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Walking
with the Shaman
Machu Picchu & Peru
April 27 - May 10, 2008
Detailed Itinerary*
Day 1: Sunday, April 27,
Arrive in Lima
USA/LIMA. Depart USA for Lima, Peru. Upon arrival at Lima Airport,
you will be met and transferred to the Hotel for overnight accommodation.
Please contact our office before you finalize your flight arrangements.
Day 2: Monday, April 28th,
Cusco
After breakfast we will transfer to the Lima airport to catch
an early morning flight to Cusco. Situated at 11,000 feet above
sea level, Cusco is the oldest inhabited city in the Western
Hemisphere. Cusco (population 350,000) was once the proud capital
of the Inca Empire. The Empire was created in the shape of a
Puma. In Quechua, the language of the people of the Andes, Cusco
means "navel of the Universe.” Today it retains much
of that pride. Inca architecture holds up the foundations for
a majority of the city, now shadowed by colonial Spanish buildings.
The Quechua people, the present-day ancestors of the Incas,
are also the foundation for the city and bring the charm, humility
and beauty to Cusco.
From the airport we will transfer to our hotel.
We will rest and begin adapting to the altitude. Drinking mate
(tea made from coca leaves) helps this process and is offered
in the reception area of our hotel.
In the afternoon, we will take a walking tour
through this lovely and historically rich city. We will walk
streets leading to temples and other sacred places in the city.
You will be able to feel energy of the ley lines that converge
in Cusco. These vibrations have been compared to the ones in
the streets of Jerusalem, Mecca, and Assisi and in other holy
cities.
Overnight in Cusco, lunch and dinner included.
Lodging:
Taypikala Hotel
Day 3: Tuesday, April
29, Cusco, Two Altars
 This
will be an amazing morning. We will visit two different sacred
sites in the Cusco area. As we move through these incredible
places, you will be able to feel the energy that is specific
to each place.
Sacsayhuamán is one of the most amazing
of Inca constructions. The Quechua name means "satisfied
falcon.” The rock formation is the falcon that guarded
the capital of the Empire, since it was possible to overlook
Cusco from the hill on which it was erected. Sacsayhuamán
is usually described as a fortress because it is practically
enclosed by three slopes. However, the fact that the Incas constructed
a fortress in that place is considered unusual, since at the
time of its construction, there were no major threats to the
Empire. Anthropologists suggest the shape and location could
have corresponded with other principles, such as the harmony
between architecture and landscape. Current investigations are
suggesting that it must have been a temple devoted to the worship
of the Sun, for which both the construction and the surrounding
landscape were important.
Kenko: This site is a series of limestone outcrops
on which intricate mythical representations have been carved.
This Quechua name means zigzag, probably due to the labyrinthine
underground galleries or the small channels carved on rocks
with that shape. Behind that stone is a rocky headland with
a staircase carved on the bare rock that leads to the top. A
zigzag channel that begins here, descends and splits into two
branches. One follows the slope and a second one goes up to
the underground chamber. Anthropologists theorize the second
channel could have been used to transport the blood of llamas
sacrificed in some rituals. At the very top there are carved
remains of what could have been a condor, whose head was broken,
and a puma. Our ceremony here will focus on awakening the altar
of the Puma.
Amaru Machay: The Temple of Rebirth and connection
with Mother Earth. It is believed to be the Incan place for
worshiping of the land (earth) and the place of the serpent.
In Andean cosmology, the serpent is a powerful symbol of transformation
and rebirth. The snake sheds its skin each year and is reborn.
Overnight in Cusco, dinner included.
Lodging:
Taypikala Hotel
Day 4: Wednesday, April
30, The Sacred Valley: Urco and Pisac
The Sacred Valley was undoubtedly a key area of settlement to
the Incas. Its agreeable climate and fertile plains make a rare
and fruitful combination for the high Andes. It was also the
route to the jungle and therefore an area with access to the
fruits and plants of the tropical lowlands. The Sacred Valley
served as a buffer zone, protecting Cusco from incursions of
the Antis, the fierce jungle tribes who from time to time raided
the highlands. Today the Sacred Valley remains a lush agricultural
region supplying the city of Cusco with much of its produce
such as maize, fruit and vegetables.
Today, we will have a nice bus ride through the
Sacred Valley to visit Pisac. This important Incan road once
snaked its way up the canyon that enters the Urubamba Valley
at Pisac. The citadel, at the entrance to this gorge, now in
ruins, controlled a route, which connected the Inca Empire with
Paucartambo, on the border of the eastern jungles. Set high
above a valley floor, and surrounded by a patchwork patterned
fields and extensive terracing, the stonework and panoramas
at Pisac's Inca citadel are magnificent. Terraces, aquaducts
and steps have been cut from solid rock in the upper sector
of the ruins. In Urco, the place of the snake, we will participate
in Chicha Ceremony. This is a place of power where Coca leaves
are used to send love and thanks to the Apus, spirits of the
mountains and to Pachamama (Mother Earth).
In the afternoon we will go to the village for
lunch and shopping at the festive, local village Market.
