So less than a month ago, I spent a week in Mexico City. When thinking about what I was going to do, Teotihuacan was definitely on the list. I took about two days to get used to the elevation since it’s so much higher than back in California and when reading articles about how fit you have to be to climb the Pyramid of the Sun, I got scared. On the third day, I got up at 7am to hitch an Uber ride to the bus station. I bought my round-trip ticket at the left-most side of the station and after the conversion, it came out to $5-6.

I waited about 10 minutes for the next bus to Teotihuacan to arrive. I was a tad worried because there were multiple buses that say ‘piramides’ on them and you just have to hope the lady looking at your stub is really directing you to the right bus. I got in line and boarded. Of course, it was pretty empty, but this one older man sat next to me, really kissing goodbye to any hopes I had of putting my feet up and resting more. Not any more than 20 minutes later, we picked up a few more travelers along the way, including some musicians. I mean, they were very talented, however it wasn’t the first thing I wanted to hear at 8am. I’d say the journey was super easy and I felt really comfortable doing this alone. The only thing I kind of hated was that random people were boarding the bus from different cities and using the bus as a ride to whatever destination they needed to get to that wasn’t Teotihuacan. I figured this was just the way things were, but after talking with a new local friend later on that week, he didn’t agree with that system at all. Some police officers or ‘security’ even came on board and carried a camcorder, asking everyone to look at the camera. So somewhere in Mexico, my face is out there. Sweet.

It didn’t take too long to arrive at the piramides. I bought my entrance ticket, maybe $3 and ended up not paying the extra fee for videography because they said it was okay. It was about 9am when I arrived and I called my parents right away out of excitement! My first stop was the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and after climbing just a few stairs, I felt so thankful the sun wasn’t out yet because I could see how climbing the Pyramid of the Sun would be intense. After walking on the main ancient street, Avenue of the Dead, a translation from its Nahuatl name Miccoatli, I conquered the Pyramid of the Sun which you can see the Pyramid of the Moon from in the distance. I then walked to the Moon Pyramid, took a few photos of a really cool married couple which I hope to share soon, and then checked out the Quetzalpapalotl Palace. Don’t be fooled. Everything took me about 4 hours. I don’t know how, but it did. I think I ate by 1-2 PM. I heard good things about this place although its super touristy and a bit pricier. I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to eat in a grotto and the staff was amazing. The restaurant was beautiful and although I didn’t know a lot of the ingredients, I really enjoyed my solo dining experience there. I had a very interesting take on a chicken tortilla soup and a juice made out of a local fruit. I think I spent about $12-15; still pretty good considering what we spend eating out in California. There were delicious dishes that mix the ingredients of the local cuisine with the culinary heritage of pre-Hispanic times.

There are about 5 entrances to the site and walking to the different gates takes quite awhile. I stopped by the botanical garden and after exiting Gate 3, I hopped on a bus straight to the city. It wasn’t a surprise that we stopped a few times to pick more passengers up, but within an hour or so, I got back to the bus station with my phone at 3% battery and was able to find my Uber driver. Hope you enjoy these photos!