The Loony Bus to Puno - Day 20

Phew glad to get off the loony bus!  11 hours with a chinese man that looks like a really old Mr Miyagi who talked to himself constantly and would count with his fingers and then point in the air whilst speaking in chinese - he did this for 11 hours!  Weirdo alert!  Although he was harmless compared to the english guy who was a complete and utter nut job - he would butt in with the most stupid questions while the guide was speaking and then while I was walking through the Inca palace ruins all I could hear was "your a cock, your a cock" I turned round to see who he was talking to - if it was me he was talking to I was going to knock is big fat english lights out, but he was talking to himself so at least he knows what he is!!!!  What a weirdo!  he kept talking to himself too - on the bus he was talking to the seat and telling it it needed to move down! phew and I thought I was a nutter!  So Reiki protection went up against him, an energy seeking vampire if I have ever seen one.

The bus trip was ok - 11 hours with stops at more inca ruins - come on - Peru is full of Inca ruins, do we have to stop at each one and once you have been to Macchu Piccu nothing is going to ever compare so please lets just move on!  That was my inside voice - I politely followed the tour guide around, accept for when we got to the museum with the mummies, sorry I find it weird that people want to look at dead people's remains, it makes me feel a bit sick and ungrounded when I have to look at stuff like that.  They had this poor mummified woman in a glass case for all to see - I can't believe that is what she would have wanted for her body.

We stopped at various places on the way - here is a very interesting use of used plastic bottles - they get the kids at the local school to make them - good use of rubbish I say!

I loved this Guard dog - perfect superior position for guarding - he is some kind of pit bull cross but they have butchered his ears - have no idea why humans feel the need to cut their dogs ears or tails for that matter - its stupid and very cruel.  anyway he seemed relaxed and happy enough although I wouldn't want to be the burglar trying to get into that garage!!!

We stopped at a view point to take pictures of this mountain - we were at 4400m at the view point and it was hailstoning!! it looks sunny doesn't it?  well it wasn't where I was standing!

The place we stopped to see the mummies remains were having a Christmas celebration in their main square, it was nice to see all the families were out and everyone seemed to be enjoying it.  Christmas Eve is a big celebration out here - everywhere everyone is eating Pannetone and drinking hot chocolate, which I have just done with the hotel staff here - even though Pannetone is Italian it was brought in as a tradition when the spaniards arrived, before that the Peruvians used to have biscuits on Christmas Eve - they will be glad the spaniards brought int he Pannetone then!

This is the Inca Palace we visited - very interesting place as the bottom half of the building is build using the Inca way of building using stones but the top half is mud bricks - they have never used mud on any of there other sites - this is the only one found so far.  interesting that it is still just about standing.  Also this is the first time ever an inca remain has been found with round pillars as supports - can you see the one at the centre of the picture?  It was an interesting place.

We arrived in Puno about 530pm - and my guide was there to meet me and get me settled in to the hotel which was great - i then had a wander up to the mains street and main square which was starting to get busy with loads of families and people turning up with fireworks - so I left - I HATE fireworks.  So I went off to find a bar and drink some Pisco Sour the national drink of Peru!

Off to the floating islands of Lake Titikaka tomorrow.  Hope you all have a fab Christmas day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

suzxxx

Climbing Waynapicchu and last day at Macchu Piccu - Day 19

I stood in line for about half an hour so didn't set off up the mountain till about 7.30am - it was gorgeous and sunny but fortunately the mountain side that I was going to be climbing was in shade.  I loved this sign - now is decision time - BIG mountain or SMALL Mountain!  Glad I did the big one.  Was tempted to do the little one once I had come down from the big one but a slightly flecked right knee stopped me.

It really was hard going and some off it you were hanging onto the mountain side with not much between you and a 800 foot drop! Parts of it you had to scramble up using both hands grabbing the stones wherever you could to heave yourself up. What I didn't realise was going up was going to be easier than coming down!! I made it to the top in an hour which what they say it takes - it probably should only take 40 minutes and they add 20 mins for the Grannies - I don't mind being labelled with the Grannies if it gets me an extra 20 minutes!!!  The American guy that I met a few days ago who did it in 26 minutes must be on steroids or something - LUNATIC!!!

