Cynthia- go ahead and sleep in all you need to. You have to recharge. As for the Avenue of the Dead, I dunno. All that comes to mind is that I think they have some kind of yearly celebration of the dead in Mexico. Maybe? Whether that has any bearing on the answer, I truly don't know.

I'll be waiting for hints.

TM

I'm pretty sure I know this one, if I'm right I know the country and the place starts with a T. You know me and spelling, can't pronounce worth a darn either LOL.

Annette

Years of reading my grandmother's old National Geographic mags
gave me an appreciation for archeology. I've long wanted to visit this site with the Pyramid of the Moon and Pyramid of the Sun and Avenue of the Dead.

We've been going south for winter vacations. Need to go a bit further south to see these.

Humph. Doesn't look like clues are necessary.

Pyramid of the Moon was going to be my next clue. You are too smart!

Let's see, just in case...area was inhabited by peaceful farmers, although the remains of some who were sacrificed have been dug out of the temple walls. They mined obsidian.

Back later. It has turned very chilly (52 F)today-rainy, too. The pups love the coolness, especially Clouseau. I would prefer warm and sunny and should probably do as Bobbie does and head way south(west).

Cynthia

Oh and I will give credit for the name of the modern day country and/or the nearest city. Annette, won't count spelling if you go for the ancient name. :)

This place has always intrigued me, would have loved to have seen it in person. Ancient civilizations have always fascinated me, in my next life maybe a budding archaeologist?
Another name, hmmmmm, City of the Gods? easier to spell and, I can manage to spit that one out:). Modern, the city that comes to mind has the same name as the country it's in.

Annette

Miss Cynthia, I think you need to make the trivia a little tougher. An amazing place, and just oh so full of magic and superstition......or is it just misunderstood? :)

I know the modern day country, but not the nearest city. A tidbit of trivia for you, Albuquerque, New Mexico used to have the nickname The City of the Dead. The earliest Catholic church (Spanish land grant days) had no cemetery, which was quite unusual for that era. The Spaniards who settled this area followed the custom of the Native Americans, and buried their dead within the walls and floors of their homes! Nobody is certain why, but it was probably to prevent desecration of graves by animals and people. Plus, the Rio Grande used to flood pretty heavily in those days, which could have caused coffins to be unearthed and washed away.

A woman who bought an ancient hacienda in Old Town Albuquerque in 1999, and renovated the building to be a restaurant, expected that human remains might be found during the renovation. She warned the general contractor that he must be careful of this possibility. Indeed, a coffin was discovered beneath a floor which was being replaced. They cemented the coffin over without disturbing it, and put a new floor over it. There was no marking on the coffin, no plaque or anything, identifying who it was. The restaurant is called The Church Street Cafe. The hacienda had remained within the original land grant family for centuries. The last member of the family passed in 1999.

Hold on a minute there, Honalee. I'm not sure we should be encouraging Cynthia to make these tougher. I feel dumb enough already. :)

Even with the good hints, I still don't know it. The only guess I can come up with is way south and doesn't start with a T, it starts with and M and a P.

Never was a geographer.
TM

Lol!! Me neither! Keep working on it TM. Maybe Annie can ask her little Chihuahua friend; the closest thing I would equate this place with. ;)

LOL Honalee. I thought so too, but it seems being back at school doesn't allow me time to muse as much during the week, so these have been sort of thrown together lately. I will try to do better next Saturday-ha!

TM, Re-read Anntte's clues.

Lorna-great story. Now THAT would have been fun for trivia!

Cynthia

OK, the only T city that I can think of that is multisyllabic is the capital of the country that it is in....hmmm. Pretty sure it is the same culture as the day of the Dead came from - or am I way off??

Nancy.

Head north, Nancy, but not too far. The modern capital shares its name with the country as Annette said and is about an hour from this place. The ancient city's name began with a 'T' but Annette is also right about a name (City of the Gods) given to the place by the next folks to find the deserted city with its pyramids.

On another note, totally unrelated, I am thinking of getting a snake for our basement. The mouse (mice?) that are coming in now are getting the peanut butter from the traps without springing them! Score is Cynthia 2, Mice 6. Aaaarrgghhh.

Off to bed. Still not feeling 100% and since Chuck is out of town, I will take advantage and luxuriate in the quiet. I feel a little better having treated myself to chips and hot (spicy, that is) salsa a while ago.

Cynthia

I was trying to think of a movie shot in this location, there have been lots of them, do you think I can think of a title, ha. Just thinking of all those steps is tiring me out.

