A Journey of Discovery at Machu Picchu by Gayle Lawrence founder of Journeys of Discovery: Mind, Body, Spirit Travel Adventures
An Outer Discovery… An Inner Journey
Read  more about her company and tours on offer here

The engine strained in low gear as the bus climbed the steep twisting dirt road up the mountain. Gazing out the window I could feel the presence of the Apus, the mountain spirits, looking down on me. Below was a spectacular view of the Urubamba River (the Willkamayu or sacred river) winding its way between the majestic peaks of the Andes. The mountains stood before me like living beings, the aware intelligence I felt left me humbled.
As we neared the top and rounded the last curve, my breath caught with my first glimpse of this place that beckons me to keep returning time and time again. My eyes filled with tears, I sighed and relaxed, once again I felt like I had come home. This place, the Lost City of the Incas, the Crystal City in the clouds….Machu Picchu, Peru, calls to me like an absentee friend when we are apart. Now it was time once again, for us to be together.
Machu Picchu’s aura is like a fairy-tale place, enchanted, magical; shrouded in mystery, remote, alone, and breathtakingly beautiful. Perched high on a mountaintop in the Andes, it is the Tibet of the Americas. This lofty city, sitting at an elevation of around 8,000 ft, eluded discovery until the Yale University archeologist, Hiram Bingham, revealed it to the world after he “stumbled” upon it in 1911. Destruction and looting of the major Incan sacred sites were a result of the Spanish conquest of the prosperous Inca civilization in 1532; but they never found Machu Picchu. Even though they searched for the most sacred spiritual center of the Incas, it’s isolation and difficult mountainous accessibility spared Machu Picchu from ravage and dishonor. Peru is often referred to as the most powerful feminine energy vortex on the planet. Perhaps the spirits of the ancient ones hid Machu Picchu away like a blessed virgin. Holding her in silence like a mysterious secret, keeping her protected, unblemished, holy. So that modern day pilgrims like myself would have the opportunity to experience the spell of her innocent beauty and the transformative power of a place so pure. For those seekers, on a path of personal and spiritual growth, Peru offers a pilgrimage journey. There is an unavoidable route, seemingly designed by the Apus of the Andes, that you must take if your final destination is Machu Picchu. This naturally designed overland journey takes you symbolically from an “outer to an inner” focus as you travel from Cusco to Machu Picchu.
My journey begins at an elevation of 11, 200 feet in Cusco, the ancient Incan capital. Having just come from my everyday job, home, obligations and stress I am still feeling strongly connected to my “outer life”. Seeing this as an archetype, beginning this journey of self-discovery at such a high elevation symbolizes my “high superior attitude”, my ego, the aloofness of looking “down” on others. Being very focused outside myself. I wander down cobblestone streets, passing street vendors, and children leading llamas. Entering the Koricancha – Temple of the Sun, I am astounded by exquisite stonework, unsurpassed anywhere in the world. Immense stones fitted together so perfectly without mortar that the thinnest knife blade cannot be inserted between them. Placing my hands on these ancient walls I feel a tingling energy emanate from them. A shift from outer to inner has begun. At the huge ceremonial center of Sacsaywaman, outside of Cusco, I make an offering of 3 cocoa leaves, representing love, work, and wisdom to the Pachamama, the Mother Earth. A small very dark cave invites me into the womb of Pachamama. Feeling my way along the wall I must begin to trust that I will be guided to an opening, an exit from the darkness….self-enlightenment. I finally emerge into the sunlight, symbolically reborn as an innocent child. An inner cleansing process has been triggered.
At the waters of Tambo Machay, which represent the male and female consciousness coming together, I allow the energy of the water to flow over my hands. I touch my forehead and lips with wet fingertips and focus on bringing my own male and female aspects into harmony. Inner discord will surely block the flow of wisdom waiting for me on my journey. Traveling overland, my descent to the Sacred Valley of the Incas prompts me to focus on descending deeper within myself. The road twists and turns, sometimes offering spectacular vistas and then suddenly my view is blocked. Could this be a metaphor for my life, a series of emotional peaks and valleys? Often I resist the valleys of my experience finding them undesirable. But this Sacred Valley, so fertile and rich with crops reminds me how “rich with revelation” my own emotional valleys can be if I relax and enjoy the view. Later at Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, I ascend a trail of stone steps which take me to the temple at the top. Before me stand enormous pink granite stones with carvings of large Puma’s which