Dear Mum, Dad, Lucas and Melissa,

How are you all? I miss you all tremendously! Lucas, are you still into boats? Melissa, how is university going for you and have you finally got that extravagant bag you never stopped talking about? I haven't seen you all for over a year and I am ecstatic to come home in a couple of days. I have been exploring the Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlan, with my friend Amanda and it has been unforgettable and so much fun! Let me tell you about my adventures in Tenochtitlan...

Firstly, I met up with Amanda and we took her wooden, tiny dingy across to the island of Tenochtitlan. As we neared the sensational, mind-blowing island all I could see from the distance was a blur of vibrant colours. The aroma of cacao assaulted my nostrils. I was so starving that I felt sick to my stomach, so when we docked up at Tenochtitlan we raced like speedy cheetahs to the nearest restaurant.

I looked at the menu expecting to see pizza and spaghetti, but I was very wrong! Amanda knew the owner of the restaurant, named Coaxoch, who explained to me all about Aztec food. I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to taste multiple dishes from the restaurant. Soon, I realized that Aztec food is not only exquisite but rich, spicy and filled with fierce flavours including chili peppers. The first dish I tried was a tlaxcalli dish. Tlaxcalli is the main food of the Aztecs and it is like your favourite food Lucas... flat bread! I would describe tlaxcalli as a corn-meal pancake. It is such a favoured and crowd-pleasing food among the Aztec community because it can be dried, preserved and stored to last longer. This means that the Aztecs can eat tlaxcalli all year round! Aztecs are mostly vegetarian so inside my tlaxcalli dish were vegetables, moist and flaky fish, and an algae that was scraped off the lake and sprinkled on top of the tlaxcalli to act as a type of cheese. The algae tasted revolting but I plastered on a smile and mastered a poker face so I wouldn't make Coaxoch feel ashamed and disheartened. Next, I tried a rabbit stew. Stews are a very popular meal for the Aztecs, especially rabbit stews. Two chunky rabbit legs stuck out from either side of the bowl of rabbit stew and it made me gag. I'm sorry you had to read that Mum as I know you are vegetarian, but I would be lying to say that I didn't enjoy the stew....sorry Mum! Honey is used as a sweetener on Aztec food as the Aztecs do not use oils or fats. A thick, oozy glaze of honey was smeared across the top of the stew which made it taste scrumptiously sweet and delectable. After that, I tried a fruit and crops salad. Aztecs eat a lot of fruits and crops because domestic animals are limited to dogs, ducks, rabbits, deer, wild pigs, turkey, birds and frogs. The Aztecs also have lots of fish meat because Tenochtitlan is an island, so it is therefore surrounded by water where colossal amounts of fish live. Inside this fruit and crops salad were many crops including peanuts, jicama, red and green tomatoes, chili peppers, white sweet potatoes, amaranth, sage beans, squash, maize (which is corn) and even cactus! I didn't realize that there was cactus in the salad until I felt a sharp, prickly sensation at the back of my mouth and then I coughed it up. It was so painful! The Aztecs grow their crops on things that are called floating gardens, also known as chinampas. These are long, floating soil platforms on shallow rafts in the calm canals of water created by the Aztecs, that you can grow crops and plants on. They are chained to the bottom of the seabed. Some fruits that were in the fruit salad and that are popular to the Aztecs are guavas, custard apples and juicy, ripe papayas. Some of these delicious fruits are grown on chinampas/floating gardens. The Aztecs have to use chinampas because Tenochtitlan is a very small island and there isn't enough space on the island to grow all the crops needed for survival and to sustain healthy diets. Also, the Aztecs grow lots of crops because Tenochtitlan has fantastic fertile soil which is perfect for the cultivation of their agriculture. I will stop talking about food now as by now your stomachs must be grumbling like an earthquake.

Over the last couple of weeks, Amanda and I have explored the gorgeous city of Tenochtitlan and its beautiful buildings, activities and culture. Tenochtitlan is filled with many temples, parks, zoos and museums. We visited a museum that explained all about the different types of Aztec warriors and the Aztec army. Warfare is the main driving force of the Aztec religion and economy. The Aztec army is very well organised as the Aztecs take warfare seriously and it is highly important to them. Every Aztec male receives basic military training from a young age. The young boys have to learn to heave monstrous supplies, manoeuvre their family boat, fish on lake Texcoco and they are only fed miniscule meals. At the age of three, a young Aztec boy can only eat half a maize cake each day. At the age of five he can eat one maize cake. By the age of twelve he is only given one-and-a-half maize cakes each day. They are fed like this because Aztec soldiers receive very little amounts of food to eat during battle as food is heavy to transport, so the growing Aztec boys need to train their bodies to survive off little amounts of food. If the young boys or anyone else having military training are lazy or misbehaved, then there are severe punishments. No Melissa, I'm not talking about banning sweets, the Aztec punishments are much worse than that! Some of the punishments include beatings and being stung with sharp as a knife agave thorns. Sometimes they even have their faces and eyes shoved into boiling smoke made from roasted chili peppers that can make your skin peel off your face and your eyes bulge in pain. There are many types of Aztec soldiers. Firstly, there are the common warriors who are formed into companies, called Calpulli, which are groups led by nobles. Before every battle, the leader of each Calpulli designates a new leader just in case they are killed during battle. Then there is someone who can take over instantaneously. The common warriors are dangerous warriors however they are not the most deadly and professional Aztec warriors. The elite Aztec warriors are the vicious Eagle and Jaguar units and the well-known "Shorn Ones". The Eagle and the Jaguar warriors dress like their animals. The Eagle warriors are sheathed in eagle feathers and they have headgear that has the appearance of an eagle face. Their faces poke out from an open beak coming from their headgear. Jaguar warriors wear suits that are made from the pelts of jaguars and headgear that looks like a jaguar's face. The Eagle and Jaguar warriors are the largest warrior societies. These types of warriors are elite warriors because to become an Eagle or Jaguar warrior you must capture four prisoners during battle which is quite a challenge! The top warriors are the commendable, exceptional "Shorn Ones". They get their name, and are most globally known, for their shaved heads, except for a lengthy braid that runs over the left ear. Their bald heads are painted blue on one side and yellow or red on the other half of the head. A very high general is always a member of the "Shorn Ones". The "Shorn Ones" are always seen in battle wearing spectacular finery. Some of this finery includes a sturdy, wooden pole that is decorated with feathers and banners and is attached to their backs. These poles protect their backs. Why are the "Shorn Ones" the top warriors? Because they all take an oath to never step backwards during a battle even if another warrior that they know dearly is dying or injured. They won't turn back to help them and will leave them there to die! Aztecs are so brutal; I'm not even telling you all about the most disturbing and nauseating things that the Aztecs do! 

