Choque Chinchay Journeys   Inkan Huachuma Pilgrimage A Transformative and Deeply Healing Mesa Communion With the Spirits  of Nature and Cosmos A spiritually inspiring shamanic mesa pilgrimage  through the Sacred Valley to legendary Machu Picchu June 30-July 7, 2008 Download and install these FONTS for best viewing of this website.

Who is the Grand Maestro Huachuma?

Machupicchu: the legendary spiritual retreat
 of the Incas where we will commune with the grand maestro grandfather Huachuma
and the spirits of Nature and Cosmos

Itinerary
June 30-July 7, 2008

The Inkan Huachuma Pilgrimage will open our eyes to the shamanic cosmology
of pre-columbian cultures and the great spiritual power of nature and cosmos
in the Sacred Valley and at legendary Machu Picchu

enchanting music from the sacred apus
from a Q'ero waiki

go here for a printer friendly version of the itinerary ...

 Day 1 - Cuzco/Pisac/Urubamba:

We'll be met on arrival at the Cuzco airport by our private driver. The name of the city in Quechua is 'Qosgo'.  Though Cuzco is a lovely city with a lot to see and do, it is also a city of much tourist hustle and bustle, so we'll spend little time here on arrival to minimize the effects of the high altitude and hasten our arrival in the more tranquil and serene Sacred Valley.

After a brief stop in the Cuzco central market for fresh supplies of fruits, bread, cheeses, and the always welcome coca leaf, the ancient Andean ally plant to allay altitude sickness and provide stamina for our activities.

We'll travel on to Pisac in the heart of the Sacred Valley. Pisac is famous for its spectacular Indian market featuring a colorful and interesting array of beautiful local craft, both traditional and modern.

Pisac is the best market in the southern Andes, far better than Cuzco in fact.  We'll spend some time casually exploring the market and central plaza of town. This will be an excellent opportunity for purchases of Quechua Indian art and craft, and esoteric objects such as crystals and old artifacts of the colonial and Inca periods. .

We'll spend the remainder of the afternoon exploring the outstanding ruins of Pisac above the town. The views of the Sacred Valley from the ruins are spectacular and the energy exhilirating. At the end of the day we'll travel to the quiet town of Urubamba for dinner and a good night's rest at our tranquil 3* hostal just outside town.

 
Day 2 - Q'ero Despacho Ceremony:
After breakfast we will enjoy the natural beauty of the Rio Urubamba valley, with steep surrounding mountains and fertile valley basin.  The 18th century Spanish naturalist Antonio de León Pinelo pronounced Urubamba to be the biblical Eden. We'll ascend above the town to overlooks with grand vistas of the magnificent cordillera and apus (sacred grandfather mountains) of the Incas.

We'll arrive at an isolated area in the Sacred Valley to rendezvous with our dear personal friends, the legendary Q'ero shamans to join with them in a heartwarming despacho ceremony of burnt offering to Pachamama, Mother Earth.  It is an unforgettable pre-columbian ceremony of gratitude, renewal, and communion.

You'll find the Q'ero waikis to be truly remarkable people with intimate knowledge of the spiritual nature of Earth and Cosmos.  They will open a portal of consciousness by their presence which will enlighten and transform us all.

The Q'ero people are the direct descendants of the Inca who escaped the Spanish conquest by retreating to the high Andes in the 1500's. They have established contact with the modern world only during the past thirty years or so.

Day 3 - Chinchero/Ollantaytambo

We'll ascend the Andean plateau to Laguna Huaypo, a mystical lake near Chinchero.  Here we will open our Huachuma Puma Mesa ceremony to seek clarity and comprehension from nature through the wise revelationss of the magnificent grandfather teacher plant Huachuma.  The Puma Mesa is the mesa of the middle shamanic world and will open our eyes and heart to the essence of human spiritual and physical relationship with Pachamama.  It is about the spiritual world we live in NOW!

Laguna Huaypo is a magical lake of power and mystery. It is the only saline lake in the area. Strange lights are often observed by local residents, entering and leaving the lake in the dead of night.  Some believe this lake has been a landing site for extraterrestrials for centuries.

 

After our drinking ceremony at the lagoon, we will carry the Mesa with us to the old Inca huaca at the colonial town of  Chinchero, known in pre-Columbian times as the "town of the rainbow."  Here we'll visit a powerful sacred huaca... naturally magnetic volcanic formations where the Incas carved stone meditation seats for spiritual reflection in communing with the powerful earth energy concentrated here.  The power here is timeless and inescapable. We'll spend much time at the huaca sharing the same magical communion with the spirits of Nature and Cosmos that empowered the Inca and their ancestors for millennia. At the end of the day, we'll arrive at Ollantaytambo were we will enjoy a fine meal and a lodge in 4* elegance for the next two evenings.

