Ayahuasca. Love the stuff. This hallucinogenic potion is probably the closest thing to magic we have left in the world. In fact, I believe it is magic. And so does the exorcised hernia that on my lower spine, which was so big a couple of years ago that it felt like I was walking around with a baseball at my waistline.

That is until most of the damned demon was ripped from the part of my body it had become so comfortable sleeping with since the first time my back blew out several years earlier in Alaska.

I was offloading crab from a fishing boat with a team of “pitchers.” A pitcher’s job is to enter the boat’s hold which is full of the crab, grab them by the legs and toss them into a net. Once full, the net goes up by crane, emptied, and then dropped into the hold again. Since the hold is usually full to the brim with crab, the pitcher starts out by jumping in, right on top of the little critters. I use the word “little” relatively speaking of course. Some of these crawling creatures that look like giant spiders reach a couple of feet long when outstretched. And they can really pack a pinch. This especially hurts when your throat, or worse, the family jewels, are attacked. The giant spiders have ample opportunity to pinch away as the pitcher must dig a hole out of the crab. This way he can stand up right in the hole with a wall of crab surrounding him. It makes it easier to pitch. No need to bend over so much.

I wasn’t the fastest pitcher on the team, yet I was one of the few people on the entire barge that could actually pitch. I didn’t have the motivation to be the “best pitcher this barge has ever seen.” I mean, what kind of a title is that anyway? However, on this particularly clear Alaskan day I felt spunky and was determined to prove that I could kick crab shell whenever I desired. So i did. I pitched those giant spiders with a speed that would put Speedy Gonzalez to shame. I hit floor first, much to the surprise and dismay of my fellow gung-ho pitchers. Almost finished with my corner of the hold, I bent down and grabbed several legs in each hand. With a swinging motion I quickly stood up and tossed the creatures to the net. Big mistake. POP! That’s what I remember hearing. It hurt like hell. During the next four days I was forced to walk bent over like the hunchback of Notre Dame. My lower back blew out on me. Those giant spiders, in their twisted way, had won.

A year later I was working for another company in Alaska. I had no back pain at all, so the first incident was duly forgotten. This time I was pitching cod fish. The best way to toss a cod, especially the big ones, is to stick your fingers under its gill slits to get a good grip, then flip it into the net like a baseball pitcher throwing underhanded.

Friendly competition would sometimes get fierce amongst us pitchers. We challenged each other to see who would pitch the most fish in the least amount of time. Pitching cod was not easy. When first entering the hold we would stand on plastic boards, which were placed on top of the mounds of cod like a life raft. Indeed, that’s what they were. Without them we would sink into the cod and get lost among them.

Feeling particularly cocky that day I grabbed the biggest cod I could find. I don’t know how much it weighed, but it was a big boy. As I lifted the flipping fish into the air I felt the bones of my lower spine slip from each other in a grinding left-to-right motion. Damn that hurt. And it hurt for several days afterwards. At least the cod hit the bull’s eye.

Years after the cod incident I had two more painful back incidences. Each time it got worse. The first of these resulted from a strong cough in the morning. Immediately my back blew out and I fell to the floor. I could not walk for several days. The pain was immense. I refused to go to the hospital. When I needed to take a leak I would pull myself along the floor from my bed to the bathroom. I could do it. Pain or no pain I WILL do it.

The last major back blow out I experienced did not begin with a dramatic pop, cough or slip. It worked on me slowly over a couple of days until I was a paraplegic again. This time I was laid out for a week, using my arms to get around. After I could walk again the pain would come back from time to time, but nothing so intense.

I did visit a doctor. He was not much help, simply recommending I get a potentially life threatening (and expensive) surgery to pull the hernia out of me.

Fast-forward a couple of years later. In the jungles of Pucallpa, Peru I sat in a ceremonial hut in the dead of night. I was under the influence of ayahuasca during one of a string of ayahuasca sessions. The physical and psychological purging was intense. I had no idea that such vile juice lived inside me. I coughed up agents of poison in green, brown and yellow colors. When those evil tricksters of negativity entered my brain ayahuasca would transform them into phlegm and expel them through my mouth. Eventually my hacking and coughing were reduced and I had a moment of blessed silence.

Sitting cross legged, letting my mind explore the inner depths of consciousness I had not know to exist, I realized I had been sitting in this position almost all night long. Since my first back incident I was not able to do this without feeling pain in my lower spine and being forced to abandon the position.

As soon as my focus had been directed to my hernia the ayahuasca that was in my blood immediately jumped on it. It literally attacked that damned hernia with the guidance of the master ayahuasquero who was helping to heal me. I was not in Pucallpa to heal the hernia. Yet ayahuasca seems to know what is best for you even better than yourself.

It was like thousands of rebel ships attacking the death star. Ayahuasca sent countless missiles into that baseball of a hernia whom relentlessly attacked until the ball broke from my spine. My heart beat increased. My palms sweat. I could FEEL this. It was not hallucinatory. I grabbed my lower back with both hands, searching for the round hernia. It was there, but loose. No longer was it attached to my spine like a blood-sucking leach. Being pushed in the mouth of a serpent, the demon slithered and weaved up my spine until it reached my throat. The serpent chewed it into countless tiny pieces and left. The pieces were lodged in my throat and I began to cough again. I coughed, and coughed, and coughed. Each time pieces of that dreadful thing flew out of me and into the bucket where my previous demons were collecting. It took great effort to expel each piece, but with every cough I felt lighter, cleaner.

That morning I could move. I mean really move! I could bend, twist and stretch without the slightest twinge of pain. The ball on my lower spine could no longer be felt. In this sense I had been set free. Since then i have not had a problem with that damn hernia, that is, not until just before I started writing this piece while lying in bed.

Yet, I know the hernia is gone. It was with me for so long that although it has detached from my spine it has attached itself to my brain, or more accurately, to my beliefs. When I think about that belief, I feed it.

I no longer wish to feed that demonic belief. So I will now starve it.

“You are expelled. You don’t exist. I will not think of you again. I will now stand. I will now move. Demon be gone!”

“What the thinker thinks the prover proves.” Robert Anton Wilson

“We are not these bodies, we are energy temporarily inhabiting these bodies. The surest thing in the world is that we all die.”

It was early morning. Doris and I were riding in a taxi from downtown Cuzco to her house, somewhere at the city’s outskirts. Doris is a medicine woman from the Peruvian jungles, in her forties with threads of brown throughout her white hair. In some ways she seemed used up, but mostly, I got the impression that she is much stronger than me.

My goal was to see the “inner vision” of my mind by attending a shamanic San Pedro ceremony. San Pedro is a cactus that contains mescaline and its hallucinogenic effects are similar to peyote. It is common for Peruvian Indians to use San Pedro in religious rituals, as they believe that San Pedro allows one to access the spirit world. Doris was preparing me for my initiation.

“Remember your breathing. This is very important. Slowly breathe in through the nose, down to your stomach and out again. Also remember that love, intention and thoughts are the three things that you can control. In the jungles I have never been hurt by an animal because I have love in my heart.”

