Mystic Peru with Aparna

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1 Mystic Peru with Aparna

2 Overview This special journey with Aparna is in collaboration with Outer Travels Inner Journeys one of Perus premier spiritual tour organisers. Package overview - Peru Pilgrimage (day 1-10) - optional San Pedro Ceremony (day 5) - optional Inca trek (day 7) - Amazon Rainforest Journey (day 10-15) optional

3 Peru Pilgrimage A Sacred Journey to Machu Picchu

4 Peru Pilgrimage A Medicine Journey to Machu Picchu Would you like to experience a deeper connection with the sacred power places and shamanic traditions of Peru? To visit Machu Picchu one of the newest wonders of the world in a non-touristy group tour? Join Aparna on a spiritual adventure in the heart of the Peruvian Andes. Travel through the sacred valley with a mystic guide to Machu Picchu and experience more of this incredible country! Peru is one of the most staggeringly beautiful and mystical countries you re ever likely to visit. It s geographically diverse, with desert regions, mountain regions and of course the amazing Amazon rainforest. If you desire to connect more deeply with Pachamama (Mother Earth), see spectacular locations that will take your breath away and learn about ancient spiritual wisdom then Peru is where you need to be. Peru is home to not just one, but several of the most mysterious and awe-inspiring places on the planet. A list that includes Machu Picchu, Saqsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo, plus many natural wonders such as Lake Titicaca, the Andes mountains and the amazing Amazon Rainforest. The 10 day Peru Pilgrimage tour will only take you into the spectacular Andes mountains between Cusco and Machu Picchu. This will be followed by an optional 5 day journey into the Amazon rainforest.

5 Trip Highlights Cusco - The capital of the ancient Inca empire, high in the Andes, Cusco is a beautiful city in a stunning location. You will love exploring it s ancient streets, temples and craft shops. San Pedro Ceremony - San Pedro (known as Huachuma to the indigenous people) is a cactus that grows all along the Andes and it s another amazing visionary plant teacher that has been used for thousands of years by the shamans of the Andes. The Sacred Valley - You ll spend almost 4 days in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You ll stay in both Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Surrounded by mountains, the views all around the valley are simply breathtaking, and there s a reason most people never want to leave! Machu Picchu - You ve seen the photos, you ve seen how spectacular and unbelievable it looks, and the reality is even more magnificent than you imagine. You will not be disappointed.

6 Included in the cost of this trip is: 9 Nights in 5 different hotels Domestic flights in Peru Train to Machu Picchu and all ground transport around Cusco and Sacred Valley All Entrance Fees Breakfast everyday What s not included: Your international flights to Peru Lunches and evening meals Any shopping or excursions outside the planned itinerary.

7 Full Itinerary

8 Day 1 : Arrive Lima Day 1 is an arrival day. When you arrive at Lima airport you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel. Day 2 : Lima Tour (and flight to Cusco) Lima, known as the City of Kings is the capital of Peru and is where the Spanish invaders first settled in the 16th century. It is now a sprawling metropolis with an estimated population of 9.7 million people. It s a colorful and sometimes beautiful city. Lima s architecture offers a mix of styles. Examples of early colonial architecture include the Monastery of San Francisco, the Cathedral and the Torre Tagle Palace. These constructions are generally influenced by Spanish Baroque, Spanish Neoclassical and Spanish Colonial styles. After independence, preferences gradually shifted toward neoclassical and Art Nouveau styles. Many of these works were influenced by French architectural styles. In the morning of Day 2 you ll get to see some of Lima s more interesting highlights on a city tour. Later in the afternoon we will be flying to Cusco.

9 Day 3 : Cusco Cuzco is a stunningly beautiful city in an incredible location. Surrounded on all sides by the majestic Andes mountains, you can never get bored of exploring its nooks and crannies, ancient cobble-stone streets, Inca ruins and other places of great interest. The meaning of the word CUZCO comes from the Quechua word QOSQO which means navel, attributed to The center or navel of the world. The Cuzco of today is an amazing amalgam of the ancient Inca capital and the colonial city it became after the Spanish invasion. From the Incas, it preserves impressive walls of meticulously cut granite or andesite, rectilinear streets running within the walls, ruins of the Sun Temple of which the Golden Garden, once covered with sculptures of precious metals, was pillaged by the Spanish invaders. Of the colonial city, there remain the freshly whitewashed squat houses, the palace and the marvellous Baroque churches which achieved the impossible fusion of the Plateresco, Mudejar or Churrigueresco styles with that of the Inca tradition. On day 3 you ll have a city tour of Cusco including a visit to the ancient Inca temple of Qoricancha. You ll also have time to explore on your own.

