Hot Chocolate!

Can I just express how much I like hot chocolate in the winter time (and sometimes in other seasons too:)?  It is delicious and it warms the soul. That is all.

Stay tuned for two more posts about Mexico City...

Mexico City- Temple of Quetzalcoatl

Temple of Quetzalcoatl. This is along the Avenue of the Dead near the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon. Archaeologists found over 200 human sacrificial burials at the site of this temple.  Click here to read more about the temple.

Enjoy the pictures!

 Nate.

Looking at the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon from the Temple of Quetzalcoatl.

After we finished at the temple our guide stopped at some other ruins off the beaten path. Although they were not too far from the pyramids, there were no other tourists there. But we did have to drive on a bumpy dirt road to get to the ruins and they were cool but definitely underwhelming after just seeing the pyramids.

After the ruins, it was time to go back to the hotel. By the time we got to the hotel it was almost dark and we were hungry.  We didn't want to go too far away from the hotel, so I asked a concierge if he recommended any restaurants nearby.

 This was one of the restaurants he recommended and it was awesome!  I got a delicious chicken dish with yummy sauce and Nate got fajitas that he said were the best fajitas he's ever had. :)

Apparently in Mexico they eat cactus. We, of course, had to try some. It was okay, but it definitely was not my favorite.

My legs were sore from hiking to the top of the pyramids and we were tired from the walking we did that day, so we just spent the rest of evening chillin' at the hotel.

Mexico City- Pyramids of the Sun and Moon

Our tour guide, who barely spoke English, got us safely to the Pyramids in the ancient Aztec city of Teotihuacan, one of the largest urban centers of the ancient world. It was about a 50-60 minute drive from our hotel.  (If you want to learn more about the city, click on this link.)

This is the Pyramid of the Sun.

We were there early enough in the day that there were not too many people and it was pretty cool (temperature wise) at first, but it soon warmed up with the sun beating down on us. The weather really was pretty good the whole time we were there though.

We climbed to the top of the Pyramid of the Moon first. We could not climb all the way to the top as they had it blocked off, but we went up as high as we were allowed.  Look how tall those steps are!

The side of Pyramid of the Moon from the highest point we could go to.

On the Pyramid of the Moon with the Pyramid of the Sun in the background.

Looking down the steps of the pyramid. My legs may or may not have been sore for the next few days after climbing both pyramids.

Nate.

So my camera stopped working at this point and I didn't get anymore pictures with my camera on this day, but Nate took tons of pictures so it was okay and the rest of the photos are his. (My camera did start working again the next day, thankfully.) This is the Pyramid of the Moon.

 On the steps of the Pyramid of the Sun.

 Pyramid of the Moon from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun

After almost 250 steps we made it to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun!  People claim that there is an energy at the top of the pyramid, and we sat down for a few minutes to try and feel it, but alas did not ;)

 The view from the top!

To be continued... Temple of Quetzalpapalotl next post...

Mexico City- Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe

One day in early November, my brother Nate, called me and asked if I wanted to go to Mexico City with him... two weeks away.  I must admit I had to think about it for a couple of days, but then decided what the heck? Why not?

Away we flew, me from D.C. and Nate from California. We were there for 3 days, Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.

I got to Mexico City a couple of hours before Nate did and hung out at the airport until he got there and I will just say that I spent a lot more time in the airport both flying in and flying out than I ever wanted to. Although they do have quite a few shops and restaurants in the airport, there's only so much airport I can take after a while. (P.S. if you're ever meeting anyone in Mexico City flying in from different places make sure you know what terminal they're flying into.)

This was the view from our hotel room.  It's a pretty awesome view! On Friday night, we took it easy and stayed at the hotel and planned for the next day, read books, surfed the internet etc.

For Saturday, we had arranged for a tour guide to take us to the Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe and to the  Pyramids of the Sun and Moon.  Our tour guide spoke English...kind of. (Let's just say I probably understood him about half the time.)

The picture above is the new basilica. 

This is the old basilica. They rebuilt the basilica because, although you may not be able to tell in the picture, the building is leaning to the right.

Some of the doors to the new basilica. I thought they were pretty cool!

We got to listen to a choir performing in the church while we were there. We only stayed for a couple of minutes, but it was pretty awesome!

Some cool windows in the basilica!

There was a whole complex of churches to walk around. We didn't have a ton of time, but we did get to see all of the churches at least from the outside and some the inside too.

This is the view of the old and new basilica from a hill we climbed to visit a couple of the churches.

One of the churches on the hill. 

Of course I have a self-portrait.

A cool clock tower in the complex.

I liked the basilica complex. It was pretty awesome!

Pyramids of the Sun and Moon post coming up next...

Christmas!

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
(Luke 2:10-11)

"And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given."
(3 Nephi 1:19)

I am so grateful for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ and for His life and atonement! As I read the scripture in 3 Nephi, it hit me that I don't think that it was coincidence that  a couple of the signs of the Savior's birth (in the Americas) had to do with light, (the day and the night and the day with no darkness and the new star) as He is the Light of the World. I believe it is symbolic of the Light of the World entering into this world.

Let us strive to remember the Savior and His birth and life and atonement this Christmas season and always!

Churches!

Last month I went to the National Cathedral with some friends.  It is an Episcopalian church and it is beautiful! I took lots of pictures and I wanted to show a few for now.

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 Look at the color on that tree! I love this shot!

I loved the cathedral!  It was beautiful on the outside and the inside. They had some amazing stained glass windows and the tour was very informative and interesting!

Also at the beginning of this month I went to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception with a friend. It is a Catholic church. It is the largest Roman Catholic church in North America and one of the ten largest in the world.

I also enjoyed this one! It is beautiful on the outside and the inside. They had some pretty awesome mosaics! I must admit, though, that the tour was not as interesting as the one at the National Cathedral.

I like the lighting in the picture above and if you look just above the cross, you can see the moon!