I was skeptical of Doris’s philosophy and figured that she must read a lot of New Age books.

“I don’t read books,” Doris looked at me casually. “Everything I know I have learned from the plants.”

The taxi stopped at a fairly large house in a neighborhood of dirt roads and buildings that looked like they were about to be condemned. The main room of the house was decorated with candles, cacti, feathers, a few mirrors and carpets with complex designs upon the floor and hanging from the walls. A view of the Apu Picol Mountain could be seen through the room’s large window.

A young woman of about twenty years was introduced as Doris’s daughter, Deborah. “Hi Thomas,” she said with a big smile and a cheerful voice. “Are you ready for your initiation?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Let’s get started then.”

Underneath my shirt a sash was wrapped around my waist, covering the “energy spot” – just below the navel to “keep the lifeforce inside.” I was then instructed to take off my shoes and to have a seat on the floor.

My initiation glass was brought in with a slice of lemon. The San Pedro cactus had been cut up and boiled into a very thick, green substance that I drank reluctantly. Slime stretched from my mouth to the glass. I had to chew chunks of the plant before swallowing with water. Its taste made my face contort and I used a few drops of lemon to kill it.

Doris was somewhat amused. “You see, it is impossible to become addicted to San Pedro. It just tastes too terrible. Try to keep it down for at least an hour in order for the plant to take effect. After an hour or so, throw it up to get rid of emotional pain and all that psychic shit.”

“Hello Thomas.” It was a steady voice with an unusual accent that belonged to a man in his mid-twenties wearing loose, patched clothing. “My name is Muhaned and I hope you find what you are looking for.”

“I do too,” I said with a bit of sarcasm.

Deborah flashed a big smile and put her arms around Muhaned. “He has traveled all the way from the deserts of Arabia to be here.”

The next couple of hours involved small talk between massages from Deborah and Doris. Up and down my body, feathers were shaken with sprinkles of water to the sounds of chanting and drumbeats. Cigarette smoke was blown into my glass of San Pedro in some kind of prayer. Another man did his best to attend to the women’s desires with a strange grin that never left his face.

“Thomas,” Doris whispered into my ear, “I found Roberto homeless and without a family. He was severely retarded but after drinking a few glasses of San Pedro, he can use more of his mind. He works with us now.”

Hours passed and yet nothing happened. Although the theatrics were a nice touch, I had the feeling that the whole setup was designed to fool “believers” into thinking that something mystical and invisible happens. I was getting ready to leave. However, my third large glass of San Pedro sat before me half-full.

I gazed into the green substance. Small bubbles formed and broke, creating streaky movements. I did not want to finish it. The looks alone were enough to make me sick but it taunted me and laughed at me. I wasn’t about to be beaten by some plant, so I drank it all in one fell swoop.

My stomach churned. I began to sweat and my breathing became faster. Vision wained as something inside me pounded frantically to be released. I could take no more. Slowly I went to the bathroom and shut the door. Immediately yellow and green bile spat from my mouth.

Pain! Something is being ripped from my body. Oh God! What is wrong with me? There is nothing more to vomit, but my body continues to wrench. Is that music coming from the other room or from inside my head? I fall to the floor still wrenching and lurching painfully. Get a grip, Thomas. Get the hell out of here. I stand up to wash my face. Where is the mirror? Are these tears green?

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Thomas! Thomas! Are you all right? — Muhaned. — Come out here, Thomas.

Be cool. Everything is in your head. Remember your breathing. I open the door. Women are laughing in another area. I follow the sounds to find Deborah and Doris sitting on the floor in a dark red room with black shadows lining the walls. They look at me and the laughter stops.

Come here, Thomas and sit down.

Is the room moving or am I? I sit near Deborah and Doris to be joined by Muhaned. Darkness is moving across the ceiling, blotting out the light from the window. I look at the mountain and it moves! It opens! Broken lines are connecting inside the mountain as if they are keys to the mountain’s timeless secrets. What are the keys that open human minds? San Pedro must be one of those keys, but I fear that it is a key to a forbidden door.

Something small and black scurries underneath me. A cockroach? I look down – thousands of them! They are coming from my veins to run in lines across the floor, over the candles, feathers and into the San Pedro.

Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look. From the corner of my eye I see something deformed standing over my right shoulder. I am covered by its shadow. Sweat runs down my forehead and my palms are clammy. What is that behind me? My breathing quickens, faster… faster… faster… faster…

Thomas no! — Deborah jumps forward — Thomas control your breathing! Slower… slower… slower… slower…

Doris looks over my right shoulder. Her face shows fear? — When he first came to me I had doubts about his strength. But now I can see that I underestimated him. He is going on a warrior’s journey. This will take some time. — She stands up, — what you see in others is what you see in yourself, — and leaves.

Things are crawling, shadows are moving, the mountain is open, somthing deformed is behind me. I can’t move.

Thomas, let’s go to the mountain, — a steady voice with a request and a touch of command.

I can’t move.

Thomas, let’s go to the mountain, — a cheerful voice with a request and a touch of command.

Hands pull me to my feet. Let’s go to the mountain.

Crossroads

“If you don’t know where you’re going you’ll probably end up somewhere else.” Lawrence Peter

My hat shelters me from the blistering sun as I follow my two guides along a dirt road leading upwards toward the mountain, where perhaps there is a plan, or an ambush, awaiting me.

I come to four roads and stop. Which way do I go? Down looks easy, but it will be harder to come up again as there is more hill to climb. To the right a dog looks at me curiously, welcoming my approuch. This way is no good, it lacks excitement. How about up towards the mountain with the witches? No. To the left I go.

There are two dogs chained to a post blocking my path. They snarl and scream at me, faces bulging as they desperately try to break free of the bonds that hold them. Bring it on puppies! I’ll get past you bastards! I walk closer to them. With each step they seem to become more intent upon destroying me. I’ll settle this. I reach for the guns at my hips. Shit! Where are my guns? The witches must have stolen them! I should have known that they can’t be trusted. I glance at Deborah and she gives me another big smile before beginning another chant.

Thomas where are you going? — Muhaned tries to hide his irritation. — Thomas let’s go to the mountain. — He looks funny in that pointed hat of his.

I’ll show you! I reach for my guns. Goddamnit! The witches stole my guns! Now what do I do?

A car full of Peruvians passes by. Each has a different look on his face as they watch the crazy gringo walk around in circles. I tip my hat to them with a grin. Damn I wish I had my guns! I’m not going anywhere.

OK Thomas, let’s go back to the house. Is that what you want? — I nod yes to Muhaned as he puts his arm on my shoulders and we walk side by side.

Our shadows guide the way along the ground. Muhaned’s shadow is loose and fumbly, almost as if he has no bones and he looks funny in that pointed hat of his, like a scarecrow. My shadow moves in stiff, rigid motions like something made from metal or tin. There is a white hole through the shadow’s chest.

Where is my heart?

Dancing Shadows

“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.” H.P. Lovecraft

I sit on the floor in the main room of the house. It is dark here with patches of black, even darker still. The falling sun shoots streams of light through the window and I have trouble seeing. I put my sunglasses on. There, I can see much better now. I do not see with my eyes, but with my mind, or more accurately, my awareness.

