Cholula

At the church on top of the pyramid overlooking the town.

Cholula is a short bus ride outside of Puebla. It is home to the world's widest pyramid. Tlachihualtepetl is the great pyramid of Cholula. According to myth, the pyramid was built by a giant named Xelhua of adobe bricks, after he escaped a flood in the neighboring Valley of Mexico. The pyramid consists of six structures, one for each ethnic group that dominated it. However, only three have been studied in any depth. The pyramid itself is just a small part of the greater archaeological zone of Cholula. Building of the pyramid began in the Preclassic Period and over time was built over six times to its final dimensions of 450 meters on each side at the base and 66 meters tall. This base is four times the size of that of Pharaoh Khufu's Great Pyramid of Giza and is the largest pyramid base in the Americas. It's not the tallest pyramid, but it's base is huge.

There are some uncovered ruins at the bottom of the pyramid.

The small part of the pyramid they have uncovered is huge, I can't imagine seeing the pyramid in all its glory.

Yet another church in Cholula.

Now the pyramid appears to be a hill with a church on top. This is because throughout the years the pyramid was covered with earth, and the Spanish settlers built a church on top in the 1500s. Archaeologists have uncovered part of the pyramid, but most is still covered and the church is still on top. There are about 8 kilometers worth of tunnels dug out throughout the pyramid.