120 would be 12 dollars. Well! I couldn't possibly reject that offer. "LET's GO!!!"

I relaxed in the back seat grabbed my cameras and and started documenting. We drove through some areas pretty run down, some big favelas werealso part of the scenery. Axcel and I talked about different things which included the exodus of Mexicans through the US border an his desire to become a tourist guide. He was pretty good as a guide in fact. While we traveled he described many things on the way. When we arrived at the Pyramids I paid 45 pesos for the ticket and 40 pesos for parking.

We walked around the Theothiucan area. From far distance one could see the humongous Pyramids. The Pyramid of the Moon and the one from the Sun, plus all theruins of an ancient city that once existed there, all built from rocks. The sight was breathtaking, specially because I had just watched Mel Gibson's "Äpocalypto" that features the guerrillas between the indian civilaztions and the decadence of the Maias, who, according to the picture conquered small villages and offered the men's for the God of Fertility. I told Axcel he had to see that movie and at the same time I wondered if those were the Pyramids portrayed by the film.

Axcel told me that the Teothiucans were there before the Mayas existed, and some reports tell that the Mayas took ovr that spot after the Teothiucan had vanished. If that is really true, History is mistold on respect of the strongest Indian civilizations in America.

We left the Pyramids. That was a wonderful experience.