I got to the top and even climbed up to the top of the biggest bolder and stood and took this photo - I felt very brave.  I didn't really feel scared at any point - on the way down there was this brazilian guy who was really terrified of falling, I knew I wasn't going to fall so that's may be why I was a bit calmer.   I just took my time and it was all fine.

The view from the top was amazing and gives a completely different view of Macchu Piccu, not one you see often in photos - here is one where you can also see the sun gate - if you follow the big mountain (Macchu Piccu Mountain i.e. The Old Mountain) down to the left you will see a dip in the mountain before it starts to rise again - that is the Sun Gate and that is where I was yesterday - it looks miles away doesn't it? IT WAS!!!

The scenery from the top was just stunning - look at this picture of the mountains, it just took my breath away...

I lay at the top for about an hour before I started my descent - Meditating when you are at the top of the world gives a very different energy - its not deep vibrational and grounding like you would expect from lying on a rock but its light and bright and makes you feel happy to be alive.  May be thats why I didn't have any fear going back down, I was practically floating!!

Here is the photo to prove I made it to the top - well this was taken nearly from the top!  The terraces just underneath the mountain top is where everyone surfaces for air after the huge climb.  One of the guide was trying to say that the mountains take the shape of an Condor in flight from this position - can't quite see it myself, can you?

On my way down I met a beautiful butterfly - it was resting on the handrail which I needed to use to get down the steps but couldn't disturb her - isn't she cute?  She was basking in the sun.

I got back down at about 1040 so in all it was about 3 hours - an hour up, an hour at the top and an hour down.  I twisted my right knee which is my weak one pretty much at the start of my descent so I made slow progress down but it was so steep you didn't have a choice but to go slow.

The weather was still really nice so I headed off to find myself another meditation spot where I could stay for the next couple of hours.  I found a great spot with a great big rock to lean on and also take shade under as the sun was getting stronger.  I had such a nice time sitting to the side of the ruins but facing Waynapicchu the mountain I had just climbed.  I had a wee meditation buddy to keep me company - he stayed on my leg for about half an hour!!  didn't bat an eyelid (if grasshoppers have eyelids!) when i reached into my bag to get my camera.

I really can't understand where the energy is coming from at Macchu Piccu - why is it that everyone who visits is totally in awe of this place?  I really don't think its the stonework or the ruins, this is what the tour guides would have you believe - I think there is a greater energy between the mountains and thats why the Incas built their City there.  I think the connection between all of the surrounding mountains creates an energy in the centre of the area that works as a magnet and just draws you in. 

I really didn't want to leave so I had to do a deal with myself - after meditating and sitting until 1pm I went out of the entrance and sat outside at the cafe and had something to eat and a beer and stayed for an hour watching the hummingbirds drink out of the passion flowers on the vines and watched a wee lizard for ages on a tree branch.  I then headed down on the bus as I had promised myself a massage so off I went.

Now the massage was amazing but why is it that when men are massaging me they feel the need to jump on the massage table?!  It happened in Nepal when I had this guy massage me and he jumped on top of me (I was face down) he pulled down my pants and started karate chopping my arse!!! This guy wasn't quite so bad but he jumped up on the massage table at my head head and started massaging my back - luckily I was lying face down otherwise I wouldn't have known where to look with his crotch directly above me!!!  Anyway he gave a brilliant massage and really gave me legs and feet a work out which is great since they have been over worked in the last few days well from what they are used to anyway - not sure my feet or legs got much use in the 5 months I was commuting backwards and forwards to Edinburgh!!!

The river in Aguas Calientes was absolutely heaving after all the rain yesterday...

I loved this wee village too - even though it is totally kitted out for tourists there is something sweet and small still about it considering 2500 people pass through it every day.  The people are so friendly and funny too.  When i was with Adrian on day one I met a friend of his just as we were getting on the bus, I have seen him every day and he really makes the effort to seek me out to say hello - he was so happy today that I made an effort to speak Spanish - I asked him in Spanish how he was feeling!  Only problem is he answered me in Spanish so still have no clue how he was actually feeling.  Anyway he looked happy enough!!!

Macchu Piccu - the most amazing place on earth.  I LOVE IT, a piece of my heart was left buried next to the Inca wall during my Shaman Ceremony on the 21st.  I will definitely be back.

