PERU
Sacred Sites: Machu Picchu,
Post-Tour Extension to Lake Titicaca August 18 - 21, 2015 Post-Tour Extension to BOLIVIA August 21 - 23, 2015 Home
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will meet at Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport on Sunday, August 9, 2015 to fly to Cusco for the beginning of our spiritual pilgrimage. If you'd like to follow our daily tour activities, please bookmark this page and check back August 9th - 23rd. If you wanted to join us this year, but were unable to do so, start making your plans now for our 2016 sacred journey, which will be held July 3 - 12, 2016. Full details to be posted soon on our website at www.SacredSitesJourneys.com DESCRIPTION
This is a time in the Andean world when many people make their heart-felt offerings to Her, giving thanks for Her support in sustaining the lives of Her children. You'll be able to participate in ancient traditional rituals to offer your Thanks and to receive Her many Blessings! SPECIAL HIGHLIGHT OF THE SACRED JOURNEY!
Co-Founder of Sacred Sites Journeys Mark has lead many of our spiritual pilgrimages to Peru since 1994. Mark Amaru Pinkham is a trained Andean shaman who has been traveling throughout the He is the author of five books that cover the secret mysteries of many ancient civilizations, including that of the Andes. Some of his books are The Return of the Serpents of Wisdom, Conversations with the Goddess, and Guardians of the Holy Grail: The Knights Templar, John the Baptist and the Water of Life and World Gnosis: The Coming Gnostic Civilization. Throughout our Andean pilgrimage Mark Amaru will lead the group in ancient Andean shamanic rites, as well as share his in-depth knowledge of Andean esoteric history of the Incas and the Viracochas. He will assist you to connect with the energies of the Three Worlds of the Incan Cosmology - the Lower (Ucu Pacha), Middle (Kay Pacha) & Upper (Hanan Pacha) World, and their Totem Animals - Serpent, Puma & Condor. A Message from Mark: "Our sacred pilgrimage to Peru is extremely important for those on a serious spiritual path. During your time in the Land of the Pachamama, I will assist your spiritual transformation by inviting you to participate in traditional potent Andean Shamanic rituals within the most powerful feminine vortex on Earth. I will also reveal many of the most paradigm-shattering esoteric secrets of the last 100,000 years which I have gathered as an initiate while traveling extensively throughout Peru for the last 20 years. I've been to sacred sites in many countries, but in my estimation, those in Peru hold a special place in the history of our planet's ancient civilizations. The jaw-dropping megalithic architecture...the esoteric mysteries that go back hundreds of thousands of years....the majesty and dynamic spiritual power of the Andes....they perfectly combine to give the spiritual traveler the experience of a lifetime! I will be honored to assist you on your Path to "come home!" For more information about Mark, Click HereTour Director: Andrea Mikana-Pinkham Andean Shamanic Practitioner and Mesa Carrier in the Inca Spiritual Tradition Co-Founder & Director of Sacred Sites Journeys Mark has lead many of our spiritual pilgrimages to Peru since 1994. Andrea has been leading our spiritual pilgrimages annually to Peru since 1994, and has taken over 25 groups there since that time. Andrea Mikana-Pinkham is an Andean Shamanic Practitioner and Mesa Carrier in the Inca Spiritual Tradition, having received shamanic training from Elders in Peru since 1994. She has also been initiated into two Andean esoteric societies. Andrea has traveled to Peru over 31 times and led over 25 spiritual pilgrimages there since 1993. She has developed an extensive network of hotel and restaurant owners, as well as spiritual teachers, artisans and craftspeople who will help her to make your journey one that you will treasure for the rest of your life! A Message from Andrea: Regarding Fair Trade - Over the years I've been leading groups to Peru, I've taken people to visit the local artisan families, encouraging them to buy from these people, to cut out the corporate "middle man". This helps ensure that the Peruvian artisans receive a fair price for their products, that communities are healthy, and the environment is preserved. So enjoy your time with them, and do bargain. It's expected. Just pay a fair price! Meeting REAL Peru: I'll be honored to introduce you to my family of the Pachamama - long time friends and my god-children and their families. You'll experience the REAL Peru, not just the tourist version. In the end you'll know you've been wrapped in the arms of the Pachamama, and will always have a home in Peru.
