Pre- & Postconference

Cuzco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and other Sacred Sites

Following each Amazonian Shamanism Conference, I lead a group up into the Andes to Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu for 6 days. We depart Iquitos on the 19^th as the final Ceremony during the Conference takes place on the 17^th and we’ll need the 18^th to rest.

July 19^th: Early morning departure from Iquitos to Lima, change planes and we arrive in Cuzco around Noon. I’ve found that the best way to handle the drastic change in altitude is to get out of it. We have private transportation that takes us down into the Sacred Valley, incredible vistas and lots of photo ops. It’s just an hour and a half to Pisac where there’s the huge arts and crafts fair. We’ll shop around and have lunch here. Then take our transport another 1.5 hours to the town of Ollantaytambo. There are incredible ruins here to explore as this is the only location that the Conquistadors could not conquer. Overnight here.

July 20^th – Light breakfast and the train for 1.5 hours to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Village). Take the Mercedes Benz buses up the switchbacks to the entrance of Machu Picchu and we have the entire day to explore these remarkable ruins, returning to the train station at 5pm and back to Ollantaytambo. Private transport to Cuzco, acclimating all the way. Dinner and hotel in Cuzco.

July 21^st – After breakfast, we’ll explore in and around Cuzco. This is the time to do your shopping for art, jewelery and especially baby alpaca sweaters, coats, dresses, and amazing wall weavings. The prices are very good so I generally tell my passengers not to bring warm sweaters, instead just buy them when you are here. Lunch wherever you wish. This is also a day to take it easy and make sure you’re comfortable with the altitude. So it’s a lazy day. In the afternoon we visit the San Pedro market for coca leaves, especially helpful with the altitude.

July 22^nd – The ruins of Tambo Machay (Ancient watering station where everyone coming into the Royal city must bathe before entering) and Sacsayhuaman are just above Cuzco and we’ll arrive there after lunch. You’ll have the afternoon to stroll around these huge granite stones and take a slow walk down to Cuzco. We meet up at a French restaurant with stone floor and hot coco (or what have you) in front of a roaring fire. Dinner.

July 23^rd – Breakfast and more time to look around Cuzco for arts and crafts, etc. After lunch we have a “shaman” coming to do a coca ceremony for us. This day is also set aside for a San Pedro Ceremony up on top of the mountain (optional). The Ceremony lasts around 10 hours and is held in a beautiful garden, when you walk outside the gate you are almost standing in the ruins of the Temple of the Sun and the Moon, so this is an excellent ruin to explore while working with San Pedro.

July 24^th – Breakfast and returning to some of the shops where you have seen things that you wished you had purchased but didn’t. This is a day for you to be on your own or with others you’ve met during this program so you may do the things you would like to do. Many of you will be flying out this late afternoon and some of you flying out the next morning. Others may like to stay in Cuzco until the 29^th because the 28^th is Independence Day and it’s the biggest festival ever. There will be marching bands, dancing in the streets, parades, etc. during the entire program dates in various villages along our way.

The cost of the program is $1400 USDs. This includes everything: roundtrip flight Lima to Cuzco to Lima, private transportation, coca ceremony, all entrance fees, etc.. It does not include your food, but that’s not a problem as food is quite varied here and inexpensive and this way you can eat where and what you wish.

The deposit is $700 USDs and you pay the remaining when you arrive for registration at the Conference.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. That’s what I’m here for. Alan This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

All the good things,
Alan Shoemaker
Iquitos, Peru