You like the dark, don’t you Thomas? — Unable to speak I nod the affirmative to Muhaned.

I am in a fascinating dimension with endless wonders. The human mind is so complex and mysterious that one needs to ask the right questions to unlock the doors guarding the right answers. I wonder what questions I am asking.

I light a cigarette and watch the smoke twist and turn without form as it rises to disappear. Smoke exists like the spirits, floating freely without a body, without intention. I am in awe of them. When in need of good company, I find myself meditating with the spirits, as the dead are often more alive than the living.

There are eyes watching me from the walls – hundreds of them. Their words form like a whirlwind, making it impossible to distinguish one from the other. The entire room is breathing as an animal does while suffering for its last breath. There are moans and screams of pain as most of the eyes are pulled back into the walls. The others free themselves to become shadows gliding along the floor until they encircle me. The feminine forms raise themselves and move smoothly, slowly, softly. The dancing shadows make music with their words:

Dance with us. Dance with us and be with us forever.
You might not dance, but do not forget us.
You must always remember us.

A devil in human form steps forward with a smirk on his face and a staff in his hand. His whore is at his side. I rub my hand across the staff, it is covered in snake skin, and I watch transfixed as the skin responds to my touch, ignoring its owner as he speaks something about the jungles and coincidences.

Let me tell you a joke! — Muhaned bends down — Do you want to hear my joke Thomas? — I nod and Deborah smiles.

There were three men stranded on a small boat in the middle of the ocean. Suddenly a genie appeared to them. It said that it would grant three wishes, one for each of the men. The first man said, I want to be rich. — It is done! said the genie and the first man disappeared. The second man said, I want to travel the world. — It is done! said the genie and the second man disappeared. The third man looked around to find himself alone. Then he said, I want my friends back.

Thomas! — Deborah is pretending to fly on a broomstick. — Look! — She runs into the window.

That was a good one! — Muhaned half-laughs. — Thomas do you want to fly? I can show you how. Sit on this carpet over here with me.

I sit cross-legged on the carpet and watch its designs move and connect as if unlocking a secret code.

Now close your eyes…

My face stings of cold as the carpet cuts through the wind above Cuzco. I am riding the surf of thoughts to destinations unknown. I open my eyes.

Deborah points my direction to a circular “target” with a large, black dot at its center, surrounded by rings of different colors and sizes.

Look at this, Thomas and you can go to other worlds in your mind! — Deborah, always the cheerful one.

Transfixing my attention to the black spot the outer circles begin to spin. Slowly at first, then increasing in speed until the friction heat melts a long, dark tunnel into the wall and I can see something on the other side, something undefined. Is this real or imagined?

All experience is real in some form or fashion, subjective to the observer’s belief or faith. Reality is more religion than science. What is their religion? They are leading me to believe in their view of reality, hypnotizing me while I am in the dreamtime to convince me that the dream IS reality while I am fully awake. If I can control the dreamtime, may I control “reality?” Am I the dreamer of the dream, or the dream of the dreamer?

I shake my head, with eyes closed, to come out of the tunnel.

Thomas do you want to come down now? — it’s Muhaned.

I shake my head.

This guy’s going to write a fucking book — Muhaned says to Deborah, and then to me, — Thomas, are you sure? Everything is in your mind, Thomas, you can control what you see. What do you want to see? You can do anything here, you only need to want it. Do you want to come down?

I shake my head.

Come with us.

Fire and Night

“Death begins when a person accepts that he has died.” The Patagonians

Only for you, Thomas! — Muhaned shouts, spinning his staff of fire. Deborah joins the fire dance with a chant and her flaming ball and chain. Roberto stands nearby with that damned pasted grin on his face, anxiously awaiting to be of assistance to his two colleagues.

I stand in the night watching the stars flash across the sky and glance at shadows slithering from darker places. Everything is attached by cobwebs – the tree to the rock, the rock to me and me to my guides. A small fire is started by Roberto which Muhaned uses to light a staff for me. As I spin it a tunnel is cut into the ether and I see things, strange things. Creatures and humans merge to become one, then separate. Time does not seem to exist here, things die to be born again, as I watch – fascinated.

During our break from the fire dance, Muhaned takes my right hand and puts it into the fire. I have no fear. I feel no pain. I am beyond the point of caring. My hand remains in the fire for ten or fifeteen seconds until pulled from the flames completely black, but not burned.

Perfect — says Muhaned and we return to the house.

When you look at me Thomas, what do you see? Do you see a young man walking like this? — Muhaned stirs up the mist on the floor as he walks smoothly and easily. — But in reality, Thomas, I walk like this, — Muhaned walks feebly and with difficulty, hunched over, in need of a cane. — I use magic to create the illusion that I am young, when really I am 65 years old – no, I am 165 years old.

You need some sleep, Thomas. — Deborah shows me to a bed. — Get some rest.

Alone, I lie in the dark. The window to my left gives a view of Apu Picol. The strangely colored walls seem to blend in with the floating mist. Deborah and Muhaned are laughing in the other room, which seems to coincide perfectly with the shadows on the walls – a male figure over a female figure. Muhaned’s – Aladdin’s? – shadow turns to look at me, letting out a long, deep-throated sound.

The room is replaced by a diamond shape with others inside of it, like looking at a pyramid from above. The diamond turns to break into several half-circles. In the middle of these circles appears a face. How similar that gray face looks to a human skull.

I will give you a gift. To see what you want to see. — A deep voice, but soft.

I want to see the spirits.

The face is gone. I am standing on endless plains covered by bones. There is no sun but a dim light can be seen in the distance. Spirits as black as coal walk without sound over human skulls. Some speak foolishness, like madmen. Others cry out as they try to grab bones, wishing that the skeletons would resurrect in the flesh.

Am I dreaming? Has one ever paused to consider where the voices of dreams come from? Perhaps they are the thoughts of the subconscious mind, or life events recreated into symbolic images for better understanding. Or maybe, just maybe, dreams are a medium of communication from another world where the spirits of the dead and the unborn roam.

Am I dreaming? Perhaps I have already died and gone to Hell!

Oh God, what have I done? I have followed devils – or myself – into worlds of my mind that were not meant to be explored! Supernatural surgeons are operating on my mind, and I allowed them to do it, just like Roberto did. Roberto isn’t retarded, he can’t come out of his San Pedro trip! I want to live!

Maybe I am not dead yet, I may still be on my journey. How may I leave this place? I can control the dreamtime by controling my thoughts. I am stronger than the plant, the tricks, and the hypnosis! I only need to have faith that someday I will find an escape from my mind…

The Other Side

“These entities seem to come from another dimension or “spirit world,” or perhaps from our subconscious minds — which, in fact, may hold other dimensions.” Michael Craft

Laughter. Incessant laughter. — Oh, wake up Thomas!

I awoke to a view of Apu Picol and the sun shinning in my face. I wondered what was at the mountain, and why Deborah and Muhaned wanted me to go there so intently.

The door opened and Doris walked in. “How are you feeling?” she asked quietly.

