Entering Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan’s Piramide de la Luna
Determined to watch the sunrise atop a pyramid, we parked our beloved Fungibus alongside a fence cloaked in darkness just behind Piramide del Sol at the sacred Mesoamerican ruins of Teotihuacan. A tornado erupts inside the bus as we bundle up, clothes, backpacks and sleeping bags flying in a flurry of excitement. Stealthily trickling outside to hop the fence, we prepare to toss over our gear when a pack of furiously barking canines rush at us from the other side.
Not willing to find out if bite matched bark, we decide to try getting in the old fashioned way.
After pleading with the guard at the gate, opening our hearts, even offering bribes as a last resort, the answer is clear: we are not getting into the grounds before 7:30 in the morning. We agree to wake up before sunrise and try bribing a guard at a different gate, and slink back to the bus.
Moaning and groaning as the alarm goes off, we peek out the window at a blanket of persistent cloud cover. Sleepy giggles of relief, we roll over, off the hook for an early morning.
We wake again a few hours later to sparkling sunshine and make our way to the front gate to pay for tickets with the rest of the tourists. Energy is a bit low as we meander through the grounds, halfheartedly snapping pictures on the once-sacred temples now repaired with plaster and concrete, squeezing our way through hordes of protruding selfie sticks.
Wandering farther along the main pathway, we notice a little trail dipping off behind a cluster of trees. Few words spoken, we naturally take the road less traveled. Leaving behind the dull roar of crying children and toy whistles, the little trail opens up into tranquil nopal cacti-studded grassland, not a human in site. Walking in silence, breathing deeply, thirsty eyes drinking in every direction, we come to a towering nopal tree. Underneath, a dog sits staring, a perfect statue. Our confusion transforms into wonderment as we recognize the deep reverence emanating from the canine. We leave the obviously Aztec shaman incarnate to his communion and continue on our path.
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Our trek across the grassy plains.
Atop La Luna
Across the plain, Piramide de la Luna comes into view. Unlike the Sun temple, all Teotihuacan tourists are seemingly corralled on its middle tier, leaving the top free and open. The trail takes us around the backside of the lunar temple, whose beautifully bulging stones beg us to boulder. We crawl and climb up the monument, laughing all the way to its peak. We sit in silence, soaking up the sun and crazy high vibes, careful to keep low as not to be seen.
Aztec spirit orb leading us up Piramide de la Luna.
After some time, we come together into a circle. A deep hum sounds from Oliver’s chest, and we all join one by one, until we create a deep resonance. Individual hums, oms and ah’s weave together into one voice beyond our own. A portal is ripped open. Rising and falling, sailing and soaring, it feels as though our voices have been borrowed by a being who had been waiting ages to have their song sung.
As our harmonics naturally fade to a close, our eyes drift open to see a guard trudging breathlessly to the top of the pyramid. Perfect timing.
We greet him warmly, cheering for the small man as he reaches the summit. Pablo offers water to the man, who was evidently not used to such physical exertion. Even between his huffs and puffs, it is easy to see he is not pleased. He tells us he is going to escort us to the exit, and that we are not to return. Skipping down the front steps, the Breakfast Club makes their descent. At the base of the temple, another guard joins our parade, and the pair begins feeding on each other’s negative energy. The power hungry duo yells at us and says rather rude things that need not be repeated. So we decide to have a bit of fun.
Our Grand Exit
Scooby-Doo style, our group darts in every direction, weaving back and forth, running as fast as we can back through the grassy plains. As we near the exit, we slow to say goodbye to our adversary, offering him handshakes and genuine gratitude for a good game. He looks quite constipated and rejects our attempted peacemaking. We shrug and turn into the sunset, making our merry way onto our next adventure.
The troublemakers’ descent.
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