represent the physical plane. Sacred rock altars, each specific to certain areas of the body, are said to energetically heal. Lying down on a huge stone, I feel a vibration run through my spine and I rest in a meditative state for a short time. After this session, my back does not bother me for the rest of my journey and I literally……sleep like a rock. Early the next morning I board the train that will take me to Machu Picchu. Geographically descending to lower elevations; symbolically descending to deeper “inner” realms of awareness and transformation within myself. The beauty of the Andean scenery captivates me during the course of my train ride. Majestic snow capped peaks tower over me. The Andean glacier called Veronica, watches as the train moves into the edge of the tropical rain forest. The flowing water of the river represents my consciousness carrying me forward, deeper into my own inner mystery. Boulders in the river could represent obstacles in my life that block my path. But the water easily glides over or around them….this river of awareness never stops moving forward. I ponder on this.
Arriving at the small town of Aguas Calientes, I board the bus that will take me up the mountain to Machu Picchu. I am filled with excitement, anticipation, and deep emotion. This ancient city is calling me and I am impatient to be in the midst of this breathtaking place. Machu Picchu’s allure is its mystery, filling your head with question after question, yet revealing very few answers. Machu Picchu is a stone city made of white granite, composed of 40% quartz crystal. In essence you are sitting on top of a giant powerful crystal and you feel this energetic vibration emanate from the natural structures all around you. I seem to be continually rejuvenated by this source of crystal energy and information stored in the stone surrounding me. Serenity washes over me as I stroll through maze like stone passageways and climb inviting stone staircases revealing well kept secret rooms. The Intiwatana or hitching post of the sun, the highest point in Machu Picchu, my personal power spot beckons to me. After a short meditation I continue to explore. Visiting the Temple of the 3 Windows, the sacred Pachamama stone, and marveling at the circular stone architecture at the Temple of the Sun.
I view the long grass plaza where gatherings and ceremonies were held and I sense the presence of the ancient ones still there. The tall feminine mountain, Huyanu Picchu sits on one side of the plaza, and the masculine peak of Machu Picchu mountain sits at the other end. The smaller peak of the Putakusi, the place of balance, sits between them, drawing the male and female energies together in harmony. Peace is found when everything is in balance…. Machu Picchu offers this healing message to the world. Time stops here for me, remnants of discord churning around inside me dissipate, leaving only complete love and acceptance. This magical place is truly alive; the stones speak silent messages, giving insight and clarity to my own inner questions. Sitting quietly in meditation is effortless. I don’t fidget and resist being with myself as I do at home. Confusion and cobwebs disappear from my mind, my thinking is so clear. Revelations and creative ideas pop into my awareness, it is truly startling! Never before have I felt so wise. I sense I am not alone. I often stop and turn around, feeling as if someone is walking behind me. This is not scary; it is a comforting experience. Feeling a familiar presence, an invisible personal guide, a mentor, a teacher, escorting me to places in the Crystal City that have what I am searching for on a consciousness level. Trials and tribulations of the “outer” material world are released….genuine wisdom is found in simplicity…..reality is found “inside” myself and that is where I create what I see and experience in my “outer” life.
Machu Picchu, once again reminds me that life is not complicated…..I’m the one who makes it so. All the answers are inside of me….I just keep forgetting to look there……..Machu Picchu has once again taken me to that place of love inside myself. These ancient stones are old and trusted friends, giving me feedback, reconnecting me with simple truths that I have blinded myself to with outer distractions. Spirit elders welcome me with open arms like a wayward child coming home for comfort and assurance. I sit with them in council, in ancient temples of stone and feel their wisdom flow into my subconscious; once again I feel whole. Being at Machu Picchu is like therapy for me. My consciousness shifts as I move into a deeper level of my own self- knowledge. I carry this energy with me back into my day to day life. I know that it will ooze out of me like rich thick honey spreading its sweetness to all I come in contact with. The wisdom and power that the Lost City in the Clouds…..Machu Picchu, has shared with me will sustain me until I return once again as a humble pilgrim. Traveling on an “outer” discovery adventure but most importantly on an “inner” journey for my spirit and soul. Story By Gayle Lawrence Used with Permission

