Brenda's Bicycles

This is part three of a three phase photo update. These photos are from my spiritual journeys involving the activites in celebration of Regina, and my visits to the pyramids.

This is the exterior of the huge “Basilica de Guadalupe”. A short distance above here is where I began the “Caminata” (spiritual march) on Sunday morning.

This is a view from above the Basilica, looking down at the medium size church (middle, foreground) and the larger Basilica on the right. In the distance is Mexico City.

This is a view looking up at the small church (Capilla del Cerrito) where our Sunday morning walk began, dressed in white, Many blowing on Conch Shells.

A closer-up view as I climbed the stairs to the smaller church up on the hill.

Our festivities began at 8:30 a.m. on the far right of the photo, right up next to the church. We formed a large circle of about fifty people dressed in white, with Copal incense and blowing conch shells. Hundreds of tourists soon surrounded us as we faced the four directions and honored the four elements (earth, fire, water, and air) before beginning our silent march–first into the church itself, and then down the stairs, past the Basilica, and into the streets below–headed for Tlatelolco.

Out of respect, I did not take any photos during the march. Once we finished at Tlatelolco (on the Plaza de las Tres Culturas), I took a few photos after the fact. This first photo is a monument honoring the people who died here on October 2nd, 1968.

This is our beautiful group of marchers, gathered and visiting after our circle ceremonies ended.

A closer up view of our group mingling with each other after the ceremonies.

This is one of the ruins of Tlatelolco, right by the plaza. Several people threw their flowers on top this sacred round temple ruin. I did not understand and threw mine too late. If you look on the grass to the left, you see my flowers on the ground.

After the Sunday march, we took a subway to a home near Chapultepec where Regina had lived off and on for six months before her death in 1968. Out of respect, I did not take any phots of the house itself, or of the inside room where we meditated together.

I originally believed we would be doing a six hour meditation here. As it turns out, six hours was reserved for people to do individual meditations for as long or short as they desired.

 I stayed about 90 minutes.

My Monday morning tour to Teotihuacan stopped first at Tlatelolco, a much desired opportunity to explore yesterday’s area a little more fully. This is the site of a large ancient city, with fascinating history.

In 1521, this city was lost in battle. The spaniards used rocks from the ruins to build this beautiful church–the same one I had seen at the end of the march on Sunday.

The inside of the church from a few pictures back. This was takenwithout a flash. The window lighting created a beautiful blue glow.

From next to the church, looking at the Plaza de las Tres Culturas (Plaza of the three cultures). This is the spot where the students, including Regina, were killed at sundown on October 2nd, 1968. To the far right is where our march ended on Sunday.

Our tour guide explained that this water-filled hole in the ground was caused by one of the bullets in the shootings of 1968.

Our tour guide, Isaac.

I’m going to attempt to post a small video here … hopefully it will work.

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This is a short video taken of our tour guide talking in Spanish, following which I do a short pan over the main ruins.

Next, our tour took us to the fabulous ruins of Teotihuacan.

We started out our tour of Teotihuacan with a four kilometer bike ride from this restaurant, around the road that circles the perimiter of the ruins.

This is my trusty little bicycle.

The first place we visited was a newer area of Teotihuacan, much of which is still being excavated. These are some fresh digs in that area.

It was fascinating to observe them as they uncover more treasures.

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Ancient ruins recently uncovered.

Some more ornate decorations on he side of one pyramid.

Next, we rode back to the restaurant, ate lunch, and then stopped at this little artisan’s shop where they showed us about how they use cactus and carve obsidian. Take a look at what he is holding in his hand. This is a sharp meaty spike from the center of the cactus.

First, he pealed of a thin skin which is very much like a waxy paper. He explained that this was actually used by the native people to create paper.

Then he pulled the sharp dry thorn from the tip, removing a long strand of strong string-like fibers used to make rope, string, and yarn.

A picture of the fibrous string from inside the cactus

Next, he grabbed a flower from a geranium and rubbed it on the string, showing how they died the thread to a variety of colors using natural dies.