Day 4 - Ollantaytambo

Today will be a day of relaxed integration of the teachings of grandfather Huachuma as we casually visit the great Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo, a site of great military and spiritual importance to the Incas due to it's strategic location at the lower end of the Sacred Valley. The fortress contains seven huge pink granite monoliths which were not mined in the Sacred Valley. Ollantaytambo is considered to be the best preserved of the old Inca sites. We will again spend the night in 4* comfort in Ollantaytambo's finest lodge.

Days 5-6 -  Aguas Calientes/Machupicchu:

After an early breakfast we will catch the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, known locally as Machupicchu pueblo, a small town located in the Urubamba valley below Machu Picchu.

We will spend the next two days at the magnificent pre-Columbian Inca sanctuary Machupicchu and the valley town of Machupicchu Pueblo.  We will marvel at the vast and magnificent panoramas; incredible montane escarpments and the deep Río Urubamba canyon. The Inca reverence for Nature...the mountains, the cloud forest, the sun, the moon, the stars and the stones is evident everywhere. You will understand precisely why the Inca, and quite possibly their ancestors as well, built shamanic temples to the spirits of Nature and Cosmos at this place of magnificent beauty and awesome power.  Many consider Machu Picchu to be the most impressive known example of human architecture in harmony with Nature.

We'll spend two nights in Aguas Caliente.  We will invest our first day in a leisure exploration of the town of Aguas Calientes including an optional hike to a locat waterfall for those ready for some exercise.

The following morning after breakfast (day 5) we will partake of the Mesa at our hotel before ascending by bus to Machu Picchu.  We will marvel at the innovative technology employed by the Incas to meet the urban needs of water, food, banks, palaces, plazas, temples, and homes, all constructed of stone, some of it mined scores of miles away.  There has been much misguided speculatioin about the purpose and function of Machu Picchu, but to many scholars it seems clear that it was built as an extraordinary shamanic sanctuary dedicated to the insruction of Inca priests and priestesses in-training.

We'll go to an often-overlooked huaca which is actually the central focal point of the harmonious energy at Machu Picchu ... we call it "the captain's chair" on starship Pachamama.

Throughout the day as we receive inspiration and guidance from the timeless mystery and power of grandfather Huachuma the natural elemental energy of the earth, air, fire, and water ... and the remarkable Inca monument to it all ... Machu Picchu Sanctuary.

We will journey deeper in our personal quest for clarity and truth ... to truly "See" and realize the profound revelations of this great planta maestra in a place of highly focused spiritual energy. The ancient Incan reverence for Pachamama - Mother Earth ... the stone - hard fire, the plants, the animals, the stars and the infinite cosmos will be understood and shared. The impact will be transformative and unforgettable. Be prepared.

We will return to Aguas Calientes at the end of the day. We'll have the option of going down via buses (the one departs Machu Picchu at 1730 hrs = 5:30 p.m.) or walking down the ancient trail which is all downhill, moderately strenuous but absolutely stellar in its shamanic impact. It takes about an hour and a half to arrive at Aguas Calientes after dark. There will be ample time in the evening and the next morning to bathe in the enticing natural mineral hot springs for which Aguas Calientes is named.

Day 7 - Aguas Calientes/Cuzco

Today we'll have time to explore high jungle cloud forest trails around town, return to the hot springs, and shop for local art and craft before catching our train to Cuzco around 2:30 p.m.  We will arrive in Cuzco around 7:30 p.m. where we will dine and spend the night in our comfortable hotel a few blocks from the Plaza de Armas and dine at one of many fine restaurants there.

Day 8 - Cuzco/Lima

We will depart by 1030 hrs for the Cuzco airport to catch our flight to Lima where we will await departure to our next destination.  Activities and expenses in Lima are not included in the registration.

Note: You can delay your departure from Cuzco if you wish to spend more time exploring the city and environs. Just book your return flight for the date you wish to depart Cuzco. Additional time in Cuzco after our scheduled departure is not included in the cost of the Inkan Huachuma Pilgrimage.

Best options for time in Lima include the safe and attractive urban Miraflores district, the excellent Museo de la Nacion, or the famed Gold Museum featuring an incredible private collection of pre-Columbian textiles, Inca gold artifacts, original ancient erotic art from the Mochica, Chimú and Chavín cultures, and historic arms from around the world. Private guide and taxi service can be arranged in Lima by advance reservation.

