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| My guide Flavio at majestic Phuyupatamarca ruins |
My 30th birthday was coming up and I wanted to spend it somewhere magical where I could really reconnect with myself, the land and others. Peru was my answer.
So on July 1, 2011, I left Vancouver, Canada for my 2 week trip to the land of the Incas. I was starting in Lima for a few days then planned to meet my friend from the UK in Cusco, where we would begin our trek together. As well as setting a trip focus on spiritual development, I also set an emphasis on fitness. I planned on doing the 4 day Inca Trail trek then a 2 day trek climbing a 5800m volcano (Mt Misty) in Arequipa.
From the second I landed in Peru and got into a taxi to my hotel in Mira Flores, I felt so relaxed and happy to be in Peru. Not only is the language beautiful, the people friendly and genuine and the landscape amazing, the food was also delicious and I’m a vegetarian. A lot of tourist type restaurants worked hard to cook me an alternative meat free dish and it was mostly out of this world. Try the potatoes! I found that as I set my intention for the trip to be amazing, spiritual and relaxed, I seemed to of attracted all the right people and experiences that supported this intention. I met some amazing travellers that I am still in touch with today, I hung out with a Shaman in Cusco and formed a great relationship with my Inca Trail tour guide Flavio and his family.
Before embarking on the Inca Trail, I needed a few days to acclimatize in Cusco so I went on a tour of the Sacred Valley. We went to Sacsahuaman and briefly through Pisac were we saw a few ancient sites, did some shopping and got acquainted with a few lamas and alpacas. Once I arrived in Ollantaytambo my breath was taken away. The town itself was out of this world with beauty. Modern Peruvian houses were built on top of ancient Inca buildings and you could still see the original wall structure. There were cobble stone streets, quaint shops, children playing, a stream flowing past and locals dressed up in traditional Peruvian gear. It was stunning! We went on a tour of the ruins, walked up many steps and stopped at the royal baths and fountains. This moment was amazing as we learnt why it was built in a certain way so during the solstices the light floods into the temple causing a powerful effect. We then journeyed to the town of Chincero, where a ton of local artisan women were selling their wares in a square outside a church during sunset. They were dressed in traditional outfits and their wares were so bright, it was truly an amazing sun kissed scene. We stopped at a weaving cooperative and watched a demonstration of how local women source colour from nature for their fabrics. It was amazing this ancient tradition is still in tact today.
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| Practicing yoga in the Andes on the Inca Trail |
During the Inca Trail, I visited many amazing ancient Inca ruins along the way and learnt about the lifestyle and history of the Inca’s. My favourite spot was a site called Phuyupatamarca that I reached on the third day, just before our camp. This stunning site was set in the clouds at the edge of a cliff. I felt so high up, so remote and so free – then I saw concords flying above. All around me were majestic mountains and a lush valley. At one point only my guide and I were at the site and during this moment, I transported back hundreds of years and felt a real connection with how the Inca’s used to live. The biggest thing I took away from the Inca history was that they lived in harmony with both each other and the land Pachamama (mother earth). They respected the earth and were smart with irrigation and agricultural development. They took nutritious food from Pachamama then also replenished and respected her. They respected each other as a community and were free from major fights and wars. Experiencing this realization really showed me that if we already lived like this before, it’s definitely possible to live like this again in the future. Although our current world reality today is vastly different, with humans taking from the land without replenishing and respecting it, fighting and wars etc, just being in that moment gave me hope that we can have true harmony again.
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| At Machu Picchu |
In summary my trip to Peru was everything I wanted it to be. The deep connection I felt to the land, amazing travellers and locals I met along the way and mostly I really felt like I evolved spiritually.
Sacred Earth Journeys offers a heart-opening journey to Peru during September 16 – 24, 2012, which goes to some of places I visited. As this tour is led by Puma – an Andean Medicine man and is very specific to spiritual growth, this trip is guaranteed to support your spiritual evolution as well facilitate meeting like minded people.
Find out more information about this tour.
By Kelly Weiss