Overnight in Cusco, lunch and dinner included.
Lodging:
Taypikala Hotel
Day 5: Thursday, May 1,
Ollantaytambo. The Sanctuary of the Wind
After breakfast, we will leave Cusco and once again head into
the Sacred Valley. Today’s destination, where we will
spend the entire day, is Ollantaytambo, the last stop along
the Sacred Valley. Nestled at the foot of an ancient Inca site,
this small town with a population of 2,000 is the most beautiful
town in the Sacred Valley. The cobble stone streets and main
plaza give the place an ancient feeling. The town is set higher
up from the main highway, and built on uneven ground. Stone
arches beautifully frame Stone stairways. It is here that Manco
Inca retreated after his defeat at Saqsayhuaman. He was nearly
successful in holding off the Spanish at Ollantaytambo, but
after bringing in more troops, Pizarro was successful in forcing
his retreat, successfully ending the native rebellion. Ollantaytambo
is made of enormous, stepped terraces constructed of unbelievably
huge stones. The rock quarry was across the river valley on
the opposite hillside. Workers moved stones used sloping planes,
ramps, and rollers. At the valley floor they actually diverted
the river around the rocks, rather than transport them across
the river.
When we reach Ollantaytambo in the morning, we
will visit the Magalithic Temple, a place of power of the Llama
and Puma; and the Pyramid of Pakarectampu. Later in the day,
Jorge will lead us in a special ceremony to harmonize with
the energies of nature, which offers all its beauty to us.
Overnight - Ollantaytambo, dinner included.
Lodging:
Hotel Pakaritampu
Day 6: Friday, May 2, By
Train - Machu Picchu
After breakfast, we will transfer to the train station. Here
we will board a train and travel a beautiful and scenic route
to Aguas Calinetes. The town is located at the base of the mountain,
which contain the ruins of the sacred city Machu Picchu. After
checking into our hotel and getting settled, we will take a
short bus ride up the switch-back road to the site. Jorge will
guide us through this sacred place and explain how the Incas
lived and the purpose of the city. As a part of our tour, we
will visit the seven points of power and later participate in
a ceremony on the grounds. We visit the Temples of the Sun &
Moon, the Temple of the Condor, the Temple of the Three Windows,
and finally the world-famous spiritual center of the site, the
Intihuatana, or the Hitching Post of the Sun. The intent of
our work at this time will be to connect with the entities of
Machu Picchu, the Puma, the Condor and the Light Spirits that
reside here. There will be plenty of time for enjoying the site,
taking in the vibrations, meditating and journaling.
Machu Picchu (Quechua: Old Peak; sometimes called
the "Lost City of the Incas") is a well-preserved
pre-Columbian Inca ruin located on a high mountain ridge. For
centuries Machu Picchu was forgotten by the outside world, although
not by locals. Machu Picchu was brought back to international
attention by Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham who rediscovered
it in 1911. Bingham wrote a best-selling work about his discovery
entitled Inca Land, which is available
at many book sites on the internet. Fantastic green peaks loom
up and around the ancient city above the Rio Urubamba below.
Around 200 houses, palaces and temples built from large and
small perfectly fitted stone blocks surround the central court.
The entire stone complex is considered a high voltage and magnetic
focal point; every invocation made at Machu Picchu is amplified
to incalculable proportions.
Overnight in Aguas Calientes
Lodging:
Hotel Inti Inn
Day 7: Saturday, May 3,
Machu Picchu
 We
will return to the Crystal City after breakfast. Again we will
climb the hill by bus, traveling the switchbacks that will ultimately
bring us to the grounds. There will be time for meditation and
connecting with the essence of cosmic force of this place. Another
option will be to climb Huayna Picchu, or hike to the Temple
of the Moon. This will be your day to enjoy the site on your
own. You can return to town when you wish. There is Hot Springs
in Aguas Calientes to bathe in and enjoy with the locals. Also,
there is plenty of shopping to do.
Overnight in Aguas Calientes, dinner included.
Lodging:
Hotel Inti Inn
Day 8: Sunday, May 4, Aguas
Calientes, Mandor & the Waterfalls, Cusco
After breakfast, we will take a two-hour walk along the Vilcanota
River, following the railroad tracks into the Mandor Valley.
Once there, we will enjoy the beautiful waterfall and participate
in a ceremony to honor the element of water. We will enjoy lunch
in at the home of a local resident.
In the afternoon, we will take the train back
to Ollantaytambo Station and then by bus, return to Cusco.
Overnight in Cusco
Lodging:
Taypikala Spa Hotel
Day 9: Monday, May 5, Travel
from Cusco to Lake Titicaca
 After
an early breakfast, we go to the airport and fly from Cusco
to the Lake Titicaca Region of Peru.
Lake Titicaca is the world's highest lake navigable
to large vessels, lying at 12,500 feet above sea level on the
border between Peru to the west and Bolivia to the east. Titicaca
is the second largest lake of South America and covers some
3,200 square miles and extends in a northwest-to-southeast direction
for a distance of 120 miles. It is 50 miles across at its widest
point.
