2010 Itinerary - Sacred Valley, Peru

And a serpent huaca. Connecting to the earth and to the living water. With an interesting round structure where we once shared a surprising energetic experience with two policemen!Day 3 (Aug 25) Place of the puma. Hike of an hour or so. Like so many of the Inca sites, the sacred is entirely intertwined with the everyday. This site was a granary... and also a temple. El nino was a factor in those times too, and it's said the accomplishment of the Inca empire (as the Egyptian) was to organize for adequate food supply despite climatic fluctuation. Perhaps not surprising that what sustains life through "the dry times" is sacred. We connect with that power of the puma, the guardian.Day 4 (Aug 26) We visit Chincero, Puma Quispe's home village, and hear from him the living meanings of the Inca site there, including what he calls "the temple of the seeds of the new humanity". We'll also connect with the Andeans of the present. The persistence of pastoralism. Herding, weaving. How natural elements, fibers and dyes, are incorporated in symbols of the divine. The glaciated mountains that dominate the sacred valley are visible from here, and we'll visit an ancient tool for connecting with the apus -- and try it for ourselves.Day 5 (Aug 27) The name in Quechua means, roughly, "Moon-stone-power". This is the site of our first meeting with the sacred plant teacher huachuma. A gentle teacher, and aided by a beautiful curandera who has worked with this medicine for decades. We felt that the site is a little like a European train station. "Paris on track 3; Milan boarding at track 5." At different points there are different portals or openings; you will find the one that leads to your destination for today.Day 6 (Aug 28) We leave the Cusco area and travel southeast, whence the "Children of the Sun" themselves came to their capital-to-be. This is a new adventure for Cielle and Jeffrey as well. Puma tells us that the first place we'll visit is "the temple of the sacred balance". Raqchi is the site of the "Wiracocha" complex, and is often visited. We're looking forward to learning together.Day 7 (Aug 29) Three sites. Again, from Puma's comments: "Early in the morning, Tinajani, the place where all the ancestral records were kept then a connection with the fortress of spirit. This is our second day to work with the Huachuma medicine. We'll be at Pucara, the temple of the Puma, where we will awaken the power of will and connect with the puma mountain. Protector and guardian of our spiritual path." The puma, "otorongo" is the energy associated with the pampamesayoc lineage. As we prepare to move into our everyday lives, walking in balance and service, this feels very right.Day 8 (Aug 30) As we return to Cusco we'll be making a very significant stop. This is the site considered the spiritual birthplace of the sacred river, where the waters of the lake (feminine) mix with those of the glaciers (masculine) to empower the stream that flows through humanity, giving and supporting life. We connect once again with the condor energy, the altomesayoc energy, as it blesses the river that reflects the stars of our milky way. Overnight in Cusco. Day 9 (Aug 31) Breakfast. Ceremony for the next step in your journey. Farewell, or continue to Mach Picchu extension.