Basilica de Guadelupe, Teotihuacan, Museum of Archaeology

A wonderful breakfast buffet at the hotel!  Lots of fresh fruit, eggs however you want them, quesadillas, chilaquiles and much more!  Great way to start the day.

Our wonderful driver shows up in a comfortable Mercedes van which we will have for the next 3 days.

A special event is going on at the Basilica and has drawn hundreds of people.  When we enter, there is a line of families waiting to have their babies baptized.  So cute!!   A service is going on in the main, modern church (pretty much any time of the day, there is a service going on)  The organ music and choir fill the space.  There is no line to take the moving sidewalk to view the original cloak with the image of the Virgin of Guadelupe which is so revered by Mexican Catholics.  With all of the people, there is an atmosphere of excitement.  Wonderful to see all of the families enjoying the day.
We visit the older church as well which is leaning after earthquake damage many years ago.  Walking in it is disconcerting as nothing is square.

We continue on to the ruins of Teotihuacan which flourished around the time of Christ.  Seeing the remnants of the original painted plaster is impressive.  It seems that the reds last the best.

None of us are up to climbing and are satisfied to admire the massive pyramids from the spacious plazas.  We walk down the Avenue of the Dead towards the Pyramid to the Sun.  Juan answers all of our questions!

Lunch is at a nearby restaurant where we see a demonstration of all of the uses of the maguay plant.   An alcoholic drink (Pulque), paper, needle and thread.  Two Mexican hairless dogs roam the grounds. In the Aztec times, the dogs were kept and eaten.  Now, they are prized pets.

Next stop - Museum of Archaeology.  We will only be visiting a small part of it as one could loose themselves for days in the museum.  The fountain in the courtyard of the museum represents the tree of life.  The fountain provides a cool, calm atmosphere.

We visit the part of the museum of Teotihuacan and see the reproduction of the pyramid of the feathered serpent.  

Then on to the Aztec portion.  The dominant piece is the Aztec calendar.

When leaving, the voledores are getting ready to perform the traditional ritual where 4 men "fly" as they spin to the grounds on ropes. 

We gather on the roof of the hotel to relax and enjoy the view.  In the zoocolo, there will be a huge, free concert tonight featuring 3 popular singers.  People are gathering and the lead off singer begins to sing.  The quality of the sound is a bit distorted where we are but certainly get a feel for it.  We decide it is easiest to have dinner at  the hotel restaurant which is very good.