Tlaxcala: Home Of The Pyramids

FEBRUARY 16, 2012: Today, we woke up early in the morning because we needed to check out early at the Hotel Geneva in Zona Rosa and drop off our luggages at Hotel Ejecutivo near Reforma. Today, we also impulsively planned to go to Tlaxcala to see the three known pyramids of the valley.

We planned this day to go there because Ricky will have to report at his office at 1530H. The drive to Tlaxcala from Mexico City was about less than one hour and sometimes will be more if there is traffic. There were some sporadic occurences of the congested traffic along the way but we made it to Tlaxcala at 1005H.

There were three great pyramids situated in Tlaxcala. There was the great pyramid Cholula, located near Puebla and south of Tlaxcala; the Xochitecatl, which is considered as the ceremonial place; and the Cacaxtla, which was the home of the opulent Indian people in Mexico as based on the paintings and the remnants of their lifestyles found at the ruins.

Since we don't have much time, we decided to at least visit two of the pyramids and we have two-hours-and-a-half to do that. The first pyramid we went was the Xochitecatl located near the town of San Rafael. The road going to the hill was a spiral drive and the whole beauty of the valley of Tlaxcala can be appreciated from ascending the top of the hill.

The scenery of the Popocatepatl and Iztaccihuatl volcanoes back dropping the whole valley was jaw dropping and awe-inspiring. I just can't stop snapping my camera to record a vivid picture for my online blog. There were three distinct pyramids that can be found in Xochitecatl namely the Pyramid of the Flowers, the Pyramid of the Serpent, and the Spiral Pyramid.

We went to the first pyramid, which is the smallest among the three located in the west side of the vast area. The Spiral Pyramid is small and was said to be the tip of an inactive volcano. There were no stairs found around it but the spiraling fashion of its ledge served as the stairs. There were iron rods welded as stairs made for the tourist at the south side so we took that one in going to the top.

Perched on the top of the small pyramid is a swaying tree and a white cross. The view from there was awe-inspiring because it highlighted the beautiful scenery of the Tlaxcala valley as seen at the base of the Popocatepatl volcano which appeared snow capped at this time of the year. The area on top of a pyramid is just small enough for us to roam around and appreciate the beautiful scenery below in 360 degrees.

After snapping pictures, we then descended and continued to amble towards the big pyramid on the east side or the opposite site. At the base of the big pyramid is a large field dubbed as the Platform of the Volcanoes, where you can find big obsidian basins and a small well as well as the vast playground. It was believed that the Indians play on this platform all the time after the rituals or ceremony.

We then climbed the stairs of the great pyramid, comprising of 70 steps, also known as the Pyramid of Flowers. History says that this pyramid is a ceremonial platform and they dug up lots of artifacts composed of women figurines, adorned with precious jewelries and stones, as well as lava busts of babies with intricate garbs.

The platform on top was large enough for us to roam around and appreciate the 360 degrees of valley scenery below. There was also a stonehenge structure on top and was cordoned. From there we can see the Cacaxtla Pyramid from a distance.

After were tired roaming at the top we then descended and checked out the third pyramid also called as the Serpent Pyramid, because of the snake artifacts being dug up there. History has told that this place was the workstation or the area where old Indians settlers does their crafts and potteries inside wherein most of these creations were also dug up.

Since our time was limited, we then left Xocitecatl. We then transferred to the nearby pyramid called Cacaxtla. At first, I was adamant to check it out because from a distance the pyramid was just covered and appeared like there is nothing to see there because of it's grandstand-like appearance. Hehehe.

Ricky was very persuasive and had convinced me to check it out. Well, to my surprise the platforms on top of the pyramid was rich in arts, history, and culture. It was like an organized city with plaza, cells or jails, opulent rooms, stage, gardens, patios, and beautiful colorful murals made by the previous inhabitants from the pre-Colombian era.

After we finished browsing the pyramid it was almost 1300H and it was time for us to go back to Mexico City because Ricky had to report to his office job for four hours as requested by his boss. We arrived in Mexico City at 1500H and then Ricky dropped me off at the new hotel for check-in then he took off.

Well, this trip was a little bit meaningful, educational, and spiritual for me. Meaningful because I got to connect myself with the culture of the Aztec Indians which is also inspiring; educational because I have learned a lot about their heydays, existence, history, arts, and culture; and spiritual because connecting with them requires understanding of the inner soul in order to conform with their practices, customs, and beliefs from the ancient times.

Too bad we can't go to Cholula, which is the greatest among the pyramids, because of time constraints but Ricky had promised me to go there this Saturday with his boss' friends who also are planning to go to Cholula this weekend. This unplanned and unexpected travel to the pyramids of Tlaxcala has brought me a realization that the Indians have a lot of rich culture which must be preserved rather than letting them go to waste.

Alas, what a progressive day it is. I can't thank my friend Ricky enough but my heart is always appreciative and grateful of what he has done for me so far to achieve the goals of my travels here in Mexico. Merci mon ami! Je t'aime beaucoup!