Leaders, Accommodations, and Transportation

Group leader: The Inkan Huachuma Pilgrimage and Puma and Condor Mesas will be conducted by Don Otorongo Blanco ,  an extraordinary maestro of the Chavín Mesa who has practiced the ancient Andean mystical art for over 38 years.  We will not engage the services of professional tourist guides but instead benefit from the knowledge and insight of Don Otorongo and his many local friends along the way. Group size is limited to twelve.  Remember, this is a pilgrimage and not a "tour."

Lodging: We will lodge double-occupancy in safe and comfortable hotels and hostels in Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes, and Cuzco with complimentary breakfast included.  Single occupancy is subject to availability at cost added and must be booked in advance.

Meals: Complimentary breakfast is provided.  Other meals are not included in the cost to give everyone greater choice and flexibility in cuisine according to individual taste and budget.

Transportation:  Airfare is not included. All land transportation upon arrival in Cuzco is provided. We will have private  transportation from airport arrival in Cuzco until our arrival at Ollantaytambo ... no public tour buses or canned tours.

We'll be self-contained and moving at an unhurried pace to assure that we realize the greatest blessings and insight each step along the way. We will travel on the comfortable deluxe Vistadome train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, a very scenic descent in elevation through varied highland, riparian, tropical environments.  We'll return from Aguas Calientes to Cuzco by train for our final night in Cuzco.  We'll depart Cuzco early the next morning for Lima.

REQUIREMENTS:  To assure lodging and transportation reservations we must receive your completed application questionnaire, passport number with full name as it appears on the passport and nationality, notarized waiver/acceptance of terms, and non-refundable deposit of US$500.

Deadline for receipt of application materials and deposit is 45 days before starting date.  If space is available we'll accept applications after that time but can't guarantee lodging and train reservations until they are booked.

Balance of payment is due in our hands 35 days before our starting date.

Contact us for preparation details and assistance with travel arrangements. We can book your air travel reservations within Perú.  If you choose to do so yourself you must book the same flight as the group to insure coordination with our ground transportation on arrival in Cuzco.

Cost and Terms

Click here to request information
about current registration cost and terms of participation.

Application screening is required to assure compatibility and preparation.

The cost includes all land transportation, lodging, most breakfasts, guidance and facilitation, translation, ceremonies
and plant medicines from arrival in Cuzco to departure.

NOT INCLUDED: airfare, airport taxes, tips, lunches, dinners,
travelers' insurance, and personal items.

We cannot be responsible under any circumstance for losses or delays due to theft, accident, weather conditions,
cancellation or delay of common carrier transportation, or other factors beyond our control.

 

Touch the heart of Huachuma to send us e-mail with a personal introduction expressing your motives and intentions for this journey.  We'll respond with detailed information on registration cost and procedure.  You can contact Don Otorongo Blanco by telephone in Iquitos, Perú at (011-51-65) 600-178 or 600-179 for registration information.   We look forward to hearing from you.  Serious inquiries only please.

and there's more ..!

A Huachuma Mesa Journey From Time journeying with the grand maestro huachumero of the original Chavín mesa, don Howard Lawler, along the space-time continuum of ancient Perú ... exploring the land, mind, and shamanic cosmology  of the great Sican-Lambayeque, Moche and Chavín cvilizations of Peruvian antiquity ... from the elaborate Sicán-Lambayeque centers of ceremonial pyramids at Túcume and Batán Grande ...  to the mysterious and foreboding Moche ceremonial pyramids at the epicenter of El Niño on the coast  and climaxing with the Mesa of Transformation  at the ancient Huachuma Temple of the Jaguar at Chavín de Huántar, the Axis Mundi of South America ... ... and the great finale, the Mesa of Creativity at Heaven's Gate a natural seismic mesa formed between the highest peaks in the tropical world ... The Journey From Time is the most provocative and profound  shamanic pilgrimage of our time.  It's not for everyone ... but is it for you? group size is limited to twelve intrepid pilgrims of stout heart,  good intentions, compassion, and tolerant forgiving nature, with the ability  to share in harmony with kindred spirits an experience of a lifetime. ~ minimum group size is six ~ Written application screening is required.  This is a special opportunity for a few special people.  The HJTT is a pilgrimage, NOT a tour! serious inquiries only please.

... to the cradle of Andean civilization at the magnificent 3,500 year-old Huachuma temple at Chavín de Huántar...
and the celestial Heaven's Gate in the midst of the Peruvian Andean Cordillera Blanca,
the highest tropical peaks in the world ...

"Ayahuasca Odyssey is a superb way to celebrate personal rebirth and transformation,
 experiencing journeys within journeys guided by a true maestro huachumero
(master shamanic healer of the mesa) of the ancient Chavín lineage, an experienced transcultural bridge
who conducts the mesa with integrity, competence, love, compassion,
and rich shamanic experience spanning many decades.

We are professionals of integrity and skill, with decades of experience
in the practice of mesa shamanism.

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