Guachimontones

On Monday Josh and I decided to set out for a nearby archeological site called Guachimontones. We caught a bus at the old station, which put us on a slow path to get there. We also ended up with a driver who nearly hit a cyclist, and made a couple of highway passes with oncoming sugarcane trucks coming at us, and made a couple of cell phone calls along the way. I don't think Josh and I will sit in the front seat again as I think these things are better left unknown.
We were dropped off in Teuchitlán, a pretty little town at the base of the hill that hosts the ruins. It was beautiful. And quiet. At each of the archeological sites that I have visited, this is always the case... they are eerily quiet places that make it hard to imagine what went on when the place was thriving. Though we knew little about the history of the site, it was great to take in the views, for beyond the main circular structure is a great volcano and lake at its base. We hiked up to a lookout point (you can see our view below).

Afterwards we stopped at a spot along a river where there were a series of swimming pools. It was packed, as Monday was a holiday (Constitution Day) in México. And about every rule that I was used to enforcing as a lifeguard back in the day, was broken. People were sitting along the edges of the pools drinking beers in glass bottles, there was pushing, running on deck, there were chicken fights... a very drunk man in jeans and a cowboy hat was dropped into the pool by his buddy. And clearly he did not know how to swim. When he finally made it to safety, his buddies rewarded him with another beer.
The rule-following part of me was getting very stressed out. So we decided to go and purchase beers in glass bottles and sit along the edge of a pool.

The ride home was long, as the roads were packed with people returning to the city. Josh spent most of the busride standing along with other chivalrous men. As we were biking home from the bus station my tire flatted. I am not sure how many times this has happened now? All that glass in the streets from people not following rules and drinking beer in glass bottles...