To read In the
Arms of the Pachamama, For more information about Andrea, Click Here
Day 1. Sunday, August 9. To Cusco, Introductory Meeting,
Welcome Dinner (D) Day 10. Tuesday, August
18. To Lake Titicaca/Chucuito (B/L/D) PM: Arrive Puno. Transfer bus station / Chucuito. Arrive hotel and check in. Dinner hotel Overnight Chucuito/Lake Titicaca. Day 11. Wednesday, August 19. Uros Islands; Cotimbo (B/L/D) AM: Visit Uros Floating Islands Return to hotel. Lunch PM: Visit Cotimbo Return to hotel. Dinner hotel Overnight Chucuito/Lake Titicaca. Day 12. Thursday, August 20. Aramu Murus Doorway; Free Time (B/L/D) AM: Aramu Murus Doorway PM: Return to hotel. Lunch hotel. Free time. Dinner hotel. Overnight Chucuito/Lake Titicaca. Day 13. Friday, August 21. To Lima (B) AM: Free time Later AM: Transfer to Juliaca airport Service ends on arrival in Lima. Post-Tour Extension # 2: Tiahuanaco/Puma Punku, Bolivia August 21 - 23, 2015 Day 13. Friday, August 21. To BOLIVIA / Visit Tiahuanaco (B/Box L/D) AM: Check out of hotel. Depart in private vehicle with guide to the border at Desaguadero. Cross border. PM: Meet Bolivian guide. Depart to Tiahuanaco. Box lunch from hotel on the way. Arrive Tiahuanaco. Visit to site. Check into hotel. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight Overnight Tiahuanaco. Day 14. Saturday, August 22. Visit Puma Punku/ To PERU (B/L/D) AM: Visit to Puma Punku Return to hotel. Lunch at the hotel. PM: Check out of hotel. Depart to border at Desaguadero with Guide. Arrive and cross border. Meet Guide and continue to Chucuito. Arrive and check in at hotel. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight Chucuito/Lake Titicaca. Day 15. Sunday, August 23. To Lima (B) AM: Free time Later AM: Transfer to Juliaca airport Service ends on arrival in Lima.
ITINERARY Day 1. Sunday, August 9. Flight Lima to Cusco, Introductory
Meeting, Welcome Dinner (D) During a later afternoon Group Meeting Mark Amaru Pinkham will facilitate your introduction to Pachamama Land and will explain the Incan Cosmology of the Three Worlds and the Pachamama, including the Totem Animals - the Serpent, the Puma and the Condor. One of these power animals will reveal itself to you through drawing special cards. You'll then be able to focus on your totem during a short meditation facilitated by Mark to help you begin to connect with its sacred energies. You'll
enjoy a group Welcome Dinner, of traditional Peruvian cuisine, at a local
restaurant. Day 2. Monday, August 10. Sacsayhuaman and Despacho with Qeros (B/L) Here we'll see some of the most amazing megalithic architecture - walls made of giant stones, fitted together perfectly without any mortar! Some researchers believe that Cusco was originally laid out in the shape of a puma, the totem animal of the Kay Pacha, the middle world in the Incan cosmology. The belly of the puma was the main plaza, the river Tullumayo formed its spine, and the hill of Sacsayhuaman its head. The zigzag walls at this amazing site represent the teeth, as well as the path of the lightning,Illapa, a revered earth elemental for the Incas. There are three parallel walls built in different levels. The limestone boulders used for the lower levels are the largest, with one about 28 ft. tall, weighing ) and weighing over 150 tons. They are megalithic architecture supreme! Many researchers believe they were built long before the Incas, during the time of a world-wide civilization that was highly-advanced technologically. In the Inca spiritual tradition, the three walls represent the Three Worlds: Uku Pacha (underground stage), the Kay Pacha (earth's surface stage) in the middle, and the Hanan Pacha (sky stage) on the top. These three levels are also symbolic of the Totem Animals: the Snake or Amaru, the Puma, and the Condor or Kuntur. The ancients believed this sacred temple was for enlivening the Mach'aqway, Kundalini, or spiritual energies. With our local guide we'll visit many of the out-of-the-way sacred areas of the site. At La Chincana Grande Mark Amaru will facilitate a meditation to connect with Taytay Inti, Father Sun, as well as an initiation into the Intic Churincuna - Claim your birthright as a Son or Daughter of the Sun! Afterwards we'll have lunch at a local restaurant on a hillside above
Cusco - spectacular views! Excellent traditional Peruvian cuisine! In the later afternoon we'll receive a traditional Incan blessing from a Q'ero Elder. These ritual specialists are among some of the last remaining descendents of the Incas. They will perform a despacho, a traditional ceremonial offering to the Pachamama, during which you will be invited to focus your intentions for your sacred pilgrimage. They will also pray to the Apus (sacred mountains) to bless each person on the journey. Return to the hotel. Dinner on your own this evening. Overnight Cusco. Day 3. Tuesday, August 11. Cusco: Coricancha, Inca Temple of the Sun; Q'enko, Tambo Machay (B/L) This morning we visit the Inca Temple of the Sun, the Coricancha, "the corral of gold". Though it was primarily dedicated to the Inca Creator God Viracocha and their Sun God Inti, the Coricancha also had other shrines to the Moon, Venus, the Pleiades, and various weather deities such as lightning and the rainbow. The first Spanish who entered Cusco reported that ceremonies were conducted around the clock here, and that it was opulent with gold beyond belief! The carved granite walls were covered with sheets of pure gold; the large courtyard was filled with life-size pure gold sculptures of animals and a field of corn; the floors were covered in solid gold. This sacred temple was also used as an astronomical observatory and calendrical device to calculate precessional movement. Forty ceques, or lines of energy ran from the temple for hundreds of miles to major celestial points on the horizon. Four of these represented the four quarters of Tawantinsuyu, the Inca Empire. Others pointed to the equinox and solstice points, and still others to the heliacal rise positions of different stars and constellations highly important to the Inca. Spanish historians recorded that the Golden Solar Disc was hanging in the Coricancha when they arrived. The Inca priests and priestesses immediately hid it and from there the story is one of which legends are made. One version says that the Incas took it deep into the jungle past Machu Picchu to hide it from the conquistadors, and that it was never found by the Spanish. To this day, expeditions have been