“I still haven’t come completely down yet, but I can function.” I rose slowly, half expecting the room to move. It stayed firmly in place to tell me that I had somewhat returned to my normal reality.

“You will come completely down in time,” Doris looked at the door. “You were on the other side. I don’t know how you were ready for it, but you were. No one I know has ever gone that far on their first San Pedro trip.”

Doris glanced up at me. “Do you read a lot of horror stories?”

“I used to.”

“That is why you saw what you saw. You need love in your heart to see other things. It’s all in your heart, Thomas, open up.” She took a deep breath and sighed. “Did you see the threads of the lifeforce during your trip?”

I tried to imagine what this would look like. “I saw spider webs.”

“That was the lifeforce and you perceived it to be spider webs because of the way you think. You need to detatch yourself from the negative threads that are doing you harm.

“I have never seen anyone drink so much San Pedro at one time. You must drink alcohol a lot in order to stomach it. You are looking for something there.”

The genie in the bottle…

I took a taxi back to my hotel in downtown Cuzco and slept for several hours. When I awoke I could see streams of energy coming from my fingertips as I waved my hands in the air, but the energy was fading. I took a walk outside where everything seemed to be vibrantly alive. I recognized the clouds in the blue sky with much more clarity and observed the people on the street in detail.

Walking down a quiet alley, I noticed an old man sitting slumped over on the curbside with a stick in his hand. At my approuch he raised his head — it was Muhaned.

“Hello Thomas!” He stood up to greet me cheerfully. “How are you feeling?”

“Different.”

“That is to be expected,” he grinned. “Tell me about what you saw on your San Pedro trip. It must be very interesting as you were gone for a long time – almost a full twenty-four hours.”

“I saw shadows dancing, the mountain opening up to show symbols…”

“Was everything crawling?” Muhaned interrupted.

“Yes.”

“What else did you see?”

“I saw a face. It said that it would give me a gift, to see what I want to see. I said that I wanted to see the spirits.”

“Do you know who that was? That was Mescalito. Mescalito is mentioned in the Carlos Castenada books. Tell me something more, Thomas, did you see us as devils?”

I nodded.

“We are devils,” he said straightforward, casually, “devils that do good.”

The human psyche has infinite regions still waiting to be explored. At that moment I knew that I would soon attend another San Pedro ceremony.

I have been forced to directly confront almost every thought that skips through my brain. From thoughts I choose to entertain, to those which seem to come without any desire on my part.

Of these thoughts, those which I focus on grow exponentially. Instead of taking days, weeks or months of focus on a thought for it to take firm hold of me, I find it now takes only minutes, and sometimes just seconds.

This is equally true for positive and, unfortunately, negative thoughts. I am forced to take a serious look in my mind.

In Napoleon Hill’s classic book “Think and Grow Rich” it is claimed that thoughts literally are things that shape our destinies. Listed are the “Six Ghosts of Fear” which keep us from achieving that which we desire. Every single one begins with the entertainment of a negative thought.

Napoleon’s “Six Ghosts of Fear” are:

The fear of poverty

The fear of criticism

The fear of ill health

The fear of loss of love

The fear of old age

The fear of death

Napoleon further states that “The Devil’s Workshop” is “susceptibility to negative influences.” This susceptibility, Napoleon claims, is extremely subtle and very powerful. It may attack us at any moment through a variety of mediums. Many times it is hidden under the guise of something that is good for us.

This common weakness has done more harm to the human race than everything else combined. It is from thought that emotion is fed and action is taken.

Ayahuasca has made me increasingly aware of the power of our thoughts. Instead of letting my mind be harnessed by whatever thoughts may be, every one of them makes a serious presence.

Each thought seems to magnify if I focus on it for just a brief moment. If I continue to focus on a negative thought consciously or unconsciously it becomes heavy and scars deep into my brain. Without being aware of it, that thought, which most likely rode the back of a “positive” message, clouds how I perceive the world. This subsequently affects every aspect of my life at some level.

Once a negative thought begins to influence us, whether we are aware of it or not, we begin to use that negativity as a tool to influence the others whom we come in contact with. If we influence just one person in this way the virus lives and may continue to spread from brain to brain, life to life.

Negative thoughts are tricksters. They like to deceive. They wish to appear good. They tell a truth to cover the lie. They slip into us undetected. They are parasites. When entertained they grow.

**When we think about something we don’t want we are feeding that very thing!**

How we think becomes how we feel. How we feel is how we tend to act. If we think about a derogatory statement someone made to us, we have a tendency to get sad or angry. Our shoulders slump, our face frowns. Our forehead muscles tighten. Our awareness of the world is then perceived by how we feel. Once in contact with someone we release the thought through physical action to that person. It jumps at the person and intently tries to breed.

Fortunately, the opposite is true for positive thoughts. When our thinking is focused on the good things in life, the ones we love, a smile we received, a kind word, an affectionate embrace, we feel better and therefore act better.

When we think good things we stand taller, smile bigger, put a skip in our step and a hum in our throats. People tend to react to us in a positive way. More good things come to us, and the more good that comes the more we can give.

**Happiness is contagious.**

We can take control of our lives. We can choose the thoughts we focus on.

Negative thoughts bombard us constantly even with no action on our part. Positive thoughts, however, need to be consciously planted.

The best way to plant and harvest positive thoughts is to have an attitude of gratitude.

Be thankful for everything. Express your gratitude. Say “thank you” at every opportunity. Tell that special someone how much they mean to you. Take a deep breath of life and be thankful. Release your breath and feel alive.

**Practice the attitude of gratitude at every moment, of every day, for the rest of your life.**

Refuse to listen to anything that is not positive. When approached with hardships and challenges be thankful for the opportunity to learn. Constantly be alert for new ways to express your gratitude. Write down everything for which you are thankful. Associate yourself with channels and people that advocate the types of things you want from life. Read inspiring literature.

The results will astound you.

It is early morning as I write this article. Let me start my day by saying “Thank you, dear reader, for giving me an opportunity to share.”

There is a fog that hangs over Lima for most of the year which seems to cover the tourist’s eyes from seeing what hides beyond. When a person gets past the smog and the bustle of nearly 10 million inhabitants on its crowded streets, one finds a gem of cultural history going back to times when the Inca Empire ruled the country and afterwards the Spanish conquistadors.

Lima was known to the Spaniards as the “City of Kings” and was the capital city of Spanish South America. The Incas made Lima a major part of their Empire, who had trading routes going from Cuzco to Lima. There are still colonial buildings and remnants of ancient civilizations in Lima. The city also offers a wide variety of Peruvian food, dance, theater, art and culture.

When planning a vacation to Peru consider taking a Lima vacation to experience another flavor of this mystical land.

There are two main areas in Lima that are of interest to the tourist:

Historic Center of Lima and Downtown Lima

The historic center of Lima is a UNESCO World Heritage site which includes a number of things of interest to the tourist. The Plaza de Armas, or Plaza Major (Main Square), is the central focus of Lima. This was a part of the Spanish Inquisition after Inca rule and is now a place to take a stroll and see the magnificent colonial architecture that the Historic Center has to offer. On the four sides of the Plaza de Armas stand the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace and City Hall. For a small fee you can be taken around the Square in a horse-pulled buggy.

