Enter the mystical world of the Andean Triangle. This mystical journey is more than a tour it is an experience. An experience of magic and mysticism of ancient Andean sites through ceremonies dedicated to the earth, sun, moon and an awareness of inner self. On this fourteen-day journey you see and experience what most other travellers do not see and experience in Bolivia and Peru. This journey begins with opening and connection on the shores of Lake Titicaca, then continues the journey in the Crystal City of Machu Picchu and, if you choose, culminates in the depths of the Amazon jungle.
Itinerary:
Day 1:
Arrive in Lima and fly to Juliaca/Puno. Transfer from Juliaca to hotel in Puno. We will have a short getting to know you activity and then the rest of the day is free to relax and rest in Puno.
No meals provided this day.
Day 2:
Travel from Puno to Copacabana, stopping at the portal of Amara Muru. In the afternoon we will have a pago ceremony at the Intiwatana near Copacabana.
Breakfast included.
Day 3:
We have an early morning departure for the Islands of the Moon and Sun. We will return for an over night in Copacabana.
Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 4:
This morning is free to explore Copacabana then in the early afternoon we will depart for Puno. In Puno we will visit a museum dedicated to the Coca plant and Andean traditional costumes and dances.
Breakfast included.
Day 5:
In the morning we will travel by private transport to the ruins of Sillustani. We will return to Puno for lunch and then in the afternoon we will travel to the mesa of Cutimbo to visit the megalithic ceremonial power towers.
Breakfast included.
Day 6:
Today we will travel by luxury bus to Cusco, stopping along the way at Pucara, La Raya, Sicuani, Raqchi and Andahuayillas.
Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 7:
Morning free and afternoon city tour.
Breakfast included.
Day 8:
Tour and ceremony at Sacsayhuaman.
Breakfast included.
Day 9:
Sacred Valley tour where we will visit Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero
Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 10:
Train to Machu Picchu, transfer to hotel, lunch and afternoon/sunset tour of Machu Picchu. In preparation for tomorrow's ceremony you should not eat meat or drink alcohol today.
Packed breakfast included.
Day 11:
San Pedro ceremony in Machu Picchu. This is a day of ceremony and fasting but soup will be provided in the evening.
Breakfast included.
Day 12:
Half-day trip to Campo. Late afternoon departure to Cusco by train.
Breakfast included.
Day 13:
Free day in Cusco for shopping and exploring.
Breakfast included.
Day 14:
Transfer from hotel to airport for flight to Lima and flights to home country.
Breakfast included.
Note: This itinerary is subject to change due conditions beyond our control.
What to bring:
- For our opening ceremony we ask you to bring one small item that you feel best represents who you are.
- Walking shoes with a good grip
- A day pack
- A rain poncho
- A hat
- Sunscreen
- A journal
- Swimming suit
- Clothes that can be layered
Detailed Itinerary
Our mystical journey begins on the shore of Lake Titicaca, Mama Cocha or Mother Lake, the most sacred lake of the Andes. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world at 3,856 m above sea level. According to legend, it is also the birthplace of Andean civilization. It is from Lake Titicaca that Wiracocha, the creator, brought the sun, moon, stars and planets out of the lake to take their place in the sky thus providing light for a dark world. With time the sun and the moon had children who also arose from the lake and went on to populate the four corners of the world. In Inca mythology, when Tayta Inti, father sun, saw that the people of the world were living no better than animals he sent his son, Manco Capac and his daughter, Mama Ocllo, to rule and teach the people. These two were then sent forth to found the Inca Empire with its centre at Cusco. Legend has it that they were given a golden spear and told to go north. They were to establish a city in the place that the golden spear fully entered the ground. The place where the spear entered the ground was Cusco, the navel of the world.
On the shores of Lake Titicaca are the towns of Puno, on the Peruvian side, and Copacabana, on the Bolivian side. Puno is a town built by the Spanish as a resting place between the silver mines of Potosi, Bolivia and Cusco. You will fly into the airport at Juliaca on the Altiplano 44 km north of Puno where we will be met and then transported to our hotel in Puno. On this first day you will have a chance to rest from your long journey to Peru and to acclimatize to the altitude before we begin our journey of expansion and discovery. In the afternoon we will have a short introduction and getting to know each other ceremony with the objects you brought.