mounted to search for Paititi, the lost city of the Incas where it is supposed to reside. None have found the sacred object. Other legends say that it was taken to Lake Titicaca and there it resides to this day, on an etheric dimension, sending out its rays of Unconditional Love to assist in the upliftment of humanity during this time of the Pachacuti - the Andean legend of the turning of the world - to a new state of elevated consciousness. Still another legend says that when struck in a particular way and while chanting certain sacred sounds, that the Disc could be used to transport the priest kings between dimensions. It is said that Aramu Muru, known in traditional Peruvian history as Manco Capac, the first Inca, used the Disc to open the interdimensional portal at Aramu Muru's Doorway located near the shores of Lake Titicaca, stepped through, and was never seen or heard from again on the third dimension. Lunch is another delicious buffet of traditional Peruvian cuisine. After lunch we're off to Qenko, one of the most ancient of the local sacred sites. Well see a very weathered stone that has been used in rituals by the local Andean Elders/ritual specialists for many years. And well explore the cave with its seemingly molded stones. Next is Tambo Machay, reported by the Incas to the Spanish chroniclers to have been used by the nobles and priests as their private fountains and baths. The spring that supplies the water has flowed here for hundreds of years, from a source deep inside the Pachamama that has never been identified. Here we'll see more of the megalithic construction from very ancient times, as well as evidence of Inca occupation and use. We'll connect in sacredness with the water element Unu by using the energies from the two streams of water that flow on either side of the fountain, one with female energy and the other with male energy. We'll cleanse our chakras and energy body, letting go of the old to make way for the new. Return to the hotel Dinner is on your own again this evening. Overnight Cusco. Day 4. Wednesday, August 12. Depart to Sacred Valley: Pisac; Pisac Market; Seminario; To Ollantaytambo (B/L/D) Our first stop in the Valley is at the Awana Cancha Center, a weaving center with the goal to keep alive the traditional textile arts. We'll see members of the cameloid family - llama, alpacas, vicunas and guanacos. Alapacas have thick wool; they're the most commonly used for clothing, while the vicunas are small and delicate with fur considered the finest. You'll be able to meet the animals, feed them, as well as learn about the the harvesting of the different wools, the natural dying techniques and have a chance to see native weavers showing their different weaving styles and dress. We drive further into the valley to the village of Pisac
and up into the hills to the ancient solar observatory to walk along the winding trail,
full of magnificent vistas of the hills and valleys below, to the most sacred area of the
site, the ancient Sun Temple, where we enjoy a knowledgeable tour of the
site with our local guide. Afterwards you have free time for individual meditation at the main energy vortex of the site,
the Intihuatana, the Hitching Post of the Sun, to connect with its powerful
energies, and the energies of the Pachamama. Then
it's Retail Therapy time at the Pisac marketplace! You can shop til you
drop for locally-made colorful sweaters, ponchos, gloves, hats, jewelry, textiles, and
other handicrafts. Mark Amaru will take those who are interested to a shop that offers
shamanic tools and power objects. Day 5. Thursday, August 13. Sacred Valley: Ollantaytambo - Condor
Initiation (B/D) Who Built Ollantaytambo? "How were such titanic blocks of stone brought to the top of the mountain from the quarries many miles away? How were they cut and fitted? How were they raised and put in place? Now one knows, no one can even guess. There are archaeologists, scientists, who would have us believe that the dense, hard andesite rock was cut, surfaced and faced by means of stone or bronze tools. Such an explanation is so utterly preposterous that it is not even worthy of serious consideration. No one ever has found anywhere any stone tool or implement that would cut or chip the andesite, and no bronze ever made will make any impression upon it." A. Hyatt & Ruth Verrill ----America's Ancient CivilizationsSome researchers believe that the main altar of the temple was constructed with huge pink granite boulders from the stone quarry named Kachiqhata (Salt Slope) that is located about 2.5 miles away on the other side of the valley, by the upper side of the opposite south-western mountains. They believe that the boulders were carved partially in the quarries, and taken down to the valley's bottom across the river and then were transported to the top of the hill using the inclined plane and log rollers or rolling stones as wheels. The Inca did not have the wheel, so they used llamas, leather ropes, levers, pulleys, and the power of hundreds and even thousands of men. Perhaps this is indeed how this mind-bobbling site of megalithic stones was built. OR, is it possible that the site was already there when the Incas arrived, and like Sacsayhuaman, was built by an ancient world-wide civilization that was highly-advanced technologically. We'll explore this theory on-site. Entering the site, as we gaze up at the surrounding mountains we see the profile of Tunupa, looking out over the valleyConsidered by some researchers to have been the Incas to be the God of Wisdom, his identity is still debated today. On June 21, on the winter solstice, the sun rises just over the crest of his crown. Whoever built this ancient site could have been using it as a solar observatory. To the side of the mountain are the somewhat inaccessible remains of an area that the Incas used to store food.The storage area was up high, thus offering significantly lower temperatures for the proper storage of corn, potatoes, beans and other foods. Our first stop at the site is at the area that the Incas used for fountains. At the royal fountain we'll see very fine details of construction that are not likely to have been made with stone or bronze tools. Note the stair-step design in the photo here denoting the Chacana, the Andean Cross, the symbol of the Three Worlds. The engineering used to design and complete this fountain is complex. The spout of water flows continually, fed by the nearby stream, though it can be stopped if