Finally we drive in our van to one of the main entrances to the park near the Pyramid of the moon. This original piece was shown to us during an introductory tour of some habitational areas.

Another section which is still the original painting from former residents here.

Isaac showed us how to tell what is original and what is restored. The lower rocks and the middle stucco section are all original. The upper section with the tiny black rocks stuck throughout the grout are restored areas. Any area which is restored after the fact is marked by these tiny black rocks.

This is my view of the Pyramid of the moon as we approach it for the first time.

Me in front of the Pyramid of the Moon

People climbing the Pyramid of the moon. Tourists are only allowed to climb this one up to the first level.

The view from up here is incredible. The energy of the pyramids radiant.

This is me on top of the first level of the Pyramid of the Moon.

This is me, climbing back down from the pyramid of the moon. My friend from Germany (lives inSwitzerland now) took this photo for me.

The long walkway between the two large pyramids is called the Avenue of the Dead (Avenida de los Muertos). This is taken from near the pyramid of the sun, looking back at the pyramid of the moon.

A view from below, looking up the steep side of the pyramid.

A photo taken from half-way up the pyramid, looking back toward the pyramid of the moon.

Me, sitting on a corner of the top, looking down at the ground below.

Partial view from the top.

This is the top of the Pyramid of the Sun. It ends in a rounded-off mound of ancient rock and stone. In the very center is a tiny silver marker. I stood on each of four directions (N, S, E, and W) meditation in each direction before touching the silver marker. Then I simply sat on one corner inhaling the energy of the area. It was up here that my thoughts were taken to the fact that my parents visited here on their honeymoon in 1946.

Looking up at the pyramid of the Sun.

The remaining photos are from the “Veloracion” ceremonies that took place in a small village called “Aldea de los Reyes”, a few kilometers from the town of Amecameca, about fifty kilometers southeast of Mexico City. This little village sits fifteen or twenty kilometers from two 17,000 foot volcanos.

This is a little plaque on the side of the home where Regina was born and spent the first several years of her life.

This is the tiny little house where Regina was born in 1948.

This is the tiny little chapel where our all night commemoration took place.

This is the mostly-paved street leading up to Regina’s home on the left under the trees.

This beautiful view was visible from our kitchen-tree on Thursday morning. This volcano resembles the profile of a woman sleeping.

This is the second and slightly taller of the two 17,000 foot volcanos. You can see the plume of smoke rising its top. I was treated to a fabulous view of these two volcanos on my return flight to Cancun on Saturday morning.

The celebrations on the inside of the tiny chapel. This photo was taken around 1:00 a.m.. Notice how much copal incense clouds the visibility in the room.

Another view inside the tiny chapel.

The feather headdress is on “Sol” in her wheelchair at the front.

Many of the ladies who carried the thirteen baskets talked about in my last posts.

Sylvia and Sol (remember, not real names) singing in the front of the chapel.

The lady I call Maria in my  recent posts.

The young girl in the red is one of the ones I sang songs with on Thursday morning.

Some of the ladies in the chapel. I just love the glowing smile of the woman in the front on the right. She was glowing all night long as she danced and blew on her Conch Shell horn.

On the left is the lady I call Sylvia in my posts. In the wheelchair is the lady I call “Sol”. Everyone treated her with such incredible love and respect.

A native gentleman holding one of the two cylindrical rods of flowers (created in the flower ceremonies) which he and another woman then used to bless those from the audience who went forward.

Our tents (of those who spent the night). Mine is on the far right with the yellow and blue shopping bag on the ground in front.

The temazcal draped in olive-green canvas, the large fire still burning to the right. if you look at the back left, you can see a large tarp draped over a rope between trees. This is where most of the men slept.

If you look carefully, you can see a pole behind and to the right of the fire with a black scarf tied to it. This is one of the four scarves that I helped to put up during a ceremony on Thursday morning.

One last Friday morning view of the shorter of the two volcanos.

Our outdoor kitchen area directly across the street from Regina’s home.

Following are some short video clips that I took during the ceremonies. My blog site won’t let me upload any longer ones. The volume on my camera appears to be low. Believe me, it was much louder than this …

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