This is the third in a series of blog posts about our September trip to Peru with Puma Quispe Singona. In the first post in early May we looked at the special relationship Peru has with Pachamama, and how Puma’s wisdom and knowledge can help participants to experience for themselves the power and energy of Pachamama in the Peruvian Andes today. Our second post gave a snapshot of what to expect on this inspiring journey with some fabulous photos to help you visualize the unique appeal of this trip. In this third post I want to focus on those distinctive qualities that make Peru such a worthwhile travel destination, and why this journey with Puma and Sacred Earth Journeys is so enriching and potentially life-changing.
Location
The September journey to Peru will include flights, train rides and walks through some of the most breathtaking areas of the country. Cusco, now a Unesco World Heritage Site and formerly the capital of the Inca Empire, offers striking architecture, lively craft markets and fabulous traditional Peruvian cuisine! The Sacred Valley of the Incas, the area between Pisac and Ollantaytambo, provides glimpses of ancient Incan ruins, fertile plains and the impressive Urubamba river, also known as the Willkamayu (“sacred river”) in Quechua. And, of course, there’s Machu Picchu. In September you will have the unique opportunity to visit the “The Lost City of the Incas” with Puma twice! Most tours only include one entrance, but your two days allow ample time to thoroughly appreciate the beauty and sacred energies of this powerful place.
Peoples & Culture
Peru is also home to a wide mix of cultures and peoples. Although more than seventy percent of Peruvians now live in cities, traditionally they have lived a more rural lifestyle, with traditional crafts and knowledge being passed down orally through the generations. In Chinchero, a small village located high up in the windswept plains, Puma will introduce participants to his family and friends who will share stories about their history, culture and traditional practices. On this journey we will also have the privilege of meeting a local Q’ero Master. The Q’eros are direct descendants of the Incas who escaped the Spanish Conquest by living in their ancestral villages, protected by their sacred mountain spirit, the Apus. This is rare opportunity that is not to be missed!(1)
Sacred Destination
In the tour description we describe this journey as being “heart-opening”. What exactly do we mean by this and what lends this journey such a spiritual or sacred dimension? The combination of awe-inspiring landscapes and the wisdom of the native Peruvians are certainly spiritual elements in themselves, but this journey offers something beyond this.
Puma Quispe Singona, our tour leader, is an extraordinary guide. He brings the wisdom of an Andean Medicine Man, a profound, joyful respect for the earth as well as a radiant, humorous energy to this journey. Past participants have nothing but praise for Puma’s skills as a guide – in all senses of the word – through Peru’s most sacred locations. On this journey participants will also take part in ceremonies – one with a Q’ero Master to express gratitude for Pachamama and another at Machu Picchu to celebrate the Spring Equinox. These ceremonies create a profound spiritual space for connecting with universal energies, learning how to release old habits and generating clarity to move forwards in a truly authentic way. A third quality this journey offers is travel with like-minded people. Participants consciously choose Sacred Earth Journeys over other travel companies, and that connection to people who share similar aspirations, albeit in their own unique way, is powerful. It is through these fortunate meetings, these connections that we learn more about ourselves in the world, our relationship with others and the sacred land we have the honour of passing through. Our hearts can indeed open when we trust in our own unique spirit, and we trust in the loving capacities of our fellow travellers to see who we are and accept us at whatever stage in our journeys we’re at.
“The journey allowed you to connect with the legends, the people and the beauty of their country, which deepens your own personal connection to the source and your own personal journey in this lifetime ~ in my view an experience that everyone should be part of! Our guide Puma’s passion for his country, as well as his personal commitment to Pachamama and helping people on their own spiritual journey, is very evident. The awakening of consciousness that he brings to all he comes in contact with is commendable. Our guides were all very happy to make our experience the best it could possibly be, not because they “had” to as part of their job, but I felt because they “wanted” to which is a big difference.” Jan McIntyre, Queensland, Australia (Peru – Heart of the Pachamama – Sep/12)
“We had a magical, marvellous life enhancing (perhaps life changing – we’ll see!) experience on our Sacred Earth Journeys trip to Peru. In fact, the word “journey” in a wide-ranging sense (inner and outer) or “pilgrimage” is apropos. We gladly took the invitation to explore within while visiting the sacred sites – Puma is a true Master! What a force of nature!! Combining deep spirituality and wisdom with humour, love of life and joie de vivre, he was always accessible and graciously available to answer questions, add information and make suggestions regarding purchases and more. The visit to Puma’s family compound and meeting his family – what an honour to be in the company of those beautiful people.” John Brewer & DeAnne Torres, Sacramento, CA (Peru – Heart of the Pachamama – Sep/12)
“To experience the beauty and power of the Incan Sacred Valley, the majesty of Machu Picchu and the power of Lake Titicaca was unforgettable… Puma had an uncanny way of providing for us as individuals, a family and a community of travelers with love and acceptance and meeting each of us where we were on our own spiritual path and sensitively guiding us in our spiritual growth. The trip itself was seamless… lovely and authentic hotels, delicious food, fabulous shopping and the warmth of the people along the way was inspiring. We have continued to reflect on our experience with awe, reverence and laughter.” Wendy, Hank and Taylour Matz, Salinas, CA (Peru – Heart of the Pachamama – Sep/12)
Notes:
To read more about this heart-opening, life-changing journey, and register your place, visit: https://www.sacredearthjourneys.ca/current-tours/heart-of-the-pachamama-with-puma-quispe-singona/tour-description
(1) Read more about the Q’eros here: https://www.sacredearthjourneys.ca/blog/2013_04_01_archive.html