you put your finger in the center of the flow! And then will resume when you do the same thing. Amazing! Afterwards we walk beside the gurgling stream to a peaceful out-of-the-way area of the site - the Temple of the Condor, where we have timefor a meditation and initiation to connect with the Condor, the powerful Totem of the Hanan Pacha, the Upper World, which symbolizes our Higher Self. Take time to receive the messages that will certainly be given to you! Then we'll climb up to the main altar area of the temple where we'll receive our blessings from Wayra, the Wind element, the guardian of the site. Open yourself to the wayra kawsay, the living energy or spirit of wind. What is its message for you today?Lunch is on your own; eat at the hotel or at one of the restaurants in the village. This afternoon you have free time to rest, integrate and prepare for our journey tomorrow to Machu Picchu. We'll meet at the hotel in the later afternoon for a Sharing Circle & Introduction to Machu Picchu with Mark Amaru. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight Ollantaytambo. Day 6. Friday, August 14. To Machu Picchu - Puma
Meditation/Initiation; Free Time (B/L) Most traditional archaeologists adhere to the story that Machu Picchu was built by the Sapa Inca Pachacuti starting in about 1440 BCE and was inhabited until the Spanish conquest of Peru in 1532. Machu Picchu was not a conventional city, but was a country retreat town for Incan nobility. It is estimated that a maximum of only about 750 people resided in Machu Picchu at any one time, and probably only a small fraction of that number lived in the town during the rainy season and when no nobility were visiting. There are various theories as to what role the site played in Incan life, from the country retreat, to astronomical observatory, to a hidden spiritual center. And hidden place and well protected is was, located far up in the mountains, so that visitors had to travel up long valleys littered with Incan check points and watch towers to get there. Remarkably, the Spanish conquistadors missed the site, and the Inca city remained hidden until the 20th century. Hiram Bingham (November 19, 1875 June 6, 1956) a professor from Yale, explorer, treasure hunter and politician from the United States re-discovered the citadel of Machu Picchu in 1911 with the guidance of local indigenous farmers. Bingham was not a trained archaeologist. On July 24, 1911, Melchor Arteaga led Bingham to Machu Picchu, which had been largely forgotten by everybody except the small number of people living in the immediate valley (possibly including two local missionaries named Thomas Payne and Stuart McNairn whose descendants claim that they had already climbed to the ruins in 1906). Also the Cusco explorers Enrique Palma, Gabino Sanchez and Agustín Lizarraga are said to have arrived at the site in 1901. Soon after Bingham announced the existence of Machu Picchu others came forward claiming to have seen the city first, such as the British missionary Thomas Payne and a German engineer named J. M. von Hassel. Recent discoveries have put forth a new claimant, a German named Augusto Berns who bought land opposite the Machu Picchu mountain in the 1860's and then tried to raise money from investors to plunder nearby Incan ruins. At any rate, Bingham was the first to put forth the theory that the site is the place where the Virgins of the Suns lived and why for the Incas, it was considered to be holy ground. But is there more to the story of who built Machu Picchu and when? Just as we've already discussed about the other sacred sites in Peru? Of course! The construction displayed at the ancient site spans many types of building, and definitely there is the megalithic construction, as well as what is recognized as the Inca construction. Since the site wasn't discovered by the Spanish Conquistadors, it remained as a time capsule. The stoneworks show astonishing differences in quality of craftsmanship. In many places there are walls in the lower levels of the fine quality that is the hallmark of ancient Andean stoneworks. Then as the walls rise, the quality of work diminishes. The lower layers are always finer and more precise than those above. One gets the feeling that these are remnants of old walls that were discovered and built upon by later hands. So, could it have been that the Incas didn't build Machu Picchu, as they might not have built Sacsayhuaman, Pisac or Ollantaytambo? Quite possibly all of these sites could have been built in antiquity by the technologically-advanced civilization that seems to have spanned the globe. We'll explore these theories as we visit the site. This morning you've finally arrived at this ancient place of your dreams! At 8,000 ft. you're at one of the most mysterious and sacred places on earth! We'll visit the Temples of the Sun & Moon, the Temple of the Condor, the Temple of the Three Windows, the world-famous spiritual center of the site, the Intihuatana, or the Hitching Post of the Sun, and the Pachamama Rock. For a full description of the areas of the site visit, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machu_Picchu At an out of the way place Mark Amaru will facilitate a meditation and initiation to connect with the energies of the Puma, the totem animal of the Third World. This powerful animal teaches us how to live in the physical plane, our 3-D world. Full of the sacred energies we take a break and enjoy a delicious buffet lunch at the on-site Sanctuary Lodge, perhaps accompanied by the joyful music of local Andean musicians. You have free time to re-enter the Sanctuary to explore on your own. Find the spot that calls to you and take time to sit and meditate among the powerful energies. Still your mind and listen with your heart to what the Ancient Ones have to tell you! They have a unique gift for you if you are willing to receive it! For more photos of Machu Picchu visit our website gallery: http://www.SacredSitesJourneys.com/Peru-PhotoGallery-1.htm To visit our Peru album on Facebook, visit: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.118694647148.105155.634657148&type=1&l=a55df6c645 Return on the bus to Aguas Calientes. Check in at the hotel. You have free time this evening. Maybe take a leisurely soak in the local hot springs, for which the little village is named. Dinner on your own. Overnight Machu Picchu/Aguas Calientes. Day 7. Saturday, August 15. Free Time; Machu Picchu (B) Day 9. Monday, August 17.