Excerpt Reprinted with permission from “Female Nomad and Friends” by Rita Golden Gelman. Copyright © 2010. Published by Three Rivers Press/Crown Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. BUY IT HERE

Being a part of Servas is like having family all over the world. It’s actually better than family. People join Servas because they want you to visit them when you are in their country. Not always the case with family.

interview. Servas charges a small annual membership fee, and travelers pay a deposit for host lists in the countries they want to visit. During the visits, however, no money changes hands.

My first Servas visit was with Gabi and Batsheva in Tel Aviv in 1988. Before the trip, I saw their names in the Israel host book; I wrote asking if I could stay with them when I visited.

They welcomed me as they would an old friend. They fed me, toured me, guided me, and shared their stories as I shared mine. I helped with the cooking and clean- up and bought a meal or a snack here and there.

After only one day we felt so close that we decided their single son, then living in the Dominican Republic, and my single daughter, then living in New York, should marry! Never happened, but we did have fun planning the meeting and discussing the wedding. It was wonderful getting to know them.

Their love for each other made being with them a pleasure. Gabi and Batsheva met in an orphanage. Their parents were killed by the Nazis. During and after the war, the surviving kids were taken from Europe to an orphanage in Palestine.

The two found themselves among the oldest children there and ended up working on the same projects and caring for the younger kids together. They fell in love. Batsheva had a sister, Tova, who was also in the orphanage. I never met Tova, but Gabi and the two sisters shared a special closeness as the only survivors of both families. The sisters meant everything to each other.

As we shared our stories, Gabi, Batsheva, and I developed a special bond. Servas is like that. A level of intimacy is quickly established, and you always leave feeling as though you have made a new friend— or extended your family.

Several years later I returned to Israel for my cousin’s wedding. I called Gabi and Batsheva. Gabi answered the phone. He was excited to hear from me, but he explained that Tova had recently died and Batsheva was devastated. He didn’t think she felt ready for guests. The two women had been incredibly close, he reminded me. I suggested that maybe this time I could take care of Batsheva. They talked it over and decided it was a good idea.

Rita Gelman

I didn’t exactly take care of her, but I did some cooking and a little cleaning; and Batsheva was able to share her happy Tova stories, as well as her pain.

On the second day of my visit, Batsheva received a letter from a Servas friend in Brazil. Claudia had heard about Tova’s death and written a sympathy note. She had included her e- mail address. I offered to write to Claudia on my computer.

In the e- mail I introduced myself to Claudia, and then Batsheva dictated her response while I typed. I left the next day, sad, but pleased that I had been able to help.

Four years later in Argentina, I once again connected with people through Servas. I was staying in my friend Gera’s home in San Miguel, outside of Buenos Aires, so I didn’t need a place to stay, but I wanted to meet people in Buenos Aires. I took out my host list and called a few people. The response was fantastic. Servas members invited me to share meals, parties, and excursions.

After I had met a number of hosts, they told me that a group of them planned on taking a boat across the river the next Sunday to meet Uruguayan hosts. Would I like to come?