The following morning we will head south along the shores of Lake Titicaca to our first stop at the "Gate of the Gods" or Amara Muru Doorway. This inter-dimensional portal, which faces the sacred lake, lies in a wonderland of strange natural rock formations that are in stark contrast to the surrounding area. Here we will have a ceremony of purification and feel a connection to its powerful energies. If you step back and look up above the door you will see Amara Mara, the consort of Amara Muru, who lies on top of the portal forever guarding it. Legend says that Amara Muru stepped through the portal leaving this 3-dimension forever. There are also many legends in the area, telling of people who have gone through the portal never to return, although I do know one person who entered the portal and did return.
From Amara Muru we continue to travel along the Lake to the Bolivian town of Copacabana. Copacabana means "view of the lake" from the Aymara kota kawana. Copacabana is a lakeside resort town full of colour. In the late afternoon we will walk up to the Intiwatana, a pre-Inca astronomical observatory, with it breathtaking views of the sacred lake and the town of Copacabana. We will be joined by Don Adolfo, the principal shaman of Copacabana, who will explain its significance and lead us in a pago, a ceremony of offering. During this ceremony we will be offering a gift to Pachamama, Mother Earth, and the Apus (the Mountains) and asking for blessings as we formally begin our journey to the most sacred sites in the Andes. Here on the shores of Lake Titicaca, we activate the powerful crystal energy within each of us.
Early the next morning we will travel by boat to the most sacred islands on Lake Titicaca, the Island of the Moon and the Island of the Sun. The first stop of the day is on the Island of the Moon. This quiet peaceful island is surrounded by crystal clear water and in the distance we can see the snow-capped Cordillera Real mountain range with Apu Illampu standing guard over the area. You will be given a chance to cleanse yourself and swim in the lake before we climb to the temple of the Acllahusi, the cloister of the chosen women or virgins of the sun and one of the most powerful centres of feminine energy on earth. Near the temple, we will hold a ceremony to connect with the feminine elements of earth, water and the moon.
Leaving the Island of the Moon we travel a short distance by boat to the Island of the Sun. We will arrive in the village of Challapampa and take a 45-minute scenic walk to the Sun Temple complex which is an amazing sacred site that includes the Puma Rock, the ceremonial Table, the remains of the Chinkana Inca settlement and the Sacred Water Spring that lies within. With the sacred water of spring we will perform a purification ceremony. This ceremony will connect us to the sun, moon and our inner crystal. The boat will then take us to the southern end of the island to the village of Yumani. We will climb a set of Inca steps to reach "Las Tres Fuentes," a stone fountain containing three stone channels, which represent the three commandment of Inca life; don't steal, don't lie, and don't be lazy. These three channels bring water from three sacred sources on the island. The water from this fountain is said to cure aliments and to bring longevity. As the sun starts to lower in the sky and the lake reflects the pink, orange and red of the setting sun, we make our way back to Copacabana.
We will have a leisurely start to the next day with the morning free to stroll the town's colourful streets, to shop, to explore or to just sit and soak up the powerful lake energy. You might wish to visit the local cathedral, which contains "La Virgen de la Candelaria" or the dark virgin, believed to have miraculous healing powers. The original statue, which was carved from cactus in 1583 by Francisco Tito Yupanqui the nephew of the Inca Emperor Huayna Capac, has made the church Bolivia's most revered pilgrimage. In the early afternoon we will board a bus and make our way back to Puno, Peru. After checking into our hotel we will visit a unique little museum dedicated to the coca plant and to traditional costumes and dances.
Day five we will explore some of the unique and interesting sights around Puno. In the morning we will travel by bus to the burial ruins of Sillustani 32 km north of Puno. The chullpas, pre-Columbian funeral towers, are situated in a beautiful setting on a peninsula in Lago Umayo. The towers are burial towers of Aymara speaking Colla tribe and the engineering involved in their construction is more complex than anything the Inca's built. Within the complex one can see evidence of the Colla, the Inca and underground burials that predate both, dating from the Pukara and Tiahuanaco periods. This eerie but fascinating site on a small hill surrounded by Lago Umayo invites one to delve into the mysteries of a time past. After lunch in Puno we will proceed through a fascinating area of white bad lands about a half hour from Puno. This is an area of high magnetic charge where locals say they have seen ghosts. It is in this area at the mesa of Cutimbo, that we will visit the megalithic ceremonial towers. Here we will have time for meditating and reflection.