Finally,I thought that I would explain a little bit about Aztec education. By the wayMelissa, what are you studying in university? And Lucas if I'm right you are in4th grade. Wow! I hope you have met some splendid friends. All Aztecchildren have to be educated at their homes or in an Aztec school, no matter whattheir status is in Aztec society. Firstly, from around the age of four to five,a child's education begins at their home and they are taught by their ownparents. Young boys learn from their fathers and work alongside them where theylearn about trade and craft, fishing, hunting and farming. Young girls learnfrom their mothers and receive the knowledge on all the tasks they need insuccessfully running a household and having a family. Basically, the youngAztec children learn the mostimportant jobs and roles for their gender including practical tasks, basicknowledge and they are taught about the Aztec ideas, beliefs and values throughstorytelling. The Aztec children are taught about having a deeper understandingof the world that surrounds them and their cultural impact on the rest of theworld. After this, at roughly the age of 12, a more formal education commences.At formal Aztec schools, what children learn about depends on their gender. Girlsabsorb further information on domestic chores. Boys are taught about Aztec andworld history, how to read the special and precious Aztec calendar,religious/priest roles, military arts and also art and trades. Both boys andgirls learn about Aztec values, literacy and songs. There are two types ofAztec formal school. The type of school an Aztec child attends and what theylearn at that school depends on their status, their parents' status, and whattheir parents' jobs are. Most Aztec children do the same job as one of theirparents depending on their gender. For example, if your dad is an Aztec priestthen you go to the school that teaches you about the rules, responsibilitiesand jobs of priests to prepare you for your future when you are older. The firsttype of Aztec school is Calmecas school. This is the type of Aztec school forsons of nobles and people who are a part of the upper class. At these schools,boys learn to be scholars, priests, healers, leaders, codex painters andteachers. They study literacy, history, songs, military arts, geometry,calendrics and religious rituals to prepare them for their future jobs. Theology, statesmanship and astronomy are alsotaught so that the boys have knowledge to work in temples or to be in the Aztecgovernment. The second type of Aztec school is called Telpochcalli which arethe schools for the lower and middle-class children. At Telpochcalli schools, the boys learn about religion, agricultural skills, craft and trade skills, history and military fighting techniques. They learn about these specific topics as these are things that lower and middle-class Aztec children need to know about to prepare themselves for their life and job ahead. Some of the lower and middle-class jobs include being a famer, feather worker, potter, soldier or a metal worker. Certain children that are especially athletic can be sent away to the army for further military training, if they are lucky enough, along with many children from Calmecas schools. These Telpochcalli children are generally extremely overjoyed and enchanted by this news and so are their parents. This is because soldiers in the military are higher up in the Aztec social stratification and get much better pay and respect than the ordinary lower-or middle-class jobs. Also, if children from Telpochcalli schools are extremely intelligent then they may be given the opportunity to have advanced learning at one of the Calmecas schools. Once they graduate from school, they are sent back to their families to begin working using the knowledge that they digest from school. 

Now let me finish this letter with some hilarious Aztec jokes that you may or may not understand! What is so good about having an Aztec lawyer? They get right to the heart of the problem! What is the Aztec motto? Don't give up on achieving your dreams and goals even if you have to sacrifice everything! Ha-ha! I hope that by reading this letter you all are intrigued and interested by the Aztec culture. We should come as a family to visit and I can show you all how spectacular Tenochtitlan is. By the way Amanda says "hi". I look forward to seeing you all very shortly and I can't wait to squeeze you all so tight with joy like squeezing a lemon to make bitter lemonade. That reminds me, the Aztecs have a very bitter drink...... I would tell you about it, but this letter is getting too long!

Lots of love,

From Sophie

I hope you all enjoyed this informal essay letter! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story, it makes my day! Feedback is welcomed as long as it isn't too harsh!!! Pls make sure to vote, comment and follow my account, I really appreciate it! 😊💕 From Soph xx