Of course. Our two groups got together in the charming Uruguayan town of Colonia and wandered for a few hours before lunch. Everyone wanted to talk a little to everyone else, so two of us would walk and talk for a while, and then we’d switch. The fi rst two Uruguayans I met insisted that I come back as their Servas guest (which I did). I was able to converse with them in Spanish, although they both spoke better English than I did Spanish.

The third person I met asked me not to speak Spanish. “My Spanish is not very good,” she said. “My English is better.”

“But aren’t you from Uruguay?” I asked.

“No, I’m not. I’m from over the border in Brazil.”

It was at that point that we introduced ourselves. “My name is Rita. I’m from the United States.”

“Oh, my God,” she said. “I can’t believe it. I’m Claudia.”

Yes, she was that Claudia! We hugged like old friends. And cried. And a month later I was a Servas guest in Claudia’s house in Brazil.

If you’re a traveler and a connector, check it out. It’s an amazing organization: www.servas.org or www.usservas.org.

We invite you to join us on the Female Nomad and Friends virtual tour. The full schedule can be seen at. You can learn much more about Rita Golden Gelman and her work on her website.

I have just updated the Tour Calendar at Women Travel the World with her latest tours and what a choice there is:

• Meditation and service in Bhutan
• encounters with Humpback Whales in the Dominican Republic  (get in early for 2011 these sell out very fast!)
• Women’s Quest to Avalon in Britain
• A writing retreat in Mexico

As Gayle describes on her website, these tours are not for travel junkies, they are for those on a journey:

A Journey of Discovery is for the individual who is longing for deeper meaning and purpose in their life. Not only are they searching for an extraordinary travel experience but also a journey that speaks to their spirit and touchestheir soul. They are ready to find answers to their own “inner questions” and also open to learning and new experience. Whether it be with a Shaman in Peru, gazing into the eye of a dolphin, or a short group meditation at an ancient sacred site in Greece. All of these life-changing experiences made available to them within the contextof personalized small group, specialty travel that takes you off the beaten path.

Gayle’s tours for 2010 and 2011

Other Tours on Women Travel the World

Buy the Book here: The Cuban Chronicles: A True Tale of Rascals, Rogues, and Romance

Some girls have all the fun. Calgarian writer Wanda St.Hilaire has taken her passion for travel, especially to Spanish speaking countries, and has given readers an opportunity to experience Cuba from an original and spirited perspective

In the infancy of Cuba’s tourism, Wanda St.Hilaire takes a trip to the tiny island. In spite of her love of all things Latin, she puts herself on a travel ban to Castro’s Cuba, one that lasts twenty years.

When she is forced to cancel a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico at the last minute, she finds herself in Cuba twice, on back-to-back trips. Walking into the backstreets of Havana, eyes wide open, she is pulled into a dalliance with a charismatic cubano.

In The Cuban Chronicles, St.Hilaire’s travelogue/memoir, she describes that underneath the façade of Cuba’s tourism lies the desperation of a society living mostly in abject poverty. When tourists mingle with locals, we get a glimpse of what underlies the frivolity of Cuban entanglements. St.Hilaire speaks with an authentic voice and doesn’t mince words; she recounts her own activities, emotions and opinions with refreshing honesty. The author is a natural storyteller and her vivid descriptions of people and her surroundings make Cuba come alive for the reader. Being an epistolary composition (the book is based on a series of letters to a friend in Paris), the author’s tone is warm and confidential, and peppered with touches of humor.

Think Eat, Pray, Love meets Bridget Jones’s Diary
with a dash of cayenne!

Wanda St.Hilaire supports her travel and writing habit by working as a reluctant sales and marketing representative. She spent four blissful winters away from the frozen landscape of Canada living in the barrios of Vallarta, Mexico, and she has traveled throughout the world. She lives in Calgary, Alberta.