I headed out of Aguas Calientes on the 4.45pm train and I am now back in Cusco - early pick up tomorrow to be dropped at the bus station to get the Tourist Bus to Puno so off to my bed for 6 hours kip.

suzxxx

Back to Macchu Piccu - Day 18

I headed off to get the bus at about 6.45am to meet the English speaking group I would be joining for the guided tour of MP - to be honest I was so happy with my tour with Adrian who concentrated so much on the spirit of the place I didn't really want to have my head filled with the usual tourist nonsense but it had been organised and paid for so I thought I would go along with it.

Once I got up the hill to MP entrance - it was raining but not too bad - once we started moving as a group into the ruins it started bucketing down like proper Scottish sideways rain - we all got absolutely drenched and it was cold too but we were all very good tourists and listened to our guide and followed him everywhere through the throng of the other tourists - i don't get why they don't just set off each tour group with 15 minutes between each instead of everyone heading off at the same time in the morning and fighting for space in the same spots - its really stupid.  Also the tour guides are trying to find their people at the entrance in amongst hundreds of tourists.  I should put that in the suggestion box!!  As always if I was in charge of organising the world what an great place it would be!!!

So we moved through the ruins looking at the sun temple, the palace, the condor, the various rocks that helped them to star gaze etc.  It really is very interesting but it really is the energy that has drawn me there again - I think all the so called facts are really interesting but no one really knows what was what, they are just making so called expert decisions on it, which is fine thats what these guys are supposed to do but you wonder if they ever just sat and felt the energy and meditated - maybe they would have got messages to tell them the real use of the buildings and astrological stones etc.

The one thing I hated out being there with all the other tourists is the constant chatter from everyone - I think everyone in the world talks too much - I include myself it that!  In a sacred place like Macchu Piccu you would hope people would just want to take 5 minutes to just sit.  You see some people doing this but not 2500 people (the daily amount allowed into MP).  It's the parents with kids I have wanted to throttle - talk, talk, talk and arsing about - very annoying!  Do they think its a play park?  They obviously missed the turning for Disney!!

Here is the view of MP this morning, very glad I took so many pictures yesterday!

The guided tour came to an end and I really just wanted to go back to the hotel, have a hot shower and get out of my sodden clothes then go to a cafe and drink a big mug of thick hot Cocoa and sit in the warm but did I do that?  No fecking chance - I only have 3 days in this wonderful place, I want to explore every fecking corner of it!!! So off I went to find the Inca Bridge and then the climb all the way up to the Sun Gate.

Here is a view of MP as the rains lifted a little as I headed round the corner to the Inca Bridge.

and here is the Inca Bridge - the rain was really bad here which is why the picture is so misty - its hard to see but they have built a wall up the side of the mountain and there are 4 huge bits of tree lying over it.  Looks like a lot of hard work!!  On the way up to the Inca Bridge there was a French couple a few minutes ahead of me.  Now I am not a quiet walker - usually I am huffing and puffing so how the French guy didn't hear me coming I have no idea but as I turn a corner about to head up another bunch of steps the arsehole is peeing into the bushes!!  WE ARE IN MACCHU PICCU, THE LOST CITY OF THE INCAS, A SACRED MONUMENT, YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER ARSEHOLE THIS ISN'T A PLACE WHERE YOU JUST PISS IN THE BUSHES - was what I thought!  He looked at me and he knew exactly what I was thinking though.  I turned away until he had finished but once I got up level with him I mustered the Death Stare - he deserved it - French twat.

It took me about 40 minutes to get up to the top at the Sun Gate but I did spend 10 minutes nattering to a Glaswegian guy who was trying to take a picture of himself with MP in the background so as I walked passed I offered to take his photo - that's when we discovered we were both Scottish - he is the first Scottish voice I have heard for ages - well thats not true I skyped with Mark the other day so that's a lie really but real face to face Scottish voice anyway.  He started in Rio and is doing his South America trip sort of the other way round from me but he is also taking 3 months to do it so is spending Christmas in Cusco.

I finally made it to the top of the Sun Gate and here it is - full of German Tourists who had just arrived over the hill and had trekked in from the Sacred Valley for 4 days.

and here is the view the other way round - not a German in sight!!!  Its absolutely stunning isn't it?  I have now spent two days there and it still takes my breath away - and not just because there are so many steps up!!!  Even when you can't see it because of the low clouds and rain you can still feel it.