On our sixth day we will take a luxury bus to Cusco. On the way we will be visiting Pucara, a petroglyphic site dating from the pre-Inca Pukara period. Next we will stop at La Raya, which is the highest pass of the journey, at 4,321m above sea level, with its breathtaking views of the mountains. From this point on we will be travelling beside the Vilcanota River, also called the Wilkamayu. This river begins in the mountains of La Raya, flowing north to join the Urubamba river and later the Ucayali river which then flows into the Amazon River. Then, we will stop at Sicuani for a traditional lunch. After lunch we will make our way to Raqchi, were we will visit the spectacular Temple of Wiracocha. Our last stop before reaching Cusco will be the picturesque mountain town of Andahuayillas with its Spanish cathedral called the Andean Sistine Chapel because of its beautiful frescos and architecture.
This next day will be an easy day to enjoy Cusco. In the morning you will have time to wander and explore and in the afternoon we will have a private guided city tour. According to some archaeologists Cusco was founded around 1100 AD, but other have indicated it is much older. Located in a valley south of the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Cusco is a magical and beautiful city surrounded by mountains. It is a fascinating mix of pre-Inca, Inca and Spanish architecture. Walking up and down its narrow streets is an adventure in itself as there are unexpected treasures to see and explore around every turn. The narrow streets and alleys hold beautiful Spanish style houses with ornate balconies and the famous megalithic walls with their massive polygonal (many sided) perfectly fitted stones. Cusco's history is ancient, glorious and harsh, but underneath the history one can sense an energy that is strong, powerful and uplifting. This powerful energy does give one a sense that Cusco is the "navel of the world". It is here in Cusco that the four corners of the Inca world merged. In addition to this, at the Qorikancha are the 42 ceques, or energy lines, that link the 342 guacas, or sacred sites, in the Empire. Could this be the energy that pulsates through the city? This is a day to see, feel and experience Cusco with all your senses.
Next we will spend time in the mystical ruins of Sacsayhuaman. For many centuries Sacsayhuaman was thought to be a fortress, but the layout and architecture shows a great sanctuary and temple to the sun. Sacsayhuaman is a place of awe, mystery and magic. Here we find massive stonewalls with stones weighing up to 130 tons fitted with absolute perfection, as well as altars, ceremonial centres, tunnels and more. Maestro Kucho will show us many of the wonders of Sacsayhuaman as well as explain many of the astronomical aspects of the site. He will also guide us in sacred ceremony. You will also have time to wander around or to spend time in meditation in this amazing place.
Day nine we will venture by private bus and guide into the Sacred Valley. The Sacred Valley is separate from the Cusco Valley. This will be seen as we climb the winding roads out of Cusco to reach a small plateau before we begin our decent into the rich farmlands of the Urubamba Valley. We will be following the Urubamba River, which cuts through fields and rocky gorges beneath the snow-capped peaks of mountains. The scenery is breathtaking as we make our way to our first stop at Pisac. The town of Pisac is nestled in the valley and is a thriving market town. We will stop for a short visit at the market before driving up the mountainside to the Inca ruins high above the valley. Pisac is a defensive, religious and agricultural site. Next we will stop for lunch in the beautiful Urubamba Valley. After lunch we will proceed to Ollantaytambo and the spectacular Sanctuary of the Wind. The town of Ollantaytambo is a special town in that it is an original Inca town with the original town layout as well as many of the original buildings. Rising above the town are the immense ruins of megalithic structure. Here, one feels the presence of the ancients as the Wayra (wind) whispers the secrets of the Universe. From Ollantaytambo we once again rise out of the valley and onto the high planes to Chinchero. In Chinchero we visit some Inca walls and a beautiful Spanish church. In the courtyard there is a market where the people of the area sell their exquisitely woven fabric made from Wool, alpaca and dyed with natural dyes. As we leave Chinchero we will witness the glorious colours of the sunset reflect off the snow-peaked mountains.