The meaning of the name Titicaca is uncertain,
but it has been variously translated as Rock of the Puma or
Crag of Lead. There are Forty-one islands on the lake, with
some of them densely populated. The largest, Titicaca Island
(Spanish: Isla de Titicaca also called Isla del Sol), lies just
off the tip of the Copacabana Peninsula in Bolivia. According
to the tradition of the Incas (the Quechuan people of Peru who
established an empire about 1100), the legendary founders of
the Inca dynasty, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, were sent down
to Earth by the Sun.
There is another legend that says at the time
Lemuria was sinking, one of the seven Great Masters of Lemuria,
Lord Aramu Muru, was given the mission to bring the sacred Golden
Solar Disc from the Temple of Illumination to Lake Titicaca
for safe keeping. During the time of the Incas, the Solar Disc
was transferred to Cusco, and placed in the Qorikancha, the
main Temple of the Sun, where it stayed until the coming of
the Spanish. At that time, it was returned to Lake Titicaca
and placed in the Eternal Etheric City inside the Lake. In the
legend of their origin, this is the place from where the first
Incas, M'anko Qapak and Mama Oqllo, entered the Earth. During
our visit, we will participate in this legend through a ceremonial
practice.
Our destination is Chucuito, which is about 20
minutes from Puno. We will be staying in Chucuito for the next
few days.
Overnight Chucuito, dinner included.
Lodging:
Taypikala Spa Hotel
Day 10: Tuesday, May 6,
Uros – Floating Islands & the Island of Amantani
We will depart the hotel in Chucuito after breakfast and board
our boat in Puno. We have a three-hour boat ride on the Lake,
as we head to the island of Amantani. Along the way we will
give offerings to Mamchocha, the Spirit of the Lake.
Not far off shore from Puno live the remnants
of an ancient people, the Uru. We will visit the village where
the Uru have lived for hundreds of years. Their homes and schools
and stores are built on floating mats of dried totora, a reed
like papyrus that grows in the marshy shallows of the lake.
From the totora, the Uru and other lake dwellers make their
famed balsas, boats formed from bundles of dried reeds lashed
together and resembling the crescent-shaped papyrus craft pictured
on ancient Egyptian monuments. There is a market on the island
and time to shop.
Once we arrive at Amantani, we will participate
in two important ceremonies: one to the Cosmic Mother and another
to the Cosmic Father, in one of the island's many temples. This
temple is at the highest point on the Island and we will be
able to see for many miles from this location.
Dinner will be prepared by the Islanders, which
will give us an opportunity to better experience and understand
the Andean way of life.
We will overnight on the Island of Amantani as
guests in the rustic adobe homes of the Islanders. Lunch and
dinner are included.
Day 11: Wednesday, May
7, Return To Puno
We will rise before sunrise and participate in a ceremony to
receive the first light into our hearts. Then, after breakfast
we will say goodbye to our hosts and take the boat ride back
to Puno. On our return, there will be free time to spend in
Puno or to return to the hotel.
Overnight in Chucuito, lunch included.
Lodging:
Taypikala Spa Hotel
Day 12: Thursday, May 8,
Aymara Altars: Aramu Muru/Copamay/ Charcas
After breakfast we will travel south of Puno to visit the famous
Interdimensional Gateway of Lord Aramu Muru, walking by the
Snake and the Puma until getting to the Condor. There will be
a special ceremony to connect with other dimensions and other
worlds. This gateway was not known for many years until Jorge
Luis Delgado, the Shaman traveling with us, saw it in a dream.
He went to his elders who told him he had a sacred responsibility
to find this place. You can read more about this in Jorge’s
recently published book entitled Andean
Awakening, An Incan Guide To Mystical Peru, published
this year by Council Oak Books. Purchase
it here on Amazon.com.
Next we take a bus ride through Copamaya, known
for its weavers and agriculture. Here the view of the Lake is
incredible. We will visit another altar in Copamaya and harmonize
with nature. Then we travel on to Charcas and the beaches of
the lake.
Overnight in Chucuito
Lodging:
Taypikala Spa Hotel
Day 13: Friday, May 9,
Inka Tunhuire
In the morning we will explore Inka Tunuhire. Here we will find
monoliths related to the Tiwanaku Culture, the forerunners of
many of the Pre-Inca cultures.
We will return to the hotel midday and the afternoon
will be free for personal time.
Overnight in Chucuito, dinner included.
Lodging:
Taypikala Spa Hotel
Day 14: Saturday, May 10
This is our last day in Peru. After an early breakfast, we travel
to the Cemetery Temple of Sillustani, a place of remarkable
telluric force, located on a small plateau where it is possible
to see Umayo Lake and the mountains. The Altiplano is our altar
for practicing Mantras, Energizing Chains and Mandalas. In Sillustani
we will work at the Temple of Fire, connecting with the Cosmic
Spiral. There we will visit the Chullpas (Burial Towers) which
hold the secret of reincarnation.
From Sillustani, we will continue to the airport
for a flight to Lima and connection to our return flights home.
*Please understand that this itinerary is subject
to change without notice.
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