So after 6 hours of sucking up the MP energy I headed out and down to the village to dry everything out - everything is completely soaked including my rucksack inside and out and my big Canon camera has water in the lens - gutted!  have left it drying in my bedroom but it looks like the lens will have to go to the shop for cleaning when I get back but if thats the worst that happens to me on my big adventure then I will be absolutely fine!

Tomorrow I am up at 430am to get the first bus up to MP so if the Sun comes out I will see the sunrise before I climb the Young Mountain as it is called in English - wonder if you make it to the top it takes away all your grey hairs and wrinkles and makes you young again?  Well I will have to make it all the way to the top to find out won't I?  Will keep you posted....

suzxxx

Macchu Piccu 21st December 2012 WOW, HOW AMAZING - Day 17

WOW, is really the only word I can say.  Macchu Piccu is truly the most special place on earth and I was lucky to be there on a very auspicious day - 21st December 2012 - the end of the current Mayan Calendar.

I arrived just after 7am with my Shaman Guide, Adrian, we walked up to the view point and picked a spot on one of the Inca agricultural terraces looking at the most special view - The Lost City of the Incas - and he explained about the farmer in 1885 who after the jungle forest on the mountainside had been burnt down discovered some steps and took those steps all the way up to the top of the mountain to discover the Lost City - can you imagine what he must have thought as he reached the top of the steps?  a City that had been lost for hundreds of years that was more or less intact.  He must have wandered through the city with awe.

Adrian and I got on really well - getting straight into talking about Energies and Angels and he explained that our Ceremony would be at the other end of the Lost City down next to the jungle as any religious ceremonies are not allowed in the City.  So we wandered through the city, Adrian giving me a guided tour but talking more about energies than the usual shite tour guide talk about.  We took about an hour to get down to the level near the jungle where we settled down and he started the ceremony - quietly so the guards above us couldn't hear.

I had to hold 3 sets of Cocoa leaves - 3 leaves in each set - one set for my strength, awareness and health, another set for my wishes, and another for my loved ones.  I held these cocoa leaves while we meditated for about 15 minutes - the visions I saw were amazing - I have become even more visual than normal after my Jungle Ceremony.  Adrian then started to pray in spanish and he would ring a bell he had brought - he did this quietly again so as not to alert the authorities that we were doing something we shouldn't be - oh god am I going to be in trouble AGAIN?!

The Prayers were beautiful and the visions kept coming - faces from my past lives and a kaleidoscope of colours.

Once Adrian had finished his prayers I had to blow on all of the Cocoa leaves three times thinking my thoughts for myself, my future, my wishes and my loved ones.  We then dug a hole next to the Inca wall we were leaning against and placed the 9 leaves into the ground.  Adrian then starting putting in offerings of sweets - apparently Mother Earth has a sweet tooth!!! He then asked me for an offering of something that belongs to me - immediately I thought of putting my St Christopher medallion that I was given by my parents when I was 15 - have no idea why that came into my head but I carry it with all of my crystals so I reached for my crystal purse but couldn't find my St Christopher - how odd - I always have it, especially when travelling.

Anyway in the spirit of getting on with it I gave a beautiful amethyst crystal which is what I use to link me to my Angels and Spirit guides so seemed appropriate for the Ceremony.  Adrian was amazed I was offering this in the ceremony but commented that my Psychic abilities will be heightened because of it.  Any help gratefully received on that front!!  Once all the offerings were in our little hole, Adrian said a few words of prayer in spanish then covered the hole up.  We then held each others hands in prayer form for a few minutes before thanking each other and then sat looking out to the valley and mountains before us.

Adrian then starting telling me how Angels can appear in any form - dogs, cats, sheep, deer, foxes - anything really and just after he had finished telling me this we both spotted a Centipede crawling over our area where we had made our offering - it was huge!  He immediately said to me "this is you, you have many feet and will travel far, this is one of your Angels sending you a message"  now that is amazing in itself but my whole St Christopher medallion thing became so real - he is the patron saint of travellers - how bizarre that I would want to offer this but didn't have it with me.  I have never felt the urge to offer it any any other ceremony but today it popped straight into my head.  Bizarre, Weird but also amazing.  I have many feet and will travel is my new moto!