What intrigued me most was the “Ayahuasca ceremony”. Ayahuasca is a Quechua word meaning “vine of the soul,” and is a powerful, vile-tasting drink made from a jungle vine. The shamans use it as way of unraveling the self, and it is supposed to be able to cure anything, from physical illness (like cancer) to psychological pain (depression) – or put simply, it is a good way to clean up any baggage, big or small, in your life… I felt like fate had thrown an unusual opportunity onto my path.

You have to be brave to take Ayahuasca because of what you may face. Visions, hallucinations and vomiting are all part of it – it cleans you from the inside out. But whether your experience after drinking Ayahuasca is scarey or not, depends on how many demons you have to purge out of your mind, body and soul. You may face all sorts of past trauma, self-destructive beliefs, or emotions. One thing is for sure though: the end result is always positive. Now I am not a kook, or a recreational drug-taker, but what convinced me to do it was a positive National Geographic article about Ayahuasca on the internet. It turned out to be the most mind-blowing, fascinating and beautiful experience of my life.

I had fasted all day to prepare myself for the ceremony that night. Myself, 3 shamans, and Angel my translator were seated on cushions, with vomit buckets in front of us. The shamans puffed away on jungle pipes, preparing themselves for the long night ahead. I was given a cup of Ayahuasca – disgusting, brown, fermenting sludge, which I gulped down very reluctantly. Lights were turned out and the shamans started to sing icaros (ancient spirit songs) to me. Their voices vibrated and reached high or low notes effortlessly, and each voice sounded like at least two people – truly beautiful to listen to, they sounded like angels. I could feel myself float off to another realm, their voices carrying me like a drifting feather to another world.

After about 20 minutes I vomited up the Ayahuasca, which is part of the bodily cleansing. In some strange way it felt good to get it out of me, all sorts of toxins seemed to come out. I started to have trouble breathing. I am not asthmatic, but have suffered odd stress-related breathing difficulty in the past couple of years. The shamans told me not worry, it would pass. It did. Twenty minutes later my lungs felt 10 times bigger and I was gulping deep breaths. Amazing.

Eventually I began to hallucinate, seeing fluorescent colours and cartoon-like insects swirling around me. I watched them, as they closed in on me, trying to suppress me, constricting my body. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I asked. I got the message back that it was negative energy attached to me, and to flick it off. I did, and it all disappeared. The shamans believe negative energies are actually spirits who attach themselves to you to create trouble.

Then the visions started. People and events came into my mind, things that had happened in my past that I needed to make peace with. In my mind I would ask questions – why this or that happened, why this person had been in my life. For every question I asked, I got a very clear, precise message back. It was like having a direct phoneline to God. Anything I asked about my past, present or future, I was advised on.

The whole ceremony lasted around 8 hours, with the shamans taking turns to sing to me as I worked though my past. I was visited my deceased friends, I found answers to many questions, and I felt an intense bliss. Now, several weeks later I still feel the positiveness and relief of old baggage gone. I feel privileged to have been part of an ancient ceremony and to have listened to the amazing, beautiful icaros, and I know I will go back to do another ceremony to open my mind to bigger things.

Keep an eye on Venus Adventures website for a future trip to Peru!!!

Julie Paterson Venus Adventures – Global Trips for Women who Love to Travel

Our Motto:  “Life is uncertain – eat cake!” Venus Adventures specializes in women-only holidays and short breaks to fascinating destinations:  Morocco, Egypt, India, Ethiopia,Turkey, Mali, Jordan, Vietnam, New Zealand

We were in Iquitos, where our trip had kicked off – an oddly large city set within the Amazon jungle, connected to the outside world only by boat or air – no road comes to Iquitos. A thin, long boat transported us 140km upstream to where we were to have our Amazon jungle experience. A twitchers paradise, we spotted many familiar birds on the banks along the way – terns, herons, king fishers and cormorants. It was exciting to be going into the wilds of the Amazonas and not know what lay before us.