Cusco Free Day; Farewell Dinner (B/D) IMPORTANT: Post-Tour Extensions
Day 10. Tuesday, August 18. To Lake Titicaca/Chucuito (B/L/D) Stops at the colonial town of Andahuaylillas, the Temple of Wiracocha and museum in Pukara. At Andahuaylillas you'll have the opportunity to visit the colonial cathedral and the local museum that houses artifacts from the colonial era, plus a mummifiled skeleton that was found in the nearby hills that some researchers believe might not be all human. We stop at Racchi at the Temple of Wiracocha. The most prominent structure is the Temple of Wiracocha, an enormous rectangular two-story roofed structure that measures 302 ft by 84 ft. This structure consists of a central adobe wall with an andesite base. Windows and doors allow passage. It is flanked on each side by a row of eleven columns. The foundations measure 13 ft for both the wall and the columns are classic high Inca stonework with the remaining height built of adobe. Prior to its destruction by the Spaniards, the temple had what is believed to be the largest single roof in the Incan Empire, having its peak at the central wall, then stretching over the columns and some 82 ft beyond on each side. The huge proportions of the temple, and its prominence on the site explain why the whole complex is also sometimes referred to as the Temple of Wiracocha. The Temple is the only Inka building for which we have an account of how people should walk through it. It is highly significant that the design of the building means that, on entering its two known doorways, progress of visitors is immediately blocked by a series of tall pillars that they are forced to walk around. If devotees took this as a suggestion as to how to proceed through the building, they would have begun to trace a path similar to a zig-zag motion. This could have been deliberate design; a way to express aspects of Inka cosmology in particular their relationship with Wiracocha. In processing through the temple, the devotees would have wound their way towards the statue of Viracocha, and the nearby volcano and spring. According to Inca mythology, the creator god Wiracocha came to the region the Inka called Cacha but the local people there did not recognize him and tried to attack him. When he met them, he made fire fall from the sky and burn the hills around the Indians. The Cacha pleaded for forgiveness and he put the fires out and explained to them who he was. They then built a huaca (shrine) where Wiracocha had stood and gave him many offerings. When the Inka Huayna Capac came to the province of Cacha he saw the huaca shrine of Viracocha in the midst of the plain and asked why it was there. The people of the province told him of the miracle that Viracocha had performed. He decided that the remembrance of this event should be greater and ordered the erection of the temple. Buffet lunch provided to the group. Our last stop before Puno is in the small village of Pukara, where we visit the local museum, with displays of anthropomorphic monoliths, zoomorphic sculptures, ceramics, and other objects from the Pucara pre-Inca Culture (original and replica pieces). We arrive late afternoon in Puno, port city on Lake Titicaca, gather our luggage and meet our local tour representative for our private transfer to our hotel in the nearby quiet village of Chucuito. We check into our rooms overlooking the beautiful shores of Lake Titicaca. We are now in the heart of the Andean feminine energy, the powerful MamaCocha (Mother Lake). You have free time until our dinner with the group at the hotel. Overnight Chucuito/Lake Titicaca. Day 11. Wednesday, August 19. Uros Islands; Cutimbo (B/L/D) Depart after breakfast to the port in Puno and board a motorboat for a short trip to the Uros Floating Islands, made entirely of the totora reed that grows in the Lake and named after the Uros people who inhabit them. Here you receive a warm welcome from these friendly island dwellers. After a short demonstration about how their islands are built and about their local economy and culture, you have an opportunity to visit their homes and get to know the people a bit. As well you can support their meager existence by purchasing their richly colored hand embroidered tapestries, pillow covers, and other handicrafts. And you'll be able to take a short optional ride out on the Lake in one of the reed boats, a peaceful time to relax and take in the powerful energies of the MamaCocha, the Mother Lake. Return to the hotel for lunch. This afternoon, we drive back through Puno and a few miles outside to mysterious site of Cutimbo, dramatically situated atop a table-topped volcanic hill surrounded by a fertile plain. The main attraction is the well-preserved circular and square burial towers or chullpas, some of the most ancient architecture in all of the Andes. There are carvings on the chullpas of serpents and pumas, guardians of the lower and middle worlds that were worshipped by the Inca and pre-Inca inhabitants. Inside one of the chullpas, you'll have time to meditate to connect with the totem energies, as well as the Ancient Ones, the original builders