DETAILED PROGRAM (PDF)
Arequipa - Puno - Cuzco

If your soul is ready for this trip, don't let finances stop you from participating. We offer student and referral discounts, or we can work with you to find a way. Email us for more information.

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DAY 0: Flight from home country to Arequipa (note: you may have to go through Lima).

DAY 1: Greeting and welcome to Ari Q'epay (Arequipa). We arrive early in the morning to allow time for brunch and acclimatization to the altitude change. Arequipa is 7740 feet above sea level. Not too high, compared to the other cities we will be visiting, and a good starting point to start our acclimatization in Peru. Our journey starts in the afternoon when we head to the Colca Canyon Valley, which is about three hours from Arequipa by bus. At Vizcachani, we will participate in a ceremony of connection and harmonization with the energies of our guest country and its sacred sites. This is where we plant the seed for this stage in our awakening process. Upon arrival to the Valley, Ricardo and Evaristo provide an introduction to the program, giving you the background information and a foundation for understanding this mystical initiatory experience.

DAY 2: After a good night's sleep at a hotel by the Colca River, we start the day by going to greet the majestic condors as they soar over the canyon (which is deeper than the Grand Canyon) at the Cruz del Condor scenic overlook. The condor is the messenger from Hanaqpacha, or the Higher World of Spirit, one of the three worlds in Andean cosmology. After our encounter with the messengers, we will participate in a ceremony of connection and harmonization with all three worlds. The Inka Seed deep inside us begins to germinate, initiating the process of spiritual growth, "Inka style." Our understanding of the living energies begins to deepen as we visit the other wakas, or Inka sanctuaries, in the Colca area.

DAY 3: We travel east to Puno and Lake Titicaca to meet the Inka and pre-Inka ancestors at an altitude of about 12,500 feet above sea level. Our gradual ascension to the highlands mirrors our spiritual ascension. Vicuñas, llamas and alpacas greet us on the high plains during our bus journey to Puno, home of the Tiwanako cultures that preceded the Inkas.

DAY 4: We travel by boat to visit the floating island of Uros in Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. As we experience our encounter with the ancient, yet still intact, cultures surrounding the lake, we connect with the people and the energy that has lived there for thousands of years. We perform the ritual of connection with our mother, Mama Qocha, Mother of the Waters of the Lakes and Oceans, giver of life. We learn about the law of Ayni or Sacred Reciprocity during our one-day stay at Amantani Island, one of the many islands in the great Titicaca Lake.

 DAY 5: On Amantani Island we nurture and feed our Inka seed with the female and male energies from the sacred mountains of the area, or Apus Pachapapa and Pachamama. We then return to Puno via boat, again visiting the floating islands and enjoying the breath-taking scenery.

DAY 6: Continuing on our journey, we leave the ancient Tiwanaku area to make our entrance into the more "recent" era of the Inkas. We travel to the heart of Tawantinsuyo, or the center of the Inka culture, the city of Cuzco. Our hearts are joyful, knowing that our seed is healthy and growing. We continue nurturing our awakening process at each stop as we perform ceremonies at the Pukara waka and the sanctuary of Wiraqocha. We celebrate our arrival in Cuzco with traditional food, music and dancing at one of the city's finest restaurants.
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DAY 7: We travel to the Sacred Valley and the name couldn't be more appropriate. First, we visit Moray or what is called the Sanctuary of Life. This is the site where our understanding of manifestation and ascension deepens exponentially. The ritual of connection performed here has the power to change lives; it is truly a healing place. Across the Urubamba river we arrive in Pisaq, the fortress and temples where our Inka seed feels very much at home. You are not a tourist; you never were one. Here, you re-encounter Pachamama, Mother Earth, and the spirits of the Apus, the mountains, that are within you. We are one with the One.

DAY 8: We continue our journey in the Valley as we continue to visit the wakas. Ollantaytambo not only takes our breath away, but also refuels our soul. The ritual of connection with the four elements, Wayra, Unu, Pachamama and Inti Tayta (Air, Water, Earth and the Sun), brings completeness to our soul and body; our seed is healthy and strong.

DAY 9: The journey now continues by train towards the town of Aguas Calientes (Hot Springs). After lunch, we visit the entrance to Machu Pijchu, making our formal entrance at Inti Punko, following a short greeting ceremony to the Gateway of the Sun. Then, we return to Aguas Calientes and head to the hot springs for a cleansing and relaxation ritual in preparation for our entrance into the sacred sanctuary of Machu Pijchu and our climb and encounter with Apu Wayna Pijchu the following day.

DAY 10: We head to the sanctuary of Machu Pijchu and hike up the beautiful staircase of the Inkas to the top of Wayna Pijchu early in the morning. It looks impossible, but the ingenious Inkas have made it much easier than it looks. Here we ritually take on new, clean, fresh masculine energy from the surrounding Apus (sacred mountains), mobilizing our own dynamic energy field. The hike takes 2-3 hours, going at a slow and easy pace. We return to the sanctuary of Machu Pijchu for a full tour, and later return to Aguas Calientes to take the train back to Cuzco.

DAY 11: Back at the center of the world, Cuzco, we visit the fortress and ceremonial grounds of Sacsaywaman. Our awareness of place and time is real, our seed is strong. Being a tourist is an illusion when we know deep inside that every place, situation, and encounter is a sacred one. We perform our 'graduation' ceremony at the Temple of the Moon, led by the Q'eros elders, keepers of the ancient knowledge. After our crowning ritual, we celebrate with a farewell dinner and a folklore show in one of Cuzco's finest restaurants.

DAY 12: Breakfast, experience sharing, and a closing session helps us say farewell to Cuzco and begin the transition back to our own world, but with our new, higher understanding. We ride back to the Cuzco Airport in the afternoon, depart from Cuzco to Lima, and travel from Lima to our final destination.

DAY 13: Arrival to home country.

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