A few days ago I had the pleasure of accompanying students and teachers of the Waldorf-de-Guadalajara school on a visit to the archaeological site of Teuchitlán. By the end of the day, all of us felt that the experience had been both educational and enjoyable, so I will outline our program for readers who have never seen the ruins or who aren’t aware of the latest developments at the site.
First, let me mention that the Waldorf School, located in Ciudad Granja, is one of 850 such schools – located in 40 countries – following the principles laid down by Austrian philosopher and educator Rudolph Steiner. It took no time at all for me to discover that these students were the brightest, most creative and well-behaved kids I could ever want to go on an excursion with.
Now that Teuchitlán has a new, world-class museum, you might think there’s no need to visit the old one in the town’s Casa de Cultura, but I suggest you stop there anyway. Inside you’ll find a complete collection of clay models – good copies of originals made 2,000 years ago – showing, in great detail, what people were doing in and around these monuments during the apogee of the Teuchitlán Civilization: dancing, chatting, playing ball, making music, petting the dog. Where else on earth can you find mini-sculptures of ordinary people enjoying life two millennia ago?Our next stop was the huge parking lot just north of Teuchitlán, which now charges a very reasonable entrance fee (see below). Here you can hire a guide for very little or request the services of a young volunteer. We chose the latter, as they are very good with children. The walk from the parking lot to the pyramids, half a kilometer, is no longer along the paved road, but via an Interpretative Trail dotted with explanatory plaques in Spanish and English. Along the way, the children learned all about the local animals and plants and even had a chance to play “Teu-Ball” at a small, nicely restored, I-shaped ball court. “The ancient inhabitants of this area used to resolve their disputes by playing ball,” explained our excellent guide, Aurora, “and they were only allowed to hit the ball with their hips.”
The children were soon engaged in the tricky business of picking up the ball with their hips, a process which, of course, required the careful cooperation of two people.
Upon arrival at the pyramids, we were taught the Cadena, or Chain Dance. In ancient times, great chains of dancers probably filled the ring-shaped walkways around the monuments, whose circular architecture, according to the late Phil Weigand, was unique on the planet.
Eventually the children ended up on top of the largest (unrestored) Guachimonton where they participated in a test of the monument’s acoustics, communicating in a quiet voice with people standing on a distant platform.
From the pyramids, we headed for the new Phil Weigand Interpretative Center which has some fixed exhibits and others which are regularly being replaced, meaning you’ll always find something new inside this beautiful round building designed by architect Francisco Perez Arellano. An unusual feature is a big glass wall through which you can watch archaeologists at work. Not to miss is a new, short documentary on the Teuchitlán Civilization (in English or in Spanish), which is very well done. And then there is always the magnificent 30-meter long mural by Jorge Monroy. Careful, you could end up spending all day in this place!
Our next stop was Soky restaurant on the shore of beautiful Lake La Vega. As it was a Thursday, our group practically had the place for ourselves, receiving fast service and – as always – the most delicious food in the area.
Finally, we spent an hour at Balneario El Rincón, located between Teuchitlán and the pyramids. These warm springs are the source of the Teuchitlán River and also the home of a small fish called the Butterfly Goodeid (Ameca splendens), once thought to be extinct here in its natural habitat, but, as the Waldorf kids discovered, still alive and well in a pretty, shallow pool where you can swim right beside these tiny, live-bearing fish, a favorite of aquarium owners around the world (They love to eat algae).
There you have it, a plan for a long day filled with fun things to do. And the kids: what did they think of it?
Their teacher, Radoni Martínez, later sent me the children’s comments, in each case accompanied by delightful drawings. They all found the experience fascinating, but it was interesting to see which aspects impressed which child the most. Let me end with just one example:
“I loved this trip – it was awesome,” said Saúl Becerra. “We saw really cool clay models and learned how the indigenous people lived. When they felt sick and were cold, they used to lie down alongside their sacred dogs to keep warm.”
The Guachimontones Interpretative Center is open every day but Monday from 9AM to 5PM. The entrance fee is 30 pesos general admission, 15 for students and teachers and is free for children under 12, senior citizens and the handicapped. On Tuesdays, it’s free for everybody.
How to get there
From Guadalajara, take “libre” Highway 15 west (toward Nogales) for 25 kilometers and turn left onto Highway 70 heading southwest towards Ameca. After 17 kilometers you’ll come to a turnoff to Tala. Continue straight ahead 1.5 kilometers and turn right onto a road signposted Ahualulco. After 14 kilometers you’ll come to Teuchitlán on your right and the La Vega restaurants on your left. Turn right at the Pemex station and drive straight to the plaza. The Casa de Cultura is 65 meters west of you on Calle 16 de Septiembre. To reach the Guachimontones, drive north from the plaza and follow the signs to the parking lot (N20 41.599 W103 50.472). Along the way you’ll see a sign for Balneario El Rincón, located just 250 meters east of the road to the ruins (N20 41.376 W103 50.517).
From the lake, take the Airport road north. Drive 4.4 kilometers past the famous Burritos de Moyahua Restaurant and make a U-turn to go towards Cajititlán. Pass Tlajomulco and Tala and you’ll come straight to highway 70. Now turn left and follow the directions above. Driving time either from Guadalajara or the Lake is about one hour.