of this spectacular site. Return to the hotel. Dinner with the group. Overnight Chucuito/Lake Titicaca. Day 12. Thursday, August 20. Aramu Muru's Doorway; Free Time (B/L/D) After breakfast depart south along the Pan-American highway to visit the inter-dimensional portal of Aramu Muru's Doorway, one of the most rarely-visited mysterious destinations in the World! Ancient legend says that it was here that the Lemurian sage Aramu Muru, who brought the ancient teachings from the island homeland to the Andes, left the third dimension as he walked through the Doorway, never to return in physical body. His consort Arama Mara, carved in stone over the Doorway, lies forever guarding this sacred site and inviting seekers to come and experience the palpable energies. Who Built the Doorway? This approximately 22 ft. "gate" is literally carved into the solid rock, cutting through peculiar diagonal lines. The sheer size of it is mind-boggling for most researchers, as is the origins of its construction. Who built it? And for what purpose? That's the mystery! The construction is older than what is found from the Inca civilization; it could have been constructed by a pre-Inca civilization which is very ancient and of uncertain origin. The Incas themselves were evidently aware of the carving, but they didn't claim that they built it. The local Aymara descendants of Incas have stories and myths about this enigmatic portal. Many of them refuse to come close to it, claiming that it's a portal for the Ancient Ones. Some even say that they've seen people disappear and reappear through the solid rock! Others tell tales of strange, tall men accompanied by glowing balls of lights, walking through the doorway. They also claim that the gate only opens to certain people and only at some times, that one must possess a certain wisdom in order to be able to pass through it. For your meditation, stand in the "tubes" on either side of the Doorway, energy vortexes with one spinning clockwise and the other counterclockwise, to balance our male and female energies. Then enter the main portal where there is a a small, round indentation resembling a key hole, where you can place your forehead / Third Eye for meditation. Perhaps this could have been the place where Aramu Muru placed the Solar Disc to open the door, allowing him to pass through? Is this the portal to energies of Unconditional Love? A Few Words from Andrea Mikana-Pinkham, Director of Sacred Sites Journeys: "The first time that I meditated here at the Doorway I easily "passed through it" into the state of Unconditional Love, an experience so intense that I didn't want to return to my normal waking world. After what seemed like hours of basking in these beautiful energies, I realized that Beings of Light were with me, lovingly encouraging me to return, reminding me that even though I was one of the original builders of this stargate, that it's my contract in this lifetime to bring others here so that they will to be able to experience these high frequencies, and thus uplift their consciousness. I very strongly felt the great honor in being able to do so. Which caused my consciousness to more easily come back into my physical body. I was so overcome with tremendous emotion that I could only sob quietly for several minutes afterward, still feeling the memory throughout all parts of myself of having been Home!" Who were Aramu Muru and Arama Mara? Mark Amaru Pinkham in his book The Return of the Serpents of Wisdom states that they were sages from ancient Lemuria who brought the teachings of civilization and spiritual development to the Andes over 12,000 years ago when their island homeland was sinking beneath the Pacific Ocean. They established the Monastery of the Seven Rays, located somewhere near the shores of Lake Titicaca. They formed the Brotherhood of the Seven Rays to foster unity, service and spiritual growth. In the historical records Aramu Muru and Arama Mara become known as Manco Kapac and Mama Ocllo, the founders of the Inca Empire. When the Spanish entered Cusco and the priests and priestess removed the great golden Solar Disc from the Coricancha in order to save it from being melted down by the conquistadors, one legend says that it was taken south to Lake Titicaca. Return to the hotel for lunch.
This
afternoon you have free time. Perhaps you'd like to walk across the road
from the hotel to the ancient Fertility Temple for a private meditation
to focus on your creativity to birth a new idea, project, etc. Or enjoy a walking
meditation using the labyrinth that is laid out in the hotel gardens. (Andrea
available for instructions) Time allowing this evening and during other free time here at
the hotel you can book an optional traditional Coca Leaf Reading with a
local ritual specialist who reads the coca leaves to answer questions about health,
career, relationship, etc. Day 13. Friday, August 21. To Lima (B) You have free time this morning to rest, relax and pack. Later morning check out of the hotel and departure to the airport in Juliaca. Arrive and check in for the return flight to Lima. - Service ends on arrival in Lima.
