Wow! This day turned out to be physically demanding, yet incredibly interesting. We started our day at the holy site of the Basilica of Guadalupe. Every year on December 12th, which is the anniversary of the apparitions, this site is visited by about two million faithful. They bring their special prayers of intention to be heard. Whether one believes in the apparitions seen in 1531 or not, the Virgin of Guadalupe is truly a miracle. She has become the bridge that unites all of Mexico, no matter what one´s ethnic background happens to be. She is seen as a mother protector and has truly become the one symbol of Mexican national identity. She is truly revered by all.
From there we journey to the Teotihuacan pyramids. Amazing! Before even leaving the parking lot, we were entertained by the Voladores de Papantia. In their colorful costumes, these ¨flying men¨ climbed a huge pole, tied a rope around one ankle and then flew upside down around the pole. We loved it! Now on to the pyramids. This area was the cradle of the Toltec civilization. When the Aztecs arrived here, they were so impressed with the size of the buildings that had been left behind, they believed it was a city of the gods.
The site was divided into the administrative part of the old city and the religious section. The religious sections contained the Pyra
mid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. They were quite impressive. Many adventurers in our group climbed both. That a stairmaster of another kind. This site is important culturally because it was linked with all regions of MesoAmerica. There is evidence of trade that took place from all regions. At its peak, it was home to about 125,000 people and extensive agriculture took place here.
As if these adventures weren´t enough for one day, next we headed to quite an interesting lunch. We ate in a cave. Yes, that´s right - a huge cave! It was cool and apparently bat-free. However, some of our food tastings were even more unusual than our location. If you think quesadillas with corn fungus is over the top, how about ant larvae and fried worms????? That´s correct. We adventurous fulbrighters wanted to get the most out of our cultural experience, so we ate them. Anything for learning! Yum! Yum!
Wait! The day isn´t over yet. The building was a gorgeous art deco and the stage screen was an exquisite mosaic of magnificient colors. The music, dance and vibrant costumes were fantastic. The hours simply flew by. Now, we all want one of those beauftiful full skirts to flip, twist, and spin around in. Doesn´t that sound like fun?
Benito, our faithful and expert bus driver gathered us all up and deposited us back safely to our lovely hotel. What a jampacked superb day in Mexico this was!
Diane, St. Edwards-Epiphany School, Richmond, Virginia
From there we journey to the Teotihuacan pyramids. Amazing! Before even leaving the parking lot, we were entertained by the Voladores de Papantia. In their colorful costumes, these ¨flying men¨ climbed a huge pole, tied a rope around one ankle and then flew upside down around the pole. We loved it! Now on to the pyramids. This area was the cradle of the Toltec civilization. When the Aztecs arrived here, they were so impressed with the size of the buildings that had been left behind, they believed it was a city of the gods.
The site was divided into the administrative part of the old city and the religious section. The religious sections contained the Pyra
mid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. They were quite impressive. Many adventurers in our group climbed both. That a stairmaster of another kind. This site is important culturally because it was linked with all regions of MesoAmerica. There is evidence of trade that took place from all regions. At its peak, it was home to about 125,000 people and extensive agriculture took place here.As if these adventures weren´t enough for one day, next we headed to quite an interesting lunch. We ate in a cave. Yes, that´s right - a huge cave! It was cool and apparently bat-free. However, some of our food tastings were even more unusual than our location. If you think quesadillas with corn fungus is over the top, how about ant larvae and fried worms????? That´s correct. We adventurous fulbrighters wanted to get the most out of our cultural experience, so we ate them. Anything for learning! Yum! Yum!
Wait! The day isn´t over yet. The building was a gorgeous art deco and the stage screen was an exquisite mosaic of magnificient colors. The music, dance and vibrant costumes were fantastic. The hours simply flew by. Now, we all want one of those beauftiful full skirts to flip, twist, and spin around in. Doesn´t that sound like fun?
Benito, our faithful and expert bus driver gathered us all up and deposited us back safely to our lovely hotel. What a jampacked superb day in Mexico this was!
Diane, St. Edwards-Epiphany School, Richmond, Virginia
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