Annette

Hmmm. Cyn, re: the mice - use the cheapest pb you can, and work it into the hook. Thinly is the trick!! Or I can lend you Nici - sadly Midnight, my master mouser has moved to the next level.

Now, as to the city - M is the country, T is the city and the lake it was built on, built on, I believe. OK, yes this was supposedly learned, but maybe not retained. Not sure...

Nancy.

I remember that the city T was a very long name and one I don't know how to pronounce. Much easier to remember the short name of country M.

Last year I read that putting dried leaves of feverfew in the areas where you have had mice will keep the mice away as they hate the smell. I tried it in the basement and had no mice last winter which was great as have had to capture mice each year for several years. I am doing the same this year. Hope it works again.

lol- and I thought is was the sweet smell of my pusses!!

Nancy.

Feverfew-brilliant! Will have to head to nursery or farmer's market next weekend! Do bugs eat pb? Went down to rebait the traps yesterday evening and there was a cricket or spider (not wearing my glasses) on the target area. Coincidence?

Okay, now to stars...

**** for Honalee, Bobbie, Nancy, and Annette
*** for Lorna for knowing the country

TM, do I owe you stars?

The ancient city is Teotihuacan which is 30 miles north of Mexico City. One website says it is pronounced tay-oh-tee-wah-KAHN. The Avenue of the Dead runs between the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun. Here is a little on the site.
From the NY Times:

Although some of their most important buildings and ceremonial centers, along with the remains of some of those killed in sacrifice, have been dug out of the ground, little is known about the first inhabitants' way of life. And there is even less understanding of why they later abandoned the awesome city they had built over centuries.

No one knows exactly what to call the bands of farmers who first settled this part of the Mexico Valley around 300 B.C. They mined obsidian from the ground and turned the black rock, which is smooth as crystal and makes the sharpest edge known, into knives and tools that they used to become masterful artisans, and that they eventually traded across the Americas.

This largely peaceful society of farmers and artisans -- weavers and sculptors, painters and pot makers -- was led by an elite class of religious rulers. Mainly through commerce, the society's influence spread to the Mayan cities of Central America. The 100,000 residents of Teotihuacan enjoyed systems for using underground wells and for collecting rain. There were over 2,000 labyrinthine housing complexes and artisan workshops, markets and temples. And the residents built a ceremonial center that could hold 40,000 people for their ceremonies to honor gods of the sun, the moon and the rain, and to Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent.

Then, in the seventh century, they fled the riches they had built. Some speculate that forces of nature, most likely a drought, compelled the inhabitants of the city to leave their homes. Others say it was an attack by invaders, or even an internal revolt. Hundreds of years later, the abandoned city was rediscovered by the Aztecs, who kept it as a kind of shrine and found its pyramids so impressive they named it Teotihuacan, ''the city of the gods.''

Almost none of the remaining walls of the two larger pyramids of the sun and the moon are original. When the government began excavating the pyramids at the beginning of the 20th century, it used dynamite to blow open the hills and wound up toppling much of the pyramids. Still, though mere imitations of what they once were, the pyramids are fantastic in size. They are solid, rather than hollow, structures that served as towering altars to the gods. Both can and should be climbed, although it is strenuous and not for those who are afraid of heights.

Congratulations to all you knowledgeable folks! Thanks for playing.

Cynthia

And all of you knew that! Amazing.

Nope, Cynthia, you don't owe me even a single star today. I was clueless.

Interesting question.

TM

If I hadn't come across it accidentally and asked it myself, I also would have been clueless! Probably shouldn't admit that.

Cynthia

I watch National Geographic channel and anything that has to do with worldly or other-worldly mysteries (just a thing with me) and there was a program on this quite a while back. It focused mostly on the worship practices of the Mayans, Aztecs, and the Incas. Most of it rather barbaric and savage. It was, however, interesting in the history department and the mystery of their beliefs.

Good pronunciation Cythia. Also heard it as 'Tea o toe wah kin'.

Mexico city is still the closest city to the ruins which are still considered sacred vibrational vortices. Many spirit seekers flock to the ruins at the solstices to this day, seeking the meaning of life or spiritual enlightenment.

TM ~ You didn't get the hint about the Chihuahua? I thought that would certainly give it away combined with the EQUATE-or word......guess I gotta come up with more creative clues! Lol!

Lots of fun Cynthia! Keep em comin! :)

Ginny

Ginny, I thought your clues were great!

Cynthia