The city of Cusco is surrounded by sacred sites of the ancient Inca civilization. There is a powerful energy that overtakes you when you drop below the clouds into the lush green Andean mountains.
Although the city has become heavily touristed over the years with the allure of Machu Pichu, if one has the awareness and sensitivity to dive deeply beneath the busyness and chaos, one can feel the sacred energy of the Incas.
As so often happens in my travels, I seem to synchronistically meet with certain people I am meant to connect with on my journey. I have always had a keen awareness of being watched over protectively in my travels. These connections arrive to help me or teach me something I am on the journey to learn.
Like Bania, a local Peruana and healer who I met “randomly” on the cobblestone streets of the Plaza de Armos in Cusco. As we became friends, I shared with her my strong interest to learn more about the culture and sacred ways of the Inca it just so happened that she was a direct descendant of a long lineage of Inca healers and her Grandfather “abuelo” is a 100 year-old living shaman.
Bania has begun to share with me about many of the sacred locations and ceremonies that are off the beaten tourist path. She has helped me in many ways to discover aspects of a culture I would not have otherwise uncovered. I am continually drawn to learn more about these locations and practices in Cusco and its surrounding Sacred Valley.
Bania is also fluent in Quechua, which is the indigenous language of the Q’ero, the last of the Incas, before they were overtaken by the Spanish who systematically tried to extinguish all traces of their culture, language and spiritual practices.
Who are the Q’ero people? https://wiraqochafoundation.org/pages/who-are-the-q-ero
The Q'ero follow the ancestral practice of “gifting” - you give what you have, and you receive what others give. This has created a society with very different values from those the “Western” world are accustomed to, and creates a unifying and interdependent community by the design of their Inkan ancestors, geniuses at social organization. The Q’ero believe that living a happy, empowered, kind, and giving lifestyle is our birthright. We are a part of Nature and must work with it rather than exploiting it for human gain. Our connection with Pachamama, Mother Earth, can help raise environmental and climate awareness and solve problems. When you ally with the Nature beings around you, your life becomes filled with joy and harmony. Because we are all a part of Nature, we are inherently worthy.
Once a week I meet Bania and am beginning to learn of the many healing and spiritual practices of the Incas and the Q’ero, the last of the living Incas today.
In Quechua we greet with the phrase “Allin punchay” and she teaches me a few new vocabulary words each week.
I have had these kinds of connections and experiences throughout my travels and they remind me I am protected and on this journey to learn and discover things I would have never known had I stayed in one place.
This week it happened to me once again. The weather here in the high altitude of the Andes gets very cold, especially at night and heat is not commonly used in Peru. For weeks I have had my eye out for just the right alpaca jacket or sweater to keep me warm during the night. Cusco is an overwhelm of merchants and shops with beautiful items handmade from alpaca. However, I kept my eyes open every day and never found just the one for me. A few days ago I was standing in line at a shop and looked over at the guy next to me. I was in admiration of his blue alpaca hoodie, so much so that I boldy asked another guy where he got his jacket because I liked it so much. With a big smile, he took it off and insisted that I have it. He said “Wear it around the world and show people the kindness of Peru.”
Cusco and Peru have been kind to me in too many ways to count and I am only left in awe and gratitude.
You can read about outher synchronicities on the journey in Japan here:
Field Notes
To be an artist you don’t have to compose music or paint or be in the movies or write books. It’s just a way of living. It has to do with paying attention, remembering, filtering what you see and answering back, participating in life. -Viggo Mortensen
View From the Road
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What an amazing story about the jacket! We need to see a pic of you in it. 😃
Hi Kirk --
This reminds me of the Taoist quote, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."
It goes on, "When the student is truly ready, the teacher will disappear.”