Many of the old buildings have beautiful balconies that were once famously used by the Tapadas, the covered women of Lima, who elegantly wore clothing that covered everything but their eyes.

The Iglesia de San Francisco is a remarkable church that is most famous for the catacombs beneath it that hold the skeletal remains of 25,000 people who were laid to rest during the 16th and 19th centuries. No Lima vacation would be complete without a visit. The Museo de Arte has exhibits of ancient and modern Peruvian art.

Take a stroll just off the Plaza de Armas to discover a wide variety of restaurants offering some of the finest Peruvian cuisine, which is considered to be one of the best in the world holding several Guinness World Records. Handicraft stores sell a wide assortment of souvenirs at very reasonable prices and of high quality.

The Plaza de Acho bullfighting ring was once the largest in the world and is still the oldest in South America. Nearby is it’s Taurino museum with displays from Peru’s bullfighting history. The area called Cerro San Cristobal has a large cross on it’s hill with a good viewpoint of Lima city.

The Park of the Reserve hosts the Magic Circuit of Water which is comprised of the largest fountain complex in the world and is a fun place to visit if you have enough time during your Lima vacation. There are several fountains at the park, including a walk-through water tunnel and the Children’s Fountain. The largest fountain sprays water 80 meters high. In the evening there is a laser and picture show accompanied by synchronized music.

Miraflores

Miraflores is an upscale part of Lima that is popular hangout for tourists on their Lima vacation. It’s central point is Parque Kennedy (Kennedy Park) where outside shows are performed, artists display their work and chess players gather. Just off the park is Calle de las Pizzas (Pizza Street) with several restaurants that serve not only pizza, but Peruvian dishes as well. There are also several discos and karaoke bars in the area that are open all night long. The popular Luis Miro Quesada Garland Hall exhibits superb artwork from Peruvian and foreign artists.

Shopping is abundant in Miraflores although higher-priced than downtown. The shopping center Larcomar has restaurants, stores, a movie theater, a bowling alley, arcades and two discotecas. Larcomar is located on a hill which provides great views of the ocean and it’s beaches below. Miraflores beaches offer excellent opportunities to swim, surf and paraglide.

On Calle Piura 135, just a few minutes from Parque Kennedy, is located the South American Explorers clubhouse. This is a great source of information for anyone who travels in Peru and South America. They also host weekly events.

The only remaining ruins in Miraflores is the Huaca Pucllana which dates back to 200 – 700 AD and was an important site to the ancient Lima Culture. It is 22 meters high, made of sun-dried adobe brick, and is divided into a ceremonial and administrative section. Sometimes events and music shows are held there. On site is also a museum and a restaurant with a great view of the ruins which are floodlit at night.

Tours

There are several tour agencies located in the blocks around the Plaza de Armas. Miraflores has tour agencies centered around Parque Kennedy. All of these agencies offer city tours of both areas. Tours show highlights of the two districts, and some extended city tours include a few extra things to see. Right off the Plaza de Armas there are benches available where people wait for a tour bus that stops by regularly. This tour includes a brief overview of Lima city, then moves on to the bullfighting ring and San Cristobal. If you don’t have much time on your Lima vacation, then this is the tour to take.

A good alternative to traditional tours is the Mirabus. It’s office is located at Larco 345, Mezzanine 9, Miraflores and offers several different panoramic bus tours of Lima and Miraflores. The company also gives tours of Lima’s port Callao and of the archaeological site Pachacamac.

As you can see, Lima has a diversity of options available for the inquisitive tourist. So before being too quick to jump on a plane elsewhere, give a second thought to your potential Lima vacation.

If you have booked a Peru vacation package then your lodging will be covered. If you plan on taking different tours during your vacation here then you will need to find Peru lodging in between tours.

Decide where you will be going and what type of accommodation you would like. Do you want the luxury hotels or the inexpensive hostales? Perhaps you would like to experience the culture a bit more by staying with a host family, or give yourself a healthy mix of choices.

Whatever you choose there are certain factors that should be considered. What is your expense account for accommodation? If you are on a limited budget then you should be careful as to where you stay or you could end up spending your vacation money very quickly. On the other hand, if a large budget is a luxury you have on your vacation you might choose to stay at three and four star hotels.

Location is another important consideration. You probably won’t want to be far away from the main attractions. The closer you are to them, the better. As Peru lodging is located just about everywhere, if you don’t choose your location wisely you could end up in a fairly remote region with little resources. Stay around the main tourist areas, there are plenty of hotels that offer easy access to the sites you wish to see.

If the hotels around the tourist area are too expensive for your budget, then check for Peru lodging a few blocks away. Generally, the further away a hotel is from the tourist area, the cheaper it gets. Don’t go too far though as you still want to be close to the action.

With location and budget in mind, here are the main types of Peru lodging available:

Free Peru Lodging

There are hospitality exchange programs available in several parts of Peru, especially in the bigger cities like Lima, Trujillo, Arequipa and Cuzco. Members of these programs let travelers stay at their homes for free. Sometimes the host will offer things like meals and city tours besides a room to stay. This can be somewhat limiting as members of hospitality exchange programs may be few in numbers, or located well away from tourist attractions, but it will save you money and offer you an inside look at the culture. Couchsurfing.com is one of these clubs you can join.

Cheap Peru Lodging

There are a few backpacker hostels in the bigger cities. At hostels you’ll share a room with other travelers and therefore pay less for accommodation. Hostels are not too common as hospedajes or hostales usually cost about the same as hostels, sometimes they are cheaper. Hostales are available in virtually every city in Peru. In most cases there are several of them every few blocks. They are very basic and almost never include additional services, but only cost around $7 to $30 a night.

Inexpensive Peru Lodging

Affordable hotels are abundant in the principle cities, especially in the tourist areas. These range from the basics of a television, a telephone, a bathroom, a bed or two and a desk, to extra services like meals, internet, a swimming pool, laundry service, tour information and other useful amenities. Prices generally range from $30 to $100 per night. If you have extra time, an alternative to staying in a hotel is to stay with a host family. This is similar to the hospitality exchange programs except that there is a fee. However, you will also receive home cooked meals, you’ll get help with your Spanish, make new friends, be invited to take part in activities and gather a lot of information and cultural experience. Most host families are located in Lima, Arequipa and Cuzco. Prices are about $60 to $150 a week. One Peruvian homestay organization is hostfamilyinperu.com

Expensive Peru Lodging

High class and luxury hotels are available in the major cities and around certain tourist attractions like the beach in Miraflores, Lima and Machu Picchu near Cuzco. These offer bigger, better furnished rooms. Many also include or offer restaurants, gyms, business centers, casinos, shows, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, room service, guided tour services, souvenir shops, beauty salons and other things of comfort and entertainment. When on a packaged tour with a travel agency your hotel accommodations are almost always included in the price. A nightly stay costs from $100 to over $1,000.