10 Day 4 : Saqsayhuaman In many respects Saqsayhuaman is the most impressive of all the ancient sites in Peru (and perhaps even the world). The location isn t quite as spectacular as the location of Machu Picchu, but take a closer look at the stones and you ll notice what an amazing feat of engineering it is that almost certainly could not be replicated today. Officially Saqsayhuaman is said to be an Incan construction less than 600 years old, however our guide (and several other reseachers) believes it was built by a much older and far more advanced civilization that pre-dates the last ice-age. Remnants of Atlantis or Lumeria perhaps? In his groundbreaking book Fingerprints of the Gods Graham Hancock also writes about this impressive location.

11 Pisac Pisac is a traditional andean village nestled in the Sacred Valley with extraordinary terraces lacing the overlooking mountains. Situated close by the Urubamba river Pisac is world famous for its artisan market that is open every day. As it is high in the Andes where the climate is cool and fresh, this is one of the best places to get your fill of colourful winter clothes. A place of narrow streets with streams running down the centre, plazas, tiny shops, Pisac attracts a burgeoning community of western people flocking to its particular vibrancy to run yoga retreats and many other healing modalities. In Pisac we will visit the amazing ruin above the village.

12 Day 5 : San Pedro Ceremony (optional). San Pedro (known as Wachuma to the indigenous people) is a cactus that grows all along the Andes and it s another amazing visionary plant teacher that has been used for thousands of years by the shamans of the Andes. San Pedro is used for healing as well as mystical purposes. Its incredible energy opens up your channels, allowing you to connect deeply with yourself as well as the cosmos and other spiritual dimensions. San Pedro activates your heart chakra and often leads to incredible feelings of bliss and profound connectivity with nature. Whereas Ayahuasca ceremonies are done at night, Wachuma ceremonies are usually done during the day, out in nature. Wachuma gets you out of your mind and into your heart. Greater acceptance, love and compassion towards yourself and others are often the results of working with this powerful teacher.

13 Day 6 : Ollantaytambo Today we ll leave Pisac and travel to the opposite end of the Sacred Valley where we ll arrive at the ancient Inca town of Ollantaytambo. Andean peaks gaze down from on high making it feel like frontier-land. Sitting by the wide plaza at the top of the town, flanked with its multitude of shops with soft-as-down alpaca poncho s you could easily expect Clint Eastwood to ride in with a cheroot clamped between his teeth. On the edge of the village, sweeping up the mountain-side is another incredible Inca Ruin which would probably be world-famous itself if Machu Picchu didn t exist. The view from the top of the ruins, about two hundred massive steps up, is breath-taking and you can understand how the Inca s were able to defeat the Spaniards at the battle outside these walls. A fascinating place to explore and a gateway to Machu Picchu by train.

14 Day 7 : Train to Machu Picchu (or optional hike) Today we travel to Machu Picchu. You will have the option of getting the train all the way to Machu Picchu village or if you are more adventurous you can hike the final part of the Inca Trail (There will be an additional cost for the hike). The hike is about 8 miles and takes 6 to 7 hours to complete. You will take an early train to km104 and from there you will hike to the Sungate and enter Machu Picchu. We ll have a relaxing evening at Machu Picchu village and then have an early night in order to wake up very early to enter Machu Picchu for sunrise.

15 Day 8 : Machu Picchu The Lost City of the Incas Machu Picchu has been designated one of the Seven Wonders of the World and it s obvious to see why. It truly is a staggering achievement guaranteed to fill you with awe and wonder from the moment you arrive. Just standing in this place is enough to raise your consciousness to a whole new level! Machu Picchu is sometimes known as the Lost city of the Incas, The City of Light for Initiates and the Crystal City. It is an ancient and very sacred power place that is fed by grids of powerful natural energies. The shamanic belief is that Machu Picchu served as an initiatory centre for higher learning. Whatever the truth, it is a mystical and enigmatic place many of us have dreamed of experiencing and yet however you imagined it to be, the reality will be far more intense and extraordinary. The view over the ruins of the citadel is as iconic as the image of Earth from space but when you stand above it as the sun creeps over the nearby peaks to light these ancient walls and terraces foot by foot you will be stunned to silence. Nothing can prepare you for the impact of seeing this extraordinary crystal city emerge from the shadows of the dawn and your dreams. It is a wonder-filled journey walking through the temples and gardens perched on this mountain-top eyrie surrounded and protected by higher mountain peaks. You will wake up early at 4.45am to have a quick breakfast and then get on the first bus so that you will be one of the first people through the gates when they open at 6am. This is the best time to enter Machu Picchu because you will feel like you have the place to yourself until the crowds start arriving.

