This is my 10th article. Not much, but more than I would think after three months of writing.
Thank you all for stepping by and motivate me to write more about this beautiful hobby called analog photography.
In this Photowalk, I’d like to take you to Cuicuilco, an archeological zone located at the very south of Mexico City.
This Photowalk took part of the same day after I left Tlalpan.
I, allegedly, left Tlalpan because the weather was getting hot only to go to a hotter place with almost no trees to cover.
Yes, I’m this contradictory occasionally.
The reality is that I was eager to shoot Cuicuilco on film, and I happened to be in the area, so why not?
WELCOME TO CUICUILCO
In a nutshell, this is Cuicuilco:
Cuicuilco is an ancient archaeological site located in southern Mexico City, near the base of the Ajusco volcano. Considered one of the earliest major urban centers in the Valley of Mexico, it flourished between roughly 800 BCE and 200 CE, before being buried under lava from a volcanic eruption—likely from the nearby Xitle volcano.
Its most iconic structure is a circular pyramid, an unusual design in Mesoamerica, thought to have served both religious and astronomical purposes. Today, Cuicuilco sits quietly amidst the urban sprawl, offering a glimpse into a forgotten city that predates even Teotihuacan.
It didn’t fit in this shot, but this is the circular pyramid. The main attraction in Cuicuilco. You can get to the top to get some nice views of the city.
BEFORE GETTING TO THE PYRAMID
After doing a quick registration at the entrance, you’re welcomed by a wide alley that leads you to the pyramid.
One thing you will notice is that trees and cactus are green, while the rest of the vegetation is super dry. It’s a charming and a bit of weird contrast.
SMALL DEVIATION
The path to the pyramid is straightforward. However, you can take one or two of the deviations to walk a bit more into the less touristy areas. It’s interesting because you’ll start seeing plenty of black volcanic rock and cactus everywhere.
It was 2pm, almost 31 degrees, but I was there, armed with my lovely Leica III and a Fuji 400 to get so many cool shots to post here. I wanted some water because I was thirsty, but I wanted the pictures even more.
So I kept on.
These are some of the cool pics I managed to get. I don’t know how I did it because I didn’t focus most of the time. Just used Zone Focusing and may Henri Cartier-Bresson bless me.
This was one of my favorite pics. I like how the road act as a lead line while having these amazing cactus to the right.
One funny thing is that the deviation took me into a lonely road.
I was there, hearing all kinds of sounds coming from the nature, and it got a bit scary.
Naturally, I sped up my pace to get back into main road again. I didn’t want an anaconda or something to eat me. Honestly, none of that fauna can be found in Cuicuilco, so I think I was getting afraid was because I’ve seen too many movies of stupid people doing stupid things in lonely places.
BACK TO MAIN ROAD
After not being eaten by my imaginary menaces, I got back into main road with the mission to reach the pyramid.
I was getting tired and didn’t felt like climbing with the sun at the top of my head, but I did it for my amigos reading along.
How often do you see pyramids inside a city? I liked the layers in the picture with the cactus and plants in the front, a pyramid in the middle and a modern building in the back.
Below is the first picture I took in the top. Yes, it’s kind of of plain. It’s not like the other famous pyramids that have a triangle shape.
In this one, you can walk freely and have a 360-degrees view of the surroundings.
I’m not sure where that ladder goes to, but it’s closed.
They also have this building. Seems like it is (or was) an excavation site?
I took a bit more pictures while being on the top. I hope you enjoy them.
TECH SPECS
- Camera: Leica IIIF
- Lens: Canon 50mm ƒ/1.8 LTM
- Film: Fuji 400
- Development: Foto Hercules Lab, CDMX
- Scanning: Home with Plustek 8100
FINAL THOUGHTS
You might sense that I’m in love with Mexico City. I’m proud of this city. It’s far from perfect, but has something that is difficult to get: it has personality.
I’ll be showing you more of my photowalks to act as some sort of Tourism Ambassador because I think this city is really photogenic.
If this is entry was fun or entertaining, you might want to check my prior one where I visited Tlalpan, a cool neighborhood with small pueblo vibes.
IN THE NEXT ENTRY…
I know, it’s weird that my last two posts were with color pictures when I’m more of a B&W guy. However, that doesn’t mean I hate color. I have some film that I’ll be shooting when color is a better suit, like this Cuicuilco photowalk.
However, my love for B&W won’t change, so in the next article, I’ll be talking about the ORWO Wolfen P400 roll. A strange with plenty of character emulsion that I want to try again soon. Here’s a sneak peek. Do you smell these old newspaper vibes?