Choose the type that you are most comfortable with. Virtually every kind of accommodation is available in Peru. They are also easy to find. Check your guidebook, do an internet search, talk to a travel agent, or once you get here, just have a look around.

The country has a rich ancient history with cultures like the Inca Empire, Moche, Nazca, Chachapoyas, Chavin, Paracas, Tiahuanaco, Wari, the Norte Chico Civilization and Chimu. There is even a theory that descendants of the Vikings live in Peru! There are also islands, catacombs, canyons, Spanish colonial structures, museums, lakes, Pisco
Sour, the ayahuasca spirit vine, curanderos (healers) and traditional dances.

Peruvian cuisine is becoming world-famous. Peru has some of the most diverse and delicious food the world has to offer. Peru has 35 varieties of maize (corn), 2,000 varieties of potatoes, over 2,000 varieties of sweet potatoes, 2,000 species of fish (more than any other country in the world),
and probably the best lemon anywhere.

Main Attractions

Peru tourism can roughly be divided into two main circuits: the Northern Circuit and the Southern Circuit.

The Southern Circuit is by far the most popular with tourists as it includes Peru’s #1 site-seeing attraction – Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is in the Cuzco area. Other highlights in the Southern region are the Nazca Lines, Nazca; Colca Canyon, Arequipa; Lake Titicaca, Puno; the Sacred Valley, Cuzco; the Plaza de Armas, Sacsayhuaman and Koricancha, Cuzco City; the Inca Trail up to Machu Picchu; Choquequirao, a couple of days from Cuzco city; and Manu National Park near Cuzco. The Cuzco region is the archaeological capital of South America.

The Northern Circuit is not as popular as it’s Southern counterpart, yet offers spectacular scenery and marvelous ancient structures. Main attractions here are Caral, Barranca; Chavin de Huantar, Huaraz; Chan Chan and El Brujo Archaeological Complex, Trujillo; The Lord of Sipan, Chiclayo; the Pyramids of Tucume, Lambayeque; the Amazon Jungles, Iquitos; Kuelap, the Gocta Waterfall, the Gran Vilaya and Karajia, Chachapoyas. The Chachapoyas region in may actually have more archaeological ruins than the Cuzco region as it is still relatively unexplored.

There are so many things to see in Peru that you may need to sign up for several Peru vacation packages!

The Most Popular Peru Vacation Packages

The main attractions are just the tip of the iceberg of what Peru has to offer. However, unless you have years of time available you’ll need to choose a Peru vacation package that includes the primary things you want to see within your scheduled vacation time.

The most popular Peru vacation packages head from Lima to the Nazca Lines, Lake Titicaca, then Cuzco. The Cuzco region is a must see. All main tour packages include at least a day trip to Machu Picchu. A Sacred Valley and City tour of Cuzco covers several sites. This takes about 7 days. If you have more time then you might consider a visit to Colca Canyon and Manu National Park.

The second most popular package is a trip to the Amazon Jungles in Iquitos. These tours usually include meals and lodging, trips along Amazon rivers, jungle hikes, wildlife watching and visits to native towns. Minimum tour length is usually 3 days. There are tours that last for weeks, but the magic number here is 4 to 5 days.

If ancient ruins are more your style and you have already seen the main attractions of the Southern Circuit, then a tour package based in Trujillo is an excellent alternative. From Trujillo tour packages go to Chan Chan, El Brujo, The Lord of Sipan, the Pyramids of Tucume and sometimes to Caral. Tour length is about 7 days.

Unfortunately most Peru vacation packages don’t include a trip to Kuelap because it is still fairly isolated. But if you have a few extra days Kuelap should be a must-see in the Northern Circuit.

What Do You Want to See?

Before you decide on a tour company you will want to make a must-see list based upon how long your vacation will last and the main region to visit. Pick a few of the sites that you will not do without. If there will be extra vacation time after visiting the places on your must-see list then you can add secondary things to see.

Once you have your refined list in hand you can begin looking for the tour agency that offers you the perfect Peru vacation packages. There are so many types of tour packages available that you will probably find an excellent match without any difficulty. If in the unlikely case you don’t find the ideal package ask the tour agency if they do custom tours. There are several agencies that are flexible to what you want, especially if you will be traveling in a group.

Choosing the Right Tour Agency

Contact a few travel agencies and speak with a travel agent. Let the travel agent know how much time you have, what you want to see and how much money you are willing to spend. Also be sure to mention if you will be traveling with others and ask about discount group rates.

The travel agent will then be able to offer you Peru vacation packages that fit your needs. When you have the ideal package be sure to get the itinerary. You will also want other details on what is included: meals, lodging, transportation, free time and extra activities. Ask how much it will cost to make a reservation and what the agency’s policy is if you have to cancel. Be sure to check into the travel agency’s credibility. You want nothing less than excellent service.

With the proper tour package fit to your desires you will have a wonderful time in Peru. Your vacation will be an experience that you will remember for a lifetime and you’ll soon find yourself pondering a return trip.

The typical work-week in Peru lasts for six days, which is probably one of the reasons why there are so many holidays. Many Peruvians get the day off on holiday, called feriado, which is usually spent drinking one of Peru’s top beers: cristal, cusqueña or pilsen.

Most Peruvians love to drink. They’ll treat personal celebrations and events with as much fervor as national holidays. Drinks are passed around on birthdays, family and friend gatherings, baptisms, sporting events, weddings, baby showers and even at funerals! It is very common to find fiestas throughout Peru, accompanied by not only drinks, but traditional and modern dances.

When planning a vacation to Peru you may wish to include Peru holidays in your itinerary. There are Peru holidays and festivals throughout the year, with those in June and July in Cuzco being the most popular with tourists.

January

Of course New Year is celebrated in Peru, especially as it is one of the Peru holidays that provides an excellent opportunity to drink. The party starts on December 31st with rounds of beer and lots of food. At the stroke of midnight there is champagne and a toast, accompanied by hugs and goodwill. Twelve grapes are eaten by each person, one for each month of the year, with a secret wish. Then the fireworks start and the beer drinking begins anew for most of January 1st.

February

For eighteen days Puno celebrates the Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria. Hundreds of groups of musicians and dancers accompany huge amounts of food and fireworks on February 2nd when a procession carries the virgin image through the city. The dance of the demons has dancers wearing devil masks make offerings to Pachamama, the Earth Goddess. For the farewell the dancers are followed into the cemetery to pay homage to the dead.

Carnival is a National holiday celebrated for the entire month of February. This is when people get wet, really wet. People arm themselves with squirt guns, water balloons and buckets of water with the goal to get as many people wet as possible. In most places it is illegal to celebrate carnival on weekdays as people going to work would complain to the government about getting soaked. Cajamarca is especially enthusiastic about carnival, organizing several activities for Peru holidays during two weeks in February.

Lunahuana hosts the International Festival of Adventure Sports. People from all over the world come to see and participate in kayaking, rock wall climbing, paragliding and other adventure or outdoor sports. The festival’s dates change, but it is always held in February.

