We climbed a mountain for Meli's birthday

11/23/19 10:20 Mexico City

Meli is taking a shower.  We are supposed to be at her friend’s apartment in ten minutes.  We had a late start.  Yesterday, we went to Tepoztlan which is an hour bus ride from the terminal.  We raced to make the 12:00 and laughed at how we are always running to make either a flight or a bus, and we made it.  We always make it.  After getting off the bus, we took a taxi to the center of town, noticed an outdoor market and ate a delicious lunch, brunch, breakfast all wrapped up into one at Les Colores.  It is a beautiful place, wonderful decorations and a warm setting.  I’m still on my no meat diet, so I ate a cheese and veggie wrap, and another cheese dish with rice and tomato sauce.  Two beers and I was ready for our little expedition up the mountain.  We passed street vendors, dogs sleeping on the ground, and proceeded on the path, but the path became rocks and at times smooth rocks.  I would not want to risk the hike in the rain and will avoid it as any cost at night.  The trial was steep at times, went through lush jungle and all the while, people were either passing us or we stopped for breaks.  Since I run, I assumed it would not be a problem, but the sweat was dripping off.  Meli’s back has been bothering her, so we took a few breaks.  Many breaks.  I collected flowers, which I always do as a keepsake for a new place that we visited.  After more than an hour, we reached the entrance, only to find steep metal stairs, and more steep steps till we reached the top.  The view from the top was spectacular, to be that close to the peak, to see out on the horizon, to hear the faint music from the town, the church bells.  We rested for a little while.  On top of the mountain is a Mayan, architectural site; a pyramid which we climbed.  There was a man mediating, three women who brought crystal skulls with them chanted something and we tried to walk around the ledge of the pyramid, until Meli said don’t look down.  I looked.  I panicked, which was recorded for our children, it’s funny.  And we made our way back down.  Going down, more breaks.  Birds were singing, jungle birds which I never heard before.  And we finally got back into the town, had ice cream and took a taxi back to the bus stop and waited for the next bus to take us back to Mexico City.  And that my friends, was our first birthday together.   

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