16 Day 9 : Return to Cusco On day 8 we ll take the train back to Ollantaytamo and then take a bus to Cusco where we ll spend a final night. Day 10 : End of the tour After breakfast some of us will say our final goodbyes and go our separate ways. There is also a 5-day extension where we will go into the Amazon rainforest. Wherever you go next, you will take with you unforgettable memories of a land steeped in magic and transformation.

17 Amazon Journey

18 Amazon Jungle Paradise Spend 5 days in the Amazon Rainforest There is nothing quite like the descent from the refreshing air of the Andes to the steaming, exotic humidity of the Amazon Jungle. Machu Picchu gives you a hint of the richness of the atmosphere as it s located in the high jungle but landing in this extraordinary, diverse and animal-rich part of the world is beyond compare. Arriving in the city of Puerto Maldonado, in the South East of Peru, you ll find it buzzingly frenetic with hordes of tooting mototaxis. The main reason to travel here is for an experience of the Rainforest and for this you ll escape the city and travel to your jungle lodge by riverboat. It is here you ll feel the full force of nature in the raw. Your mornings will be greeted with the jungles best birdsong, your days filled with hikes along trails and over bridges which span the river and gorges to witness incredible wildlife like caimans and turtles, giant otters, tapirs and the elusive jaguar as well as toucans and macaws with bold plumage and beaks. Your evenings will be touched by heart-stopping sunsets. The sound, colour and texture of the Amazon Jungle will leave its footprint indelibly printed on your soul.

19 Day 1 - Welcome / Reception Upon your arrival in Puerto Maldonado, Peru s Capital City of Biodiversity, we will welcome you at the airport. Then, we ll start our program with a visit around the city, on a bus. Afterwards, we will go to Puerto Capitanía, to board a motorized riverboat, and we ll navigate on the Madre de Dios River. During the journey, we will submerge into a fascinating natural environment, if we are lucky we will witness Ronsocos, Caimans, Turtles, Herons, Cormorants and other animal species in their natural environment. Arriving at the Ecoamazonia Lodge, we will enjoy an exquisite welcome drink, we ll get settled in our bungalows and will have lunch together. Caimán Cocha Once satisfied, you will be conducted by our specialized tour guide through an interpretive trail conveniently signposted to the Caimán Cocha, a small lake with an abundant presence of specimens of Black Caiman (Melanosuchus Niger) and Caiman (Caiman Crocodilus). At the end of the evening, you will witness the spectacular sunset in the Amazon, an experience full of intensities overwhelming color ranges. Upon returning to the Lodge, a delicious dinner will await you, and enjoy free time to share unforgettable moments at the bar, equipped with an excellent game room and all the drinks you can imagine.

20 Day 2 The morning begins with the sound of beautiful birdsongs from the Amazon Paradise. A hearty breakfast will provide the energy for a morning full of new experiences. enjoy a panoramic view on the lake, observing Parrots, Macaws, Toucans, Camungos, Shanshos, Herons and other animals, such as Caimans, Turtles, etc., and if we are lucky, we ll have a chance to observe the Giant Otter, one of the rainforest s most spectacular animals. After several hours, we ll head back to the Lodge to enjoy lunch together. After breakfast, we ll start to hike towards the depths of the forest, on trails especially prepared, with bridges to cross gorges and rivers. During the journey we will observe the flooded forest and a variety of Flora and Wildlife, and continuing we ll get to the majestic Lake Apu Victor with its crystal clear waters, surrounded by marshes and giant trees. Afterwards, we ll go up to the Observation Deck, from which we ll Monkey Island In the afternoon, accompanied by our specialized guide, we will visit Monkey Island, a unique place in the heart of Madre de Dios River, five minutes away from the Lodge. During the hike, we will observe extraordinary landscapes, with an exuberant flora, sheltering a variety of monkey species, in their natural habitat, such as Maquisapas, Capuchins, Small Lion Monkeys, Frailes, Cotos and other animal