March – April

In March or April Peru holidays center around Semana Santa, or Holy Week, which generally begins on the Thursday before Easter Sunday and continues through Easter. Traditionally, drinking is shunned during Semana Santa except for wine, and meat should not be eaten except for fish. Several stores will not sell alcohol on these four days, but many Peruvians still find a way to drink, especially on Saturday and Easter Sunday. There are Holy Week processions in most Peruvian cities starting from the Plaza de Armas or Main Square. Ayacucho hosts the most famous Semana Santa celebrations which start on the Friday before Palm Sunday. In Ayacucho it is traditionally believed that Christ is dead during the week until Easter Sunday, therefore sin does not exist during that time.

Cuzco celebrates the Lord of the Earthquakes on Easter Monday which blends Christian and Andean traditions. The Procession is to pay homage to Taitacha Temblores, as it is believed that an oil painting of Christ stopped an earthquake in the year 1650.

May

On the 1st of May el Dia de los Trabajadores (Labor Day) is celebrated Nationally by taking the day off from work and drinking. From the 2nd to the 4th Puno holds the Alarcitas Handicrafts Fair Dia de Santa Cruz. At this time hundreds of sellers gather together to sell thousands of handmade items like alpaca wool sweaters, jewelry, paintings, tapestries, wood crafts and scores of imaginative items from Peru and Bolivia.

June

This month is when Peru holidays really start to pick up. Corpus Christi is a national holiday which has basically been taken over by Cuzco. Hundreds of people crowd around the Plaza de Armas to see several Processions including the Processions of the Saints and of the Virgins accompanied by dancers in various traditional dress.

Inti Raymi celebrates the Inca Sun God on June 24th. Beginning early in the day at Koricancha (the Temple of the Sun) and the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco city, the celebration then moves to the Incan Sacsayhuaman structure at about noon. Thousands of people gather to see the recreation of an ancient Inca celebration of dances and worship to the Sun God in which two llamas are sacrificed.

July

In the town of Paucartambo, just a few hours from Cuzco, La Virgen del Carmen is celebrated for five days, with it’s main day being July 16th. Traditional dances, costumes and homage to the dead are observed.

July 28th to the 29th marks Peru’s Independence Day which calls for more drinking and fireworks across the country. The large water fountain at the Plaza de Armas in Lima is filled by the Municipality with 2,000 liters of the alcoholic drink Pisco for everyone to enjoy for free.

Cuzco is especially crowded during most of June and July to celebrate. There are several Peru holidays in Cuzco with processions, artisans lay out their handicrafts, street vendors sell a huge assortment of food and bands make live performances. During these times Cuzco gets so crowded that it can be difficult to walk just a couple of blocks.

August

In the seventeenth-century a Lima resident named Isabel Flores de Oliva earned fame for caring for the sick and shunning sin. Those searching for a miracle visit her shrine in downtown Lima. Her festival, El Dia de Santa Rosa de Lima, is celebrated on August 30th throughout the country, especially in Santa Rosa de Quives in the department of Lima.

September

From the 22nd to the 25th Juliaca celebrates Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes in honor of the town’s Saint Patroness in which fairs, dances and folk acts are held.

Trujillo organizes the International Spring Festival in the 4th week of September. Once again, there are drinking, folk shows and dancing, but this time there are visits from American and European beauty queens. Bullfighting and the Peruvian Stepping Horses contests are also held.

October
On October 8, 1879 a naval battle was fought between Peru and Chili. This National holiday is remembered as the Combate Naval de Angamos.

From the 18th to the 28th is El Señor de los Milagros (The Lord of Miracles), the most important of all the Peru holidays in October. This is largely a procession in honor of a slave from Angola who drew the image of a black Christ in Pachacamilla near Lima. Although there had been several attempts to erase it, the image stubbornly stayed on the wall. Tens of thousands participate in the procession every year. Believers carry two tons of remains that bore the painting and walk for twenty-four hours starting from the church Las Nazarenas, through downtown Lima, and finally to the church La Marced in Barrios Altos. Bullfighting season also starts in October to commemorate The Lord of Miracles.

La Noche de Las Brujas, or Halloween, is loosely celebrated on October 31st. Some attention is paid to trick-or-treating for the children.

November

All Saints Day is celebrated on the first, with All Souls Day following on the second. Peruvians may attend mass and visit cemeteries in memory of the dead, especially loved ones.

Puno, the folkloric center of Peru, has many Peru holidays. It’s founding is celebrated on the 4th and 5th called Puno Days. There are military parades, drinking and dancing. A procession of masked dancers celebrate the Inca legend of when Manco Capac, the first king of Cuzco, and his sister and wife Mama Occlo, rose out of Lake Titicaca.

December

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception on the 8th is celebrated by two of the things that Peruvians love most – great food and lots of beer. Christmas celebrations begin on the 24th when the drinking starts. At midnight the official party begins, sometimes gifts will be exchanged, but there will always be a round of champagne.

Machu Picchu is located 2,430 meters above sea level, overlooking the Urubamba river in the Andes Mountains. It is near the town Aguas Calientes in the department of Cuzco and built by the Incas around 1460 AD. There are theories, but nobody knows exactly how the Incas constructed the site. Huge stones were used that had to be taken to the area over difficult mountainous terrain.

The stones fit so perfectly together that in some parts a knife blade can’t fit between them. Machu Picchu is built to withstand earthquakes, as the stones move slightly when the ground shakes and then settle back into their original positions.

The Inca Pachacuti, founding father of the Inca Empire, probably built the citadel as a ceremonial center to worship the Sun God and as an observatory for the solstice sunrise. It also has an agricultural area. These slopes not only harvested crop, but also helped to defend the site from intruders. Machu Picchu is so located that any military attack would be very difficult to execute.

Machu Picchu is the most visited site in Peru, and one of the top tourist destinations in all of South America. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Historic Sanctuary and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is known for its superb architecture, ancient mysticism and breathtaking scenery. The ruins are a must see when visiting Peru.

One Day Machu Picchu Tours

There are several agencies in the city of Cuzco that offer day tours to Machu Picchu. Almost all of them follow the same basic structure. In the early morning you will be picked up at your hotel and taken to the San Pedro train station. The train carries passengers up into the Andes Mountains over about three hours to the mountain town Aguas Calientes (Hot Waters).

The town offers some great views of the Andes Mountains that surround it, usually with low-hanging clouds that add to the town’s mystical feel. There are cobbled streets that run uphill, slightly challenging one’s physical fitness. Several residents still wear colorful traditional dress.

After a brief stop in Aguas Calientes your guide will then take you to a shuttle-bus that works it’s way up the road to Machu Picchu. The entrance to Machu Picchu overlooks the site. Your guide will take you through the ruins, explaining the significance of each section. Most guides speak both English and Spanish very well.

After being briefed on the various sections of Machu Picchu you will be given the opportunity to explore it on your own. Some tourists that are up to the challenge will take the steep steps up to a high peak called Huayna Picchu. This is a demanding ascent, but one well worth the effort as you’ll have a 360 degree view of the Department of Cuzco and Machu Picchu below.

