Pisac

Pisac is  famous for its market which takes place in the main square.  We have had lots of fun shopping and exploring the village.  To get there it is a 2 km walk along the river, which still shows evidence of Peru's devastating floods in January  of this year.  If we don't feel like walking there is always the option of catching a ride in a tuk tuk.  On wednesday Coll had a rest day as she did not feel hundred percent, while Viv and the rest of the group walked up the mountain behind the village to explore the Pisac ruins.  The 'walk' involved 6 hours of climbing up and down hundreds of steps and criss crossing the old Inca terraces to get to various sites.  For most of the day, they were accompanied by an old Andean pipe player, playing his haunting music.
On thursday morning we visited the waterways of Tampumachay.  The area remminded us a lot of  Dullestroom with its fine mist and rain, running streams and green thornveld type of vegetation.  The Incas were masters at channeling water and most of these are still functioning today, 600 years later.  That afternoon, we attended a ceremony, which was performed by a local shaman in his simple home.  In the ceremony the shaman makes a  mandala out of flowers, various grains, sweets, biscuits and cocoa leaves - all gifts to mother earth. These are then wrapped up in paper, tied up in string and once he has blessed each of us, by running it up and down our bodies, it is put in the fire.  Coll was given the honour of beating the drum, as the shaman chanted his haunting songs encouraging the offering to burn.  The Andean way of life is very much tied to ceremonies and worship.   These are often a mix of the age old traditional Quechue rituals and Catholicism, introduced by the Spaniards.  We all found it a very moving and humble experience.
Friday was spent quietly around the retreat in preparation for the evenings Ayahuasca ceremony.  We were all allowed a light breakfast and then only water for the rest of the day.  Ayahausca is Quechue for 'vine of the soul'.  It is a potent and purgative mix of jungle vines, used to help you release on a body, mind and emotional level.  We are glad we experienced it, but we are not likely to ever want to do it again, and are both feeling rather fragile today.
Tomorrow, Coll leaves with the rest of the group for Nasca Lines, and Viv joins up with Jen and Stew for the next adventure, walking the Inca train.  It has been so amazing to share this spiritual adventure and it is going to be very hard to say goodbye to each other.
Please post your comments as it is so great to hear from everyone at home.
We are still battling to put up pictures and if anyone can give us some advice on how to do this we would really appreciate it.
Adios for now

Circles of Moray

Night shopping in Pisac

Viv & Coll at the waterways of Tampumachay

Viv shopping for lunch at Pisac

Our group