21 species like the Coati and Sloths and a great variety of birds. Finally, we ll complete our visit of the island, enjoying the sunset, with the most impressive dusk in the jungle. Back to the lodge we conclude the day with a pleasant dinner. chance to observe Otters, Caimans, Turtles, Sachavacas (Tapirs) Birds with multicolored feathers, the majestic Jaguar and a variety of fish species. This area is unique and proper to the Ecoamazonia s Ecological Reserve which maintains it intact, with huge swamps and diverse aguajales. Then, we ll get to the extraordinary Observation Deck, from which we ll be able to appreciate the immense and magical rainforest. Afterwards, we ll have a pleasant canoe ride around the lake and will return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, we ll have the opportunity to pay an optional visit to the local Botanical Garden or if you prefer, you ll have the option to relax around the Pool. Day 3 The morning begins with the sound of beautiful birdsongs from the Amazon Paradise. A hearty breakfast will provide the energy for a morning full of new experiences. Lost Cocha After breakfast, we will start an adventure in the virgin rainforest, and accompanied by a local guide, we ll go on a hike in the deep jungle, to get to the Lost Cocha which constitutes a refuge and feeding ecosystem for a huge variety of animals. There, we ll have the

22 In the afternoon, free time to take pictures, enjoy the Lodge and the possibility of visiting the botanical garden to watch our medicinal plants and fruit trees. In the evening, enjoy our farewell dinner, a fun night at the bar and game room to say goodbye to friends you made during your stay. Day 4 The morning begins with the sound of beautiful birdsongs from the Amazon Paradise. A hearty breakfast will provide the energy for a morning full of new experiences. Gamitana River After breakfast, we will set off on another excursion through the magical jungle, navigating on the Madre de Dios River to the GAM- ITANA or BRIOLO RIVER for a fun, refreshing and safe swim. Enjoy sport fishing activities, birds, alligators, turtles, observation at the majestic Madre de Dios River panorama, we will also visit to a local family dedicated to agriculture within the jungle banks of Madre de Dios River. Day 5 - Departure After a restful night s sleep, the morning begins with the sound of beautiful birdsongs from the Amazon Paradise. In our dining room awaits a farewell breakfast before embarking the return to Puerto Maldonado. We will then fly back to Cusco and then on to Lima for our international flights home. We will return to the lodge to enjoy our lunch.

23 Your Guides Aparna Levine Aparna Levine is a Yogacharya and Dharma teacher who travels worldwide to teach wkshps, retreats and teacher trainings in Yoga, Ayurveda and Vipassana Meditation. She is the Director of Yogasaar, a yoga school in Albuquerque, NM, USA, dedicated to empowering people & communities to realize their full potential through the transformative wisdom & power of the healing arts. Creator of several yoga dvd s and meditation cd s, she seeks to encourage, emphasize and connect people to the teacher within, the one who directs one s growth and transformation in a way that no other teacher can, so that they may grow, extend and flourish beyond their own expectations in the most amazing magical ways. You can find her on Amazon.com or on her own website at Miguel Bellota Miguel was born in Cusco and has been a professional tour guide for almost 20 years. He began his career as an adventure tour guide working the Inca Trail and other trekking routes to Machu Picchu. He always had a huge passion for the mountains and the natural world and gradually he became initiated into the shamanic and mystical teachings of the Andes. He s now one of the very few tour guides that is able to offer a mystical & shamanic perspective to the ancient sacred power places that we visit. His incredible knowledge comes from a combination of his shamanic teachers, magical dreams, messages from Apus (mountain spirits) and the knowledge he s intuited while walking amongst the incredible Andean mountains. His passion is to share the foundations of Andean wisdom: love respect and gratitude with people who are looking for a word of hope.

24 About Outer Travels Inner Journeys Travel, Transformation & Tribe We create retreats and adventures for spiritually aware people. We love to connect fellow truth-seekers who are seeking to meet like-minded people from all around the world. We love to take you on amazing journeys to explore enigmatic sacred sites and extraordinary natural places of power. Places that will inspire your soul and enliven every cell of your being. Journeys which take you to a place of deep reconnection with the world around you, the wisdom within you and the people about you. We ll introduce you to teachers in the plant and animal kingdoms and open up conversations of the most profound kind. Journeys of this kind have the power to transform you from the inside out, and when you travel with like-hearted people the bonds created are often greater than family. You are no longer just a drop in the ocean but part of a movement expanding consciousness towards a more loving, kinder and collaborative world. Why small-group travel? South America & the jungle can be a daunting place when you don t speak the language and are traveling alone. Small groups offer security, freindship and deep connections when sharing a transformational experience. All our journeys are crafted to take you deep on a personal and collective journey - we re known for creating connections that last. You ll meet friends, soulmates and sometimes even your future husband or wife! Visit