The whole experience of Macchu Piccu today was the absolute best - I couldn't have wanted my first visit to the most wondrous wonder of the world to be any more perfect.

How lucky am I that I get to visit tomorrow and the day after too - very very very special.

After my ceremony with Adrian, he left and I wandered through the ruins and went back up to the viewpoint where we started and found a spot to meditate which I did away from all the people - there were a group of 'loonies' below me - I say loonies, but I know I am a loony too so its ok for me to call them that!  They were all meditating facing to the the East and they were all dressed in White.

Its funny a few people had said to me that I had to wear light clothes and i had to have had a light diet etc etc etc - I don't need to wear white to feel the energy and spirit of this place.  I don't think its about the colours you wear, its about how you feel in your soul and as for a light diet - unless I am being asked to drink the funky stuff I had in the jungle then I don't need a light diet to feel the energy of the earth or for the earth to feel my energy.

I really didn't want to leave but thought it won't be good if security have to chuck me out so at about 2pm I started to head down the mountainside and thats when I saw the Llamas so I crossed over to the Inca agricultural terraces and sat one above one of the Llamas, I had a perfect view of the ruins and the mountains so I started to heal - the Llama in the picture below was about 50 feet away from me when I started to heal but within 5 minutes she had moved to just below me and lay down she then made eye contact with me and she maintained this for about 30 minutes.  I was offering her healing but she was healing me back - it was a really beautiful experience.  She kept yawning and in return so did I - always a good sign that energy is being received and processed!

After 30 minutes I got up to leave and she stayed where she was and it wasn't until I moved I realised there was a Llama above me who had been enjoying the whole experience too!

What an absolutely amazing day!  Looking forward to more of the same tomorrow although the day after tomorrow I climb the big mountain in the picture!!! GULP!!  I met an American man who had done it in 26minutes - WTF - he is a running up hill lunatic!  I will take me probably just over an hour.

suzxxx

Arrived in Aguas Calientes ready for Macchu Piccu tomorrow - Day 16

The train journey from Cusco to Aguas Calientes was amazing, a beautiful journey through the valley with towering mountains either side of us.  AMAZING.  You could feel the buzz from all the people on the train - every single one of them planning on being at Macchu Piccu for the Winter Solstice and the last day of this current Mayan Calendar.  So many people believe so many different things as what has been written about the Mayan Calendar is open to interpretation.

From my reading of lots of different information over the last few years, I believe that this is the end of the current Mayan Calendar - there are 13 Mayan Calendars and this is the end of the 5th - this one has lasted 5200 years (there is a short calendar and a long calendar but its complicated to explain i.e I haven't got an effing clue what the difference is!!) so the winter Solstice along with the aligning of the planets is the end of 5200 years and we are about to start the 6th Mayan Calendar which is interpreted as the start of the Golden Age.

The Mayans didn't predict the end of the world, just the end of the world as we know it.  Now is the time to go into the Golden Age and we must spend the next 5200 years healing our Earth and give back everything we have taken from it.  Now is the time when all of the healers in the world will step forward and help others to heal themselves and the earth.  If we start with healing ourselves we will then be strong enough to give the Earth what it needs so it can also heal.

Healing is easy - we can all do it!  If your intention is to heal then that is what will happen so tomorrow, the 21st December take some time out of your normal daily routine and sit quietly and say to yourself "My intention is to heal myself, to heal my loved ones, to heal all those around me and to heal and give back to the Earth" and if you are reading this after the 21st, take a moment now and say those words - you will feel the energy of the Universe answer your call.

The train was fantastic with these amazing sun roofs!  I love when there is light above me, sometimes when I am travelling on planes part of my fear and claustrophobia is the overhead cabins above me that close off my crown chakra energy - so no problem with my crown chakra energy on this train - in fact it was buzzing and reaching out beyond the mountains!  The views were spectacular - have no idea how you could sleep through it like the guy in the picture but in saying that this was his second time on the journey so he had seen it once!

Once the train arrived into Aguas Calientes, which means hot water because there are hot springs here, I was met by the one of the hotel people who took me up to the hotel which was just a 2 minute walk from the train station.  I dumped my stuff and headed off to discover the town.

It really isn't very big with one main square and couple of main streets - mostly full of shops and restaurants.  It's got pretty spectacular surroundings - beat that George Square!  The statue is the Inca King - no idea which one as there will have been a few.  Sorry a bit crap with the old history stuff!