After a few hours at Machu Picchu you will be taken back to Aguas Calientes by shuttle-bus where you’ll have lunch. You will also be given some free time to browse the handicraft shops before returning to Cuzco by train, then taken back to your hotel.

The Inca Trail and Machu Picchu Tours

The Inca Trail was built by the Incas to make access to Machu Picchu easier. Along this route there are unforgettable views of the Andes and the Urubamba River below, a diversity of wildlife and also several Inca ruins.

It is now necessary to book a tour for the Inca Trail with an official travel agency who provides you with an official guide. There is a limit of 500 people per day who can hike the trail, so it is best to get reservations well in advance. Sometimes the Inca Trail is booked for an entire year.

Your tour agency will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the train station. You will stop at the 2-Day or 4-Day Inca Trail mark, whichever you have signed up for. Both Inca Trail treks are basically the same. The 4-Day trek takes more exertion, but you will also have the opportunity to see more ruins and awesome scenery.

Your guide should have almost everything you need with him like camping equipment, food and sometimes horses or donkeys. The agency should also give you a list of recommended things to take with you.

On the last night of the Inca Trail there is a hostel. Depending on what type of tour you are taking you might stay there for the night, or camp out again. In the morning the Inca Trail trek ends with a magnificent view of Machu Picchu below.

You will then have a full day to explore Machu Picchu with your guide and on your own. In the afternoon you will be taken to Aguas Calientes for lunch and to browse the handicraft stores. Afterwards you will return to Cuzco by train and be taken back to your hotel.

Alternative and Luxury Machu Picchu Tours

There are several other tours available besides the two most popular types as outlined above. One such tour offers a longer stay at Aguas Calientes. Instead of spending just a couple of hours there, this tour lets you stay the night to explore more of this unusual mountain town. The next morning you will be taken to Machu Picchu. In the afternoon you begin the return to Cuzco.

Luxury tours are also available. The luxury Hiram Bingham train goes to Aguas Calientes where you can stay at luxury hotels with gourmet food, spas, views and other amenities along with a personal tour guide. Your hotel may be in Aguas Calientes or at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge located right next to the ruins.

Private tours give you the benefit of having your tour guide focus entirely on you and your party, allowing you to learn more about Incan and Peruvian history.

Other Machu Picchu tours take tourists by helicopter or small aircraft on a sight-seeing mission over the Andes Mountains to see the Urubamba River, ancient structures, and of course, the ancient citadel for spectacular views from above and an enjoyable ride.

Summary

A visit to Peru would not be complete without seeing Machu Picchu. When deciding on what type of tour is ideal for you, take into consideration your time, budget and what you would most like to do at Machu Picchu.

If you are taking a packaged tour to Cuzco, Peru then your visit to the ruins will already be covered. When going to Cuzco on your own you will find several agencies that offer a wide variety of Machu Picchu tours. Most agencies charge roughly the same as others, but it is best to check around.

When with limited budget and time, then the day tour will probably be best for you. If you have three to five days, are in reasonably good shape and have some extra money for your trip then the 2 or 4 day Inca Trail and Machu Picchu tour will be an excellent choice.

A luxury tour is perfect for those who like lots of comfort while still being able to experience Peruvian culture. These tours can get very expensive, but do offer pleasantries and alternatives that other tours do not.

Machu Picchu tours are highly recommended when you wish to visit this mysterious citadel. The guides are professional and the service is excellent, offering you, in this country rich with ancient history, an experience you will never forget.

Choquequirao was probably built during the reign of the Inca king Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui. Led by Manco Inca Yupanqui, the Incas most likely used the site as a refuge when the city of Cuzco was under siege in 1535.

The city was first mentioned in 1710 by Spanish explorer Juan Arias Diaz and again in 1768 by Cosme Bueno, but it was forgotten afterwards. In 1834 Eugene de Santiges rediscovered the site. In 1837 Leonce Agrand mapped the area. Hiram Bingham visited Choquequirao in 1909, about 2 years before he came upon Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu is more famous than Choquequirao, largely because of Choquequirao’s former inaccessibility. Before a bridge was built over the Apurimac river a few years ago, it would take tremendous effort through mountainous terrain over about two months to finally reach the ancient city. With the bridge, accessibility to Choquequirao is much more reasonable and this spectacular site is gaining in popularity as archaeologists discover more about its history.

Choquequirao has aqueducts, water channels, living quarters, ceremonial areas, sacred temples, administrative buildings and terraces. To the Incas, Choquequirao was an important religious, political and economic center. These fantastic ruins are built on the mountain ridge of sacred Salkantay and are remnants of the Inca’s final days.

Getting There

It is best to avoid the trek to Choquequirao during the rainy season from December to March. From Cuzco city a tour will take you to the town of Cachora. From there you will need to walk, or ride a horse, 30 kilometers to Choquequirao. This trek offers a greater variety of habitat than the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and you will cross the bridge over the Apurimac river which makes the trek possible.

You will reach the site after two days. If you are on a four-day tour you won’t have as much time for exploring Choquequirao, however with the five-day tour you will have almost a full day to explore the site. Only 30% to 40% of Choquequirao is uncovered and not many tourists visit the area, giving you ample opportunity to enjoy marvelous Inca architecture and fabulous scenery. After exploring Choquequirao you will begin the breathtaking trek, through some of the most inaccessible valleys and incredible mountain scenery of Peru, back to Cuzco.

Scholars claim that Machu Picchu was built around the year 1450 AD. The style of building hints at it being constructed in the “late Imperial Inca” period, during the reign of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui (or Pachacutec). According to some theories, the city existed as an administrative center of control for conquered regions and as a military stronghold. Some believe that the city was a ceremonial center, in the heart of high spiritual and earthly energy. The exact purpose of ancient Machu Picchu is open to debate.

Ancient Machu Picchu is an architectural marvel, there is no better example of successful ancient civil engineering. The huge stones that make up the site are perfectly cut and fit together remarkably well. This superb engineering is defiantly resistant to earthquakes. Its builders are considered to be one of the best stonemasters in history. They not only used dry stone building techniques for the structures, but for agricultural terraces as well. They did so with large stones over rugged, mountainous terrain and without the use of wheel technology.

Machu Picchu’s Temple of the Sun was dedicated to the Sun God Inti and is the site’s finest example of Inca stonework. There are 16 fountains that were designed to provide water to the residents, irrigate their crop and to show Pachacuti’s manifestation of power.

For unknown reason the Incas completely abandoned the city after only about 100 years. The Spanish never discovered ancient Machu Picchu, being busy with wars throughout other areas of the Inca Empire. Because the Spanish did not know about the site, some people believe that not many Incas knew about it either. It was Inca custom to build royal retreats when Inca rulers died, so perhaps it was built upon the death of Pachacuti and then forgotten. Until Bingham’s visit, the city was inhabited by a small group of Quechans who found the site after Inca abandonment.

To this day scientists, engineers and travelers continue to be fascinated by this ancient wonder. There is a feeling of peace, spiritual energy and mystery for many visitors. This breathtaking city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Hundreds of tourists walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu everyday where they may appreciate a beautiful mystery of the lost Inca Empire.