After months of hibernation due to the coronavirus pandemic, Mexico’s ancient “city of the gods” is slowly returning to life as tourists return to the majestic pyramids of Teotihuacán.
For the first time since it closed in March, dozens of tourists with a face mask strolled Thursday along Avenida de los Muertos, which stretches between the pyramids of the Sun and the moon.
“It’s probably beautiful,” said Angelica Téllez, who came from the western city of Guadalajara to make a stop at the pre-Hispanic archaeological site on the outskirts of Mexico’s modern capital.
“This immensityArray . . . I find everything lovely,” she added, 18-year-old, her eyes shining with emotion and the mask sliding down her nose.
Tourists wandered in amazement among the placid stray dogs that roamed the city, which was built around two hundred a. C. and he left eight or nine centuries later.
For many visitors, this is their first outing since the recent reduction in quarantine measures that were taken to curb the spread of coronavirus.
– ‘It’s amazing’ –
The government expects another 3,000 people to stop at the recently reopened UNESCO World Heritage Site every day, 30% of its previous capacity.
Visitors must adhere to health measures and should not climb the two pyramids or the Temple of the Feathered Snake.
Tony Tang, a 45-year-old businessman from Beijing and a California resident, had planned to travel to Egypt, but his flight was cancelled due to a lack of passengers.
“Instead I got here, ” he said. I take a look at pyramidsArray . . . it’s unbelievable. “
Workers have worked hard to remove weeds that have spread to the site, such as the coronavirus that still affects Mexico, where there have been approximately 70,000 deaths from Covid-19.
Paul Rallo, a 42-year-old Barcelona DJ, felt more aware of the dangers in Mexico than in Spain, with measures such as temperature controls on the front of the site.
“I feel lucky,” he said, adding that he had come “very quickly” to see the city after it reopened.
“It’s amazing how they were going to build this at the time. I wanted to see it more closely. “
– Food –
Half of the 110 tourist stalls have been allowed to reopen, providing a multitude of colorful crafts and replicas of the pyramids.
While many are “made in China,” José Luis Fernández said he carved his figurines depicting the sun god and the moon goddess himself by hand on a black volcanic stone.
“What a relief for us to start running and earn cash to feed our families,” said the 47-year-old man, who put his statuettes up for sale for 800 pesos ($37) each.
A shopkeeper who had just lifted the shutters sprayed her shelves with a giant yellow sheet while sweeping with energy in front of her post.
“We came here in the hope that some consumers would buy something,” said Lourdes Oliva, 58, who lives nearby.
He said he was able to make a living in recent months by promoting stained glass windows he made in local churches.
Moses Oliva, 51, said he survived months of confinement thanks to his orchard, but relieved to be able to return to Teotihuacán.
“I like it to come back to life, ” he said.