This is the view from the bridge over the river - my hotel is on the other side of the river from the main square but the place really is tiny, you can walk round it all in half an hour, if you are not shopping of course!  I had some great shopping this afternoon - I LOVE the negotiations! Got some wee bargains so I am happy.

I met up with Adrian my Shaman - what kind of name is Adrian for a Shaman?!  Anyway he was an older gentleman who looked more mexican than peruvian.  He was very sweet and told me about his visit to Scotland 10 years ago and how he went to the Rosslyn Chapel and it was a very special place of him as he had been there before in a past life.  He didn't really explain what happens in the ceremony tomorrow so it will all be a surprise except I know he works with the Angels which is really cool as I love to work with the Angels too. He is meeting me at 7am tomorrow to get the bus together up to Macchu Piccu and his parting words were "enjoy your dreams with the Angels" oh yes I can't wait! I haven't really slept very well since my Jungle Ceremony so a bit of Angel dust to give me a good full nights sleep would be amazing.

I am not sure how much walking there will be tomorrow, hoping not too much as I seem to have injured my left thigh - think it was the huge steps up and down at Moray yesterday.  I can walk up hill and on the flat ok but going down hill is really sore and I am walking like a hobbling old lady.  There are loads of massage places here but I really didn't want someone poking about my left thigh muscle as it really is very tender but thought some reflexology would help - oh fuck - my poor feet and calfs were battered to within an inch of their wee lives!  I now have sore calfs and a sore thigh!!  Fingers crossed tomorrow it will all be better.

Can't wait for tomorrow, I have seen so many pictures of Macchu Piccu but can't believe i am actually going to see it with my own eyes.  I hope Adrian is ready for some emotions as I think I might just be a big bubbling bairn!

suzxxx

Lots of amazing energy from Moray and lots of Salt from Maras! - Day 15

Today I headed off to visit an Inca site called Moray - it was about an hour or so outside of Cusco by bus.  The bus was mostly full of spanish speaking tourists so the guide spoke in spanish first then english which is the worst for me as by the time he starts speaking in english I have zoned out so not sure I learned an awful lot but I felt soooo much.  What a place!  Even before I had walked all the way down (yes I know I have constantly complained about having to walk up hill to see the sights but walking down first means you have to walk back up at the end!!!) I could feel this most intense energy and I was being drawn straight into it.  WOW its really the first time since landing in Cusco 3 days ago that I have felt this - I was beginning to think all this Inca stuff was a load of bollocks!

I was drawn straight down into the centre of it and just sat with my eyes closed for about 10 minutes until my guide was shouting at me to come back up as it was time for him to give us the explanation in English... yup yup it was used for Inca farming, each level has its own micro climate, the land is not clay even though all around is, there is no drainage etc etc etc I just wanted to get back down into the centre.  It was like the biggest gravity pull ever, I felt like I was being sucked into an energy vortex - really fantastic - the best place visited in Cusco by far.

Even looking at the picture now I feel totally drawn down to the centre - its like it leads to the centre of the Earth.  Really a very special feeling and place.

Here I am looking like a japanese tourist with my big camera round my neck!

 Did you know that there are 3000 different kinds of totties (thats potatoes to you english folk) grown in Peru?  One of those 3000 types is called a Moray as it was discovered in this region and dates back to the Inca times apparently - there was me thinking the Irish invented to tottie!  The Moray region was full of potato fields - its one of their biggest crops at that height which is above 3800m.

The weather was great today, no rain at all which was strange as yesterday on the other side of the mountain range it rained all day.  Our guide today was so confident it wouldn't rain he told us to leave our jackets behind - this side of the mountains has its own micro climate and it is a very dry area - weird isn't it as you could see the rain on the mountains which was only about 10 miles away.

On the way to Moray we stopped in a traditional wool place at Chincheru - the traditional Inca ladies had some Lama wool and showed us tourists how they clean it, dye it and then spin it and then by hand make all of the blankets.  It was very interesting but I was a little sidetracked by a cute wee pup who decided she wanted some healing, I gave her about 5 minutes and got up to go to the loo and she followed me, waited for me, then followed me back to my seat and pushed her head into my hands demanding more healing - how cute is that - here is a picture of my follow pup - she then followed me out to the bus - I was a bit worried she was going to try to come with me!  she was well looked after by the Inca ladies and belonged to the family where we were so I know she has a nice life, she just wanted some of that Jungle Energy that I am still carrying around at the moment!!!