Day 13. Friday, August 21. To BOLIVIA / Visit Tiahuanaco (B/Box L/D) After an early breakfast, check out of the hotel and depart via private vehicle with your local tour representative/driver to the Bolivian border. US Citizens: Obtain your Bolivia Tourist Visa and pass through Immigration. NOTE: The cost for this visa is NOT included in the price for this extension. The price for US citizens is $135.00. (This is the price at the time of posting here on our website; this could change.) The Visa is free for citizens of Canada, Australia and European countries.For citizens of other countries, please check with the Bolivian Embassy in your country. Your visa may also be free. Meet your Bolivian tour guide and driver and depart via private vehicle to Tiahuanaco. Box lunch included. Arrive Tiahuanaco in the afternoon. (Note: You lose an hour when you cross the border into Bolivia, as Bolivian time is one hour ahead of Peru.) Upon arrival at Tiahuanaco, visit this ancient site considered by many archaeologists and historians to be the cradle of the American civilization, and perhaps even the oldest ruins in the world! This city made of stone, found at an altitude of 12,500 ft. (over 2 miles above sea level!), was the seat of power for a vast pre-Incan empire. Modern archaeologists date the site to around 200CE. However, Arthur Posnansky, a German engineer, the first serious investigator of the site, and who dedicated fifty years to its study, dated its origins to 15,000BCE. As you explore the following areas of this ancient sacred site take time for meditation to connect with the powerful ancient energies that still exist here today. When do you think it was built? And by whom? 1) The Akapana Pyramid is the largest terraced pyramid of the city. It was once believed to be a modified hill, but has since proven to be a
massive human construction. On the summit of the Akapana, reached by wide staircases,
there was a sunken court with an area serviced by a subterranean drainage system, which
also served to amplify the powerful energies that radiated from the central vortex of the
area. Some people can still feel them!
Tiahuanaco Museum - Ancient Doorway and Bennett Monolith
Check in at the hotel next to the site. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight Overnight Tiahuanaco.
Day 14. Saturday, August 22. Visit Puma Punku/ To PERU (B/L/D)
H-Blocks!
Ancient Technology at Puma Punku
Day 15. Sunday, August 23. To Lima (B) You have free time this morning to rest, relax and pack. Later morning check out of the hotel and departure to the airport in Juliaca. Arrive and check in for the return flight to Lima. - Service ends on arrival in Lima. A Few Words from Sacred Sites Journeys Travelers to PERU The Sacred Journey to Peru with Mark Amaru Pinkham was above and beyond what I expected. The re-connection with home and Mark's teachings were very beneficial & insightful. I came on this trip with the expectation of spiritual growth. I had no idea how my life would be changed by the profound beauty, history & energy of this place! The accommodations and the people associated with the tour were all wonderful. J. Noto - Seattle, WA The shamanic pilgrimage to Peru was a success from all points of view. Our group leader & speaker Mark Amaru Pinkham was outstanding in his relationship to the individual members of the group and in his choice of shamen and healers. The sites we visited, the rites we participated in, and the results were extraordinary and personally tremendously meaningful. Mark has superb gifts as a spiritual adept and a communicator of essential truths. He is exceedingly generous with his care and attention for every member of the group. H. Senn - CA My experience in Peru with Mark and Andrea Pinkham was one of the most transformational experiences of my life! I could feel a connection with the ancient Andean Masters and their powerful energies in my very cellular memory as Mark shared his incredible stories and timeless information about them at all the sacred sites. Both Mark and Andrea helped set the stage for my heart-opening experience that helped me to connect during the tour with the wonderful woman that today is my wife! J Kumle - NV How do I condense such life-enhancing transformation as the journey to Peru with Mark Amaru Pinkham into a few sentences? I was led to wonderful experiences and cared for and supported at all times. I had the good fortune to encounter a shaman who helped me open my heart to myself. As a natural consequence, I have opened my heart to others. My friends and business acquaintances have commented on my "aura" of peacefulness and joy. I am so happy that I overcame my fear of spending the money for these journeys because my experiences in Peru are priceless. I encourage everyone who is looking to deepen their spiritual connection to themselves, to the earth and /or to other people, to sign up for a Sacred Journey to Peru! P. Caldwell - IL Pepe and Andrea were a phenomenal team! They took excellent care of each group member, as well as the group in general. And they were most helpful at explaining the historical and sacred significance of the sites we visited. They helped us to connect with the powerful energies at each of them. D. Parker - AZ The connection that I made to the Pachamama, the Mother Earth, was the most profound experience of my life! Everything in Peru is alive with energy! And offers it so willingly and lovingly to those who take the time to connect and honor it. I have never felt so loved or nurtured. During our journey Pepe and Andrea assisted us to make our connections with these palpable energies through the offering of Andean rituals and meditations at the sacred temples. And we had time to just sit and "tune in" and receive. Anonymous by request Everything about the Sacred Journey to Peru was wonderful. Pepe was so full of wisdom and charisma. Andrea was organized, thoughtful, and inspiring. It is true...Peru changed me forever...and for the better! C. Silard - AZ Pepe was totally perfect as our Guide. Andrea's enthusiasm and understanding of the places we visited really made the trip. C. Stephens - CA Peru and her sacred sites are one of the places all serious spiritual seekers should experience in this lifetime! Machu Picchu called me home and I'm glad I heeded that call. The ancient energies of the site had much to share with me, on so many levels. I was able to get away from my everyday life and let go of all my concerns about it.. And therefore was able to open up to profound levels of healing. I'll never be the same, and am very thankful for that. And to Andrea and Pepe for facilitating my sacred journey so lovingly and competently. Anonymous by request Our trip was amazing!. Thank you for all the planning, preparation and execution that went into it. We felt very taken care of - no details to worry about. It all went smoothly, or what changed on the fly worked out just the way it needed to. I found Peru to be a deeply loving, simple, yet powerful place. J. Elk - CA Thank you so much for such an enriching experience. Andrea and Pepe were fantastic guides. All hotels, transport and baggage were managed without a hitch. So smooth! B. Brown - MA I
