Pachucan Mines *Day 5*

Just when we all thought nothing could top our trip to the top of the Pyramids of the sun and moon at Teotihuacan, we were pleasantly surprised. Thursday morning we left our hotel at 8am by bus and headed to Pachuca, stopping at Alejandro's hotel for an amazing breakfast and then continuing on to the Obsidian mines in Pachuca. Once we arrived we were put into 3 groups of 5-6 people and the first group was given helmets, flashlights, and were led into the modern mine that intersected with prehispanic obsidian mine shafts which were believed to be the shafts created by the Teotihuacaneans and later, the Aztecs.

After exploring the obsidian mine, we made multiple stops along the Pachuca hills as we neared Alejandro's archeological base. When we stopped, Alejandro would lead us through the woods and right to the compound remains of the Teotihuacan obsidian workshops. There were also remnants of a Catholic chapel found among the workshops, believed to be the influence of the Conquest.

Trekking through the mine and all over the hillside only meant one thing, we had 17 very hungry and tired people. Luckily, Alejandro and his partner
Sylvia had a huge meal planned for us at the camp site. We ate like kings and queens. There was a huge table full of bread with different spreads, salad, steak, duck, and pork. We also were able to try Pulque which is fermented from the Maguey plant, the same plant which is used to make agave nectar.

What a fantastic two days! It was so amazing to not only see the ancient city of Teotihuacan, 80% of the obsidian found at Teotihuacan was green obsidian which originated at the Pachuca mines which we were able to hike into! Talk about cultural connection!!

Teotihuacan- *Day 4*

This morning we began the day with a fantastic breakfast at the local market which consisted of amazing tamales verdes! After picking up some pastries for later on in the day, we all started walking through the town towards the historic site of Teotihuacan. We met up with Dr. Kim Goldsmith who lives in Teotihuacan and she gave us the history and background of the pyramids and how archaeologists have deciphered the artifacts remaining from the prehispanic city.

Before climbing the pyramid of the sun and the pyramid of the moon, our class walked through the Museum of Teotihuacan and we got to see skeletal remains of sacrifical victims, stone carvings that have been preserved, and other artifacts including obsidian jewelry.

Finally we got to climb the pyramid of the sun. After less than ten minutes and 250ft later, Ted and I reached the top, caught our breath, and began taking pictures.  

After climbing down, we walked down the avenue of the dead towards the pyramid of the moon and climbed up to the platform overlooking all of Teotihuacan. 

When we got back to our hotel, I took a quick shot of the sun as it was setting from our hotel balcony. What a gorgeous way to end one FANTASTIC day!!!

Mexico City/Teotihuacan *Day 3*

Today was our last morning in the Casa, and we finished out our time there with a lecture by Dr. Andrews over Teotiuacan, which was the location we were headed for that morning. After the lecture we headed to the bus station and caught our bus to Teotihuacan. Once we made it safely to Teotihuacan our class walked down to the city center and explored the streets and local market.

Our first night in Teotihuacan was spent eating the worlds best tacos EVER! After a long day of traveling, exploring, and eating we finally settled into our beautiful rooms and got rested up for the BIG day ahead of us!

Mexico City Recap *Day Two*

Our second full day in Mexico City was full of exploring. New subway lines, new restaurants, and new people. We began the day by touring the main Cathedral in the Zocalo which was overwhelming and gorgeous. The Cathedral was built by the Spanish after they conquered the Aztecs at the Templo Mayor. The Cathedral was also build right on top of the ancient aztec ruins, and it was incredible to see the skulls excavated under ground through the glass flooring.



After visiting the Cathedral we had a wonderful lunch at a local restaurant, and then met up with Alejandro Pastrana at his office right off of the site of the Templo Mayor. Alejandro took us through the obsidian artifacts that had been uncovered and/or reconstructed. After thanking Alejandro for his demonstrations, our class headed back to the Casa and got dressed up for our fancy dinner out at Sanborns.

Our first week in Mexico Recap! *Day One*

Just a quick apology to all my friends and family expecting frequent updates. This last week has been a bit hectic, and with poor internet connections in multiple hotels, this is the best I can do! So here is a quick recap of the last week. We arrived in Mexico City last Saturday evening, waited 2 hours in line to go through customs, and finally arrived at the Casa de los Amigos where we were staying the next few days. After we got our bags and got settled the group went down the block and around the corner to a small restaurant for our first dinner in Mexico! It was absolutely amazing. The smog is overwhelming in Mexico City, but our trip has gone off without a hitch!

Our second day in Mexico city began with breakfast at the Casa and then our first ride on the Metro. In no time we were in Zocalo (Mexico City center) and walking around all of the street vendors. We visited the ruins of the Templo Mayor and walked through the Templo Mayor Museum.

 Walking through the streets of the Zocalo we got to watch the traditional Mexican dancers, dressed up in full regalia. The sun was blazing and the dancers were in step with every beat. The feathers were gorgeous, and the facial expressions were captivating. After walking the Zocalo, we all took the metro to the Museum of Anthropology. The photo below was a picture I snapped of the group right outside of the Anthropology Museum!

Here's our group (without Megan who was taking the photo), outside of the National Museum of Anthropology!

First update!

Hello families and friends of PLU! We're planning on updating later today, but we just wanted to send a quick update telling everyone that we're safe and having fun in Mexico City!