A Spiritual Journey to Peru - Ancient Land of Wisdom and Mystic
By Therese Dorer
2007

photography: Therese Dorer

What I did on my Summer Holidays!
This summer of 2007 I went on a journey to Peru ancient land of the Inca. The journey was one of magical experiences and enjoying the sites, sounds, and smells of this ancient land. 
The journey began from Kamloops British Columbia Canada, on a beautiful day in June 2007. I was given a wonderful goodbye from my family and with great excitement I began my journey with my fellow travelers. We proceeded to Vancouver and after spending the night there we caught an early morning flight out of Canada to South America, after a brief stop in Houston Texas, and then boarded the plane for Lima Peru. 
Arriving in Lima late at night we were grateful to get a taxi to our hotel and catch some much needed sleep. The next morning we arose and back to the Lima airport to take our plane to Cusco. As we flew over the Andes I was struck with the splendor of these magnificent mountains, shining with snow capped peaks. As we began to circle the city of Cusco I could feel a surge of beautiful love and energy emanating from the Pacha Mama, Mother Earth and the beauty of Cusco came into view. The landscape of this portion of Peru is not unlike the landscape of the Thompson valley and it felt as if in some ways I was coming home.

When we landed in Cusco we were greeted at the airport and escorted to our taxi and driven to our hotel. The drivers in Peru have an interesting way of engaging in the road. There is much weaving in and out of traffic and horn honking, which I came to realize is all a part of the driving experience, and in the end pondered on the possibility that they are much more present in their driving than many drivers in North America, for they are certainly very aware of one another on the road.
Our hotel was wonderful decorated with rich colours and we were greeted and offered coco tea to help us with the altitude, which has a tendency to make you feel somewhat dizzy and disoriented.
We were to have three days in Cusco and so we had plenty of time to discover this ancient city of the Inca. The first day we visited the Temple of the Sun which was a wonderful experience, to see the beautiful paintings, and architecture of the Inca.

The city of Cusco has many streets and original stone work from the Inca and walking these streets, there was a feeling of the thousands of people that walked the same streets before us. The shops are full of amazing and wonderful gifts and textiles of the Peruvian people. The restaurants are varied and I found the food to be fresh and delicious. The square of Cusco is famous, for it is the hub of this city, and it did not disappoint us for the variety and shopping that surround it. Two magnificence cathedrals flak the square and I had an opportunity to view the inside of them. They are rich in colour and the architecture is grand.

Our first formal day with Rainbow Jaguar was a shopping tour, and so we were off to the Textile Co op, which is a place where we were given a tour of how the Peruvian make textiles, and a history of this art form. The textiles are so beautiful and rich in colour and design. The weavers focus on their craft with a stillness and concentration rarely seen in North America.

Our next stop we were then taken to the village of Chinchero and shown by the women the process of taking the wool from the sheep, spinning the wool and dyeing it with natural plants and herbs of the land. The intention and dedication of these women was wonderful to witness.

We then arrived at the Mission in the Sacred Valley which was to be our home for the next week. The Mission is a peaceful and tranquil setting in which we were to experience the wisdom of the Medicine Men and Women of Peru. I settled into my room and felt a sense of gratitude and excitement that my journey had gone so well and I was so far from home. That night I got my first sighting of the Southern Cross a star constellation, and right beside it the Lama Eyes which are two shining bright stars that shine like beacons in the sky.

This day was exciting for we were to board the bus to take the train to Machu Picchu the city of light! We boarded the train at Ollantaytambo and followed the Urabamba River through the Sacred Valley to the ancient city of light. The train trip is spectacular as you follow the river and see the huge boulders and watch the river as it rushes to the Amazon

Arriving at Machu Picchu we were treated to a delicious lunch and then taken by bus up to the ruins. It is difficult to capture in words the thrill of climbing the steps up to the one of the Seven Wonders of the World. 
To witness one of the most this most photographed scenes in the world, and then to tune into the energy of this ancient city is a privilege indeed.
We were given a tour of the city by a gifted interpreter, and as we walked the ruins I realized it would take many more days and weeks to uncover all of the mystic and wonder of this City of Light.

We had two nights at the ruins, and the next day was a true gift, we were able to sit on the terraces and take time to soak in the feeling of this ancient land. This was my second visit to Machu Picchu, so I felt a sense of wonder and gratitude to be able to visit this amazing site once again. 
Back to the Sacred Valley by train and we began the Shaman Dialogues an opportunity to learn, and speak to the Medicine Men and Woman of Peru.
The first two days we were introduced to the Altomesayoks these men and women’s authority comes from their direct access to mountain spirits. We heard their individual stories and experienced the wisdom and power that they bring to this reality. I was humbled and thrilled to be able to hear and feel the integrity in which these men and women work directly with the invisible realms.

The next two days we were honored with the Medicine Women of Peru, healers, sages, herbalist, and visionaries. These shy and humble women shared their stories, and knowledge of herbs, and plants and the healing qualities of the gifts from the Mother Earth. The most prevalent message I received from these wonderful women was to trust in our intuition. They told of their connection to the healing powers and emphasized to trust in our individual knowing. Their connection to the Mother Earth is affirming to know that this level of knowledge and intention exists in the world today.
We were also given an opportunity to visit one of the sacred mountains Wakaywillka Holy Mt. To reach this mountain we traveled by bus along a mountain road that climbed higher and higher. To help with the altitude we were encouraged to chew Coco leaves, and to breathe deeply. There is a feeling of rarity and purity about the air you are breathing at these levels. As we climbed we saw small farms with sheep and lamas in the fields, it struck me how the people that live in these remote regions must have a direct relationship with the Pachamama as she is the benefactor for all of their needs, and you can understand why they have a deep understanding of the need for reciprocity with her. 
One of the ways in which this relationship is fostered is by the practice of making despachos. Despacho is the Quechua word for offering. It describes the Andean practice of making offerings to the mountains (Apus), Mother Earth (Pachamama), and other spirits in reciprocity, reverence, and thanksgiving. A despacho is an act of love and a reminder of the connections we share with all beings, elements, spirits, and sacred places. At the deepest level, it is an opportunity to enter into the essential unity of all things. So here on this magnificent mountain we did Despacho ceremony to give our prayers and intention to this amazing Apu.

apu photo

Our trip concluded with a visit to Moray an amazing place where you climb down into the Pacha Mama and here we connected to the energies of Mother Earth, first mother, cosmic mother. For me Moray was like climbing into a womb and being held sweetly and gently.

Saying goodbye to Peru was bitter sweet, we returned to Cusco and of course found more shops to entice us, and then to the airport for the long flight home. It was an honor to visit this ancient land and to be taught directly from the wonderful Men and Women of this ancient lineage. Coming home to Canada I was rejuvenated and refreshed in my connection to this land I call home.