The magic of Peru

For the next few weeks, I will be sharing about a recent trip I took to Peru. We started planning and paying for the trip in January of 2019, it was supposed to happen in July 2020. It took us three more years to get there, we weren’t sure we were going to get there this year because of protests, closed roads, and political uncertainty earlier this year, but we did. We learned on the last days of our trip that the protesters would be closing roads and all the attractions we had just seen and on July 19
they did.

What are the chances that after waiting for four years, and the last postponement we were allowed (we would have lost all our money) that we were able to have this sacred experience between the shutdowns.
We most definitely were blessed. I LOVE to travel! I love to experience firsthand how other cultures live and what they hold dear.

What I found Peruvians hold dear is connection.

Their connection to Spirit, Mother Earth or Pachamama, ancestors, family, neighbors, country, traditions, animals, and to themselves, can be seen in the way they live their lives. This deep connection was felt within our group of twenty-nine travelers, our guides, and all the people we had the honor to spend time with.

What a trip! In the thirteen days we were traveling to Peru, we boarded eight flights, had a ten-hour train ride through the Andes Mountains, a two-hour train ride to Machu Picchu, a ten-hour boat tour of Lake Titicaca, bus rides every day, and a tuk tuk ride in Urubamba. And many, many hikes with steep steps, all at high altitudes.

I didn’t research the places we were traveling to because I didn’t want any preconceived ideas of what to expect. I wanted to be open to discovering for myself what the space held and what I received from the experience. I didn’t have the itinerary memorized or worry about what would come next. It’s easy for me to be present and stay in the moment when traveling. All that being said, I had that luxury because of a great travel agent, guides, and mentor/friend who helped organize the trip.

After our flight from Miami to Lima, then Lima to Cusco, we had a two- hour bus ride to the Sacred Valley where we spent the first five nights. It was beautiful there, mountains all around us. The days were sunny with a bright blue sky and the evenings cool after the sun went down.

The first evening we had a fireside “Pago A La Tierra” Ceremony performed by a Shaman. It was a ceremony of bringing in what you desired in your life. He spoke only an ancient language, so we had an interpreter to translate that into Spanish, then another interpreter to translate to English.

Out under the stars, my husband Clint realized that we could see the Southern Cross, it was a dream come true for him.

After the ceremony, we had the opportunity to thank the Shaman for the ceremony. He had the kindest eyes and warmest smile. He hugged each of us. That hug felt like pure love, an all-encompassing warm blanket of compassion. I will always remember what that love felt like.

Day two was a tour to Ollantaytambo, a town where Inca urban planning is maintained still today and the Raqchi viewpoint where we had a privileged view of the Urubamba Valley. It was the first of many
climbs on the trip.

I was not prepared to experience the sacredness I would encounter in this beautiful country. I’m still in the Peruvian energy of awe and wonder. There was much love and warmth in the eyes of the people we met and bright, welcoming smiles. There was acceptance and inclusion, a real sense of belonging everywhere we went. A deep connection.

More next week!

When we change the world changes.