Here are the Inca ladies and their wool making instruction.

We went from Moray onto Maras which is where there are these huge salt mines - the picture is stunning isn't it.  Its funny how you never really think about where things come from - I really hadn't thought about where salt came from but here in Maras the salt comes from inside the mountains and is brought out to the open by hot springs and filtered through these different pools where the base is clay and the workers gather the salt from the top of the clay and dry it out.  Very interesting - I have bought various types of the salt that has come from this mine so looking forward to giving it a try - one of the bags is for medicinal use so look forward to a long hot soak in the bath whenever I get a hotel room with a bath!

Tomorrow I am off to Macchu Piccu, I get the train at 8am which takes about 4 hours I think.  I meet my Shaman at 630pm and he will talk me through the Ceremony for the next morning - if I am lucky I might have a cool good looking columbian like Carlos again!!!  Also just had my ticket confirm to climb Huayna Picchu at 7am on 23rd December - this is one of the mountains overlooking Macchu Piccu - hate all the up hill walking but its a once in a lifetime chance to do it - apparently it gets a bit hairy with tiny paths and sheer drops - nothing like facing your fear of heights at one of the spiritual centres of the world!!

suzxxx

The Sacred Valley and my final Ayahuasca Purge! - Day 14

The sacred valley reminded me of Glencoe!  A road through a valley surrounded by beautiful mountains - the only difference is this Sacred Valley is full of petrol stations and hotels!  Thankfully Glencoe has been kept pretty much intact without all the commercial stuff.

We visited several Inca ruins - we had a different guide today - Caeser, who was easier to understand than the guide yesterday although he did keep making Mother-in-law jokes to the point they just weren't funny any more!  Anyway he taught me that the Inca's invented Lego - YES LEGO!  the way they used to carve the rocks so that they would sit together without concrete must have given the person who thinks he invented lego his first idea.  Can you imagine having to carve lego out of stone - now that would be hard work!

Here is a pic of one of the ruins at the top of the hill - 250 huge steps up and I had to do that just after lunch!  

 Here is an Inca Cemetery, can you see all the holes in the mountainside?  When you died they would carve a hole in the wall and put you in then fill it in - have to say I wouldn't mind that happening to me, just carve me a whole in one of the hills and shove me in and fill it in.

 Cute parrot that was at the place where we had lunch - he was quite friendly and when I started to offer him healing he held out his right foot and placed it on my hand and sat like that for 5 minutes with a look of parrot amazement in his eyes - he really enjoyed it!  I really felt I was able to bring Jungle energy into my healing - it feels like a much deeper vibration than I have ever felt before, how amazing if that is how I can heal now using the energy of the Jungle - if so then I am a very very lucky person.

Apparently there was a White God that came from Lake Titicaca that the Incas worshipped - they worshipped him so much they carved his face into the mountain - can you see it?  you can really only see his nose, mouth and beard now because of erosion.  the light coloured carvings where where the Inca king would store all of the food for the city and he would distribute to make sure no one went hungry - but you had to work for your food - if you didn't work then the Inca King would let you starve.

 Picture of me with the White Inca God Mountain in the background - look at my face - I think my final Ayahuasca Purge was starting here!!!!

I had a bit of a dodgy stomach in the afternoon which became a full scale purge by the evening - I was up every hour - phew I am knackered but do feel now I am over it.  I was warned that the Ayahuasca takes three days to come out of your system and at any point I can have a 'Purge' well thats me had it!!!

A beautiful rainbow over the Andes Mountains - very very special to see!

Here I am at yet another Inca ruin - do you know one of the Japanese tourists asked how they could live with no roofs on their buildings - doh!  the guide very kindly explained that in the Inca time they would have had a thatched roof like the buildings below me in this pic.  That has got to be listed as one of the most stupid tourist questions ever!!!

Off for a Moray and Maras tomorrow which is some kind of natural occurrence of circles in the earth or something - will let you know more when I get back.

Sorry no big long winded blog today - the wind has been taken out of me by my big Purge!!!

suzxxx