Today we have a very early start as we board the train at 6 a.m. for Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. As it is very early, you will be provided with a packed breakfast, which you can eat at your leisure on the train. The train leaves Cusco via a series of switchback as it climbs out of the valley. Along the way we follow the fast flowing Urubamba River as makes it journeys towards the Amazon River. The four-hour trip takes us through farmland and fantastic views of the surrounding mountains. We will arrive in Aguas Calientes or Pueblo Machu Picchu around 10 a.m., where a representative of our hotel will meet us. After we have settle into our hotel we have lunch in one of the local restaurants. Around 1 p.m. we will board a bus for the ride up to the Crystal City of Machu Picchu. Everyone who enters the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is touched in some way by it. Kucho, the Guardian Shaman of Machu Picchu, will guide us through this most amazing wonder. Explaining the power points, astrological and astronomical significance and other esoterical wonders found in the Sanctuary. It is a tour unlike any other tour to Machu Picchu. We will also perform a ritual to the sunset. The most powerful times to be in Machu Picchu are sunrise, sunset, and midnight.
The following day we will return to Machu Picchu in the morning for a full day of personal work with the teaching plant, San Pedro or Huachuma. San Pedro is a sacred healing plant used for thousands of years by the local people. This medicinal plant aids us in connecting to our inner self, connecting to Mother Nature and in any healing work that needs to be done. The work with San Pedro is different for each person as we come to the plant as individuals but when we release control of the journey and the outcome a great transformation takes place. In the late afternoon we will make our way down to Kucho's hostel were we will continue the ceremony before returning to our hotel for the night.
On our last day in Aguas Calientes you will have an option of what you would like to do. For those of you who wish, we will leave to town at around 7:30 a.m. for a scenic walk of about one kilometre along the railway tracks to visit the organic farm and base for SS Manamach Ong, our non-profit foundation to which part of the cost of this experience goes. At the farm or campo you will see the fruit and vegetables we grow as well as get a chance to visit the crystal cave temple. In this crystal cave we will have a short ceremony of thanks and gratitude for all we have been given. For those of you who do not wish to go to the farm you may explore the town, take a swim the mineral pools or just relax. We will return to Cusco in the late afternoon by train.
Your last full day in Cusco is a free day to reflect, explore or do last minute shopping.
On day fourteen you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Lima and onward flights.
Note: This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control.
Optional Experience: The Jungle
Four day all-inclusive Tambopata Game Reserve
Fly into the Amazon and stay at the comfortable eco-Tambopata Jungle Lodge nestled on the riverbanks of the Tambopata River. The Tambopata Jungle Lodge offers accommodation in double occupancy jungle cabins each with running water, electricity in the evenings, and mosquito netting for each bed all in a setting amidst the lush jungle surroundings.Experience the magic of the jungle flora and fauna with an experienced Naturalist. See trees that walk around the jungle looking for the best sunlight, brown river turtles sunning themselves on logs in the river, macaws and parrots darting through the trees, colourful butterflies and so much more. Walks from the Tambopata Lodge include trips to Lake Condenado, some to Lake Sacha Vacayoc, and to the Collpa de Chuncho with an English speaking Naturalist guide. There are also short walks in the vicinity of the Lodge.
In the early mornings and evenings sit on your cabin balcony or lay in a hammock, while watching the sunset/sunrise and listening to the jungle come alive.
Itinerary:
This is an all-inclusive package.
Day 1:
Morning flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado. Transfer from the airport in Puerto Maldonado to the Tambopata Lodge on the Tambopata River.
Day 2:
Day to explore the Amazon jungle with an experienced guide.
Day 3:
Day to explore the Amazon jungle with an experienced guide.
Day 4:
Very early morning departure for Puerto Maldonado and return flight to Cusco.
What to bring for your jungle experience:
- Sunscreen and mosquito repellent
- Swim suit
- Closed walking shoes for jungle walks
- Journal and some basic art supplies (I began drawing after my first ayahuasca experience)
- Flashlight
- Light long sleeve shirt and comfortable pants for ceremony.
Note: Malaria is a concern of many travellers to the Amazon. It is up to your discretion whether you choose to take anti-malarial medication or not. For a natural option you may wish to investigate the use of Olive Leaf Extract. For more information see www.healingleaves.com.