admired Andrea's ability to make things work so well during our Peru journey. Anyone who
attempts to accommodate the needs of 28 people, for two weeks, in a third-world country
has to be talented, patient, and extremely well-prepared. D. Cook,
OH From the Vault - PERU Part 1: The Inca Spiritual Tradition & Machu Picchu To listen to an Mp3 recording of this program, Click here Part 2: The Sacred Valley of the Incas To listen to an Mp3 recording of this program, Click here For a Glossary of Terms for Inca / Quechua Words: http://www.incaglossary.org/a.html INCLUSIONS Your Sacred Sites Journey to PERU Includes: -Two flights in Peru: 1) Lima/Cusco and 2) Cusco/Lima (or Juliaca/Lima if you take the post-tour extension or extensions) - Other tour-related transportation in Peru, including bus and rail - Roundtrip airport/hotel/airport transfers - Luggage handling at hotels - All site entrance fees - First-class hotels, including taxes, service charges & daily buffet breakfast; 5 lunches; 4 dinners - Pre-paid Gratuities - Free Peruvian Tourist Visa upon your arrival in Lima - Fully escorted from Cusco by Featured Speaker author and Andean shamanic practitioner Mark Amaru Pinkham - Excellent bilingual Tour Guide Special Highlights: - Travel with author and Andean shamanic practitioner Mark Amaru Pinkham & other spirit-centered people - Cusco Area: Sacsayhuaman, Coricancha & Tambo Machay - Sacred Valley of the Incas: Pisac and Ollantaytambo - Machu Picchu: 2 nights, 3 days, with plenty of free time to explore on your own! - Special Initiations, Andean rituals & healing sessions with the Q'ero Elders and Mark Amaru Pinkham at sacred sites - Special Welcome and Farewell Dinners NOT INCLUDED: - Roundtrip international air to Lima, Peru - Pre and post tour services in Lima - Meals not included, as indicated in the itinerary - Cost to obtain valid passport - Any items of a personal nature such as laundry, drinks, internet service, telephone calls. Any item that is not specifically detailed on the SSJ website or final trip itinerary Your Sacred Sites Journey
Extension to Lake Titicaca Includes: Your Sacred Sites Journey Extension to BOLIVIA Includes: PRICING This tour is LAND ONLY. You are
responsible to book your international flights to and from Lima, Peru (LIM). NOTE Regarding Credit Card Payments: We are only able to take credit cards for payment until 45 days before the tour begins, or until June 25, 2015. After that you can pay with a credit card check, bank cashier's check, or money order. Or wire funds to our bank account (additional $25.00 fee applies for wires originating from outside the U.S.). Sacred Sites Journeys accepts VISA and MasterCard. MAIN TOUR: August 9 - 18, 2015 - Per Person, double occupancy, land only (Group of 10): $2,299.00 - via check or money order $2,420.00 - via credit card IMPORTANT: This price reflects the cost of the airline tickets for the flights Lima/Cusco/Lima roundtrip. As of June 1st, the price increased. You will be billed for the difference in the amount originally budgeted for the tickets and the actual cost when they are paid for. So far, as of June 16th, the additional amount you would be responsible for is $69.00. However, in the volatile world of airline ticketing, this could change at any time. ROOMMATES: Would you like to meet and make a new friend on your journey? If
you're not traveling on the journey with anyone you know, and would like for SSJ to try to
match you up with a suitable roommate, we'll be happy to try to do so. Over the last 20
years we've been operating these spiritual pilgrimages to Peru we've seen many
people become friends for life. (As well, we've had several marriages result from people
meeting on our journeys.) Be open! Be flexible! It will be a rich and wonderful
experience! SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT: This is the
additional price you will pay to have your own private room throughout the journey.
will meet at Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport on Sunday, August 9, 2015 to fly to Cusco for the beginning of our spiritual pilgrimage. If you'd like to follow our daily tour activities, please bookmark this page and check back August 9th - 23rd. If you wanted to join us this year, but were unable to do so, start making your plans now for our 2016 sacred journey, which will be held July 3 - 12, 2016. Full details to be posted soon on our website at www.SacredSitesJourneys.com To access our Registration Form, Click Here Questions? Email info@SacredSitesJourneys.comOr, call our office at 888 501-3853 If you'd like to receive our Monthly Sacred Sites Journeys E-Newsletters, please Sign Up Here! Newsletters are sent out about once a month. Occasionally you may also receive an e-news bulletin about a specific journey or event. We will not sell or share your information with any other company or individuals. You can easily un-subscribe at any time. NOTE: All photos and text on this webpage are the Copyright of Sacred Sites Journeys/ Heartlight Fellowship. Sacred Sites Journeys is NOT affiliated with any other sacred travel company. Other sacred travel companies offering spiritual pilgrimages similar to ours are using our text and photos. We did not give them permission to do so. We believe that karma is very efficient, and that those who are not in integrity will swiftly reap the negative benefits of such actions. |
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Updated 7/292015
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2003 - 2015