Arriving at our eco-lodge, we had a delicious lunch, were given half hour to rest, before we were whisked into the nearby jungle with our jungle guide Moises, to see what creatures we might find. It is not easy to spot animals at the best of times with 5 noisey, gumbooted gringos behind you, but in the heat of the day the jungle is pretty quiet as most animals are resting.

And who can blame them, the heat was incredible, the humidity high, and we were all dripping with sweat. Siesta sounded like a good idea, but first we had to complete our 3 hour jungle march. We were rewarded with distant views of monkeys high in trees, as well as close views of the tiny pygmy marmoset monkey, darting around a mahogany tree and sucking on the sap. They are so cute! I so wanted to stick one on my finger, but we weren’t in the zoo. Oh well. We also saw a very large tarantula, fortunately high up in a tree. Moises said it was a rosey-haired one. As opposed to a pink-toed one. A tarantula with pink toes? That I had to see…

And we did – that night…when Moises dragged us out on our night hike to look for creepy crawlies in the dark…we found 2 pink-toed tarantulas sitting on palm trees, and at close range (ie, I could have stroked one if I was foolish enough). I would almost go as far as to say that a tarantula with pink toes is kinda cute.

However there was nothing cute about the piranha we went fishing for in a side-river the following day. Moises met us 5.45am for our next activity on the agenda of Jungle Boot Camp. Catching piranha. Me being a vego, I just took photos of the others folly, dipping their bait in the water off their bamboo rods, and trying to flick the piranha out of the water before he’d taken all the bait.

The fun part was watching everyone try and get those vicious little gnashers off the hook. With a dozen caught, we were allowed to go back to the lodge, where the piranha were cooked up by the chef for lunch. Jungle Boot Camp was turning into Fear Factor! I was assured by the others that the prinaha actually tasted ok, they just weren’t very meaty.

The heat was still a big issue for us, it just seems to sap all your gringo energy. That and the fact that we had activities before and after breakfast, lunch and dinner. No wonder we were pooped. All I wanted to do was strip off my long sleeves, long pants and gum boots and throw myself into the nearest river, piranhas or not.

Finally we got our chance when Moises took us by boat back into the main flow of the Rio Amazonas. No free lunch though, first we had to do an hours worth of fresh-water dolphin spotting. I could handle that. The wide, quiet, and very murky waters of the Amazon river revealed a couple of pink dolphins with unusually short dorsal fins, and also a couple of smaller grey dolphins. Awesome!

Then, finally our moment had come. Moises assured us that the brown colour of the Amazon was just silt and minerals from the snowy Andes mountains, and that swimming would be fine – like we needed convincing to get in? Splash! we were in being swept along by the current, loving the refreshing feeling. A boat came along with a Peruvian film crew on board – they had spotted a pod of five pink-faced tourists in the Amazon river and came over to get a shot.

It was time to go back to the lodge for our final yummy lunch, before our longish journey back to Iquitos. As we ate, the next lot of new “jungle campers” arrived with fresh smiles and clean gumboots. We smirked to each other as we knew what lay before them. Lunch over, hot and tired, we gladly boarded the boat home, enjoying the cooling breeze of the boat. Back in Iquitos, “Jungle Boot Camp”, was officially over…mmmh cool drinks and fans! But we had just spent three very full days in the Amazon jungle – how fantastic is that!

By Julie Paterson      Venus Adventures – Global Trips for Women

Their motto:  “Life is uncertain – eat cake!”
Venus Adventures specializes in women-only holidays and short breaks to fascinating destinations:   Morocco, Egypt, India, Ethiopia, Turkey, Mali, Jordan, Vietnam, New Zealand

Magda von der Heyde

In the land of the native “huarpes”
That Del Castillo conquered
Overlooking the snow
Of the amazing Ande
Close to Molina irrigation ditch, at the big “finca”
Stands my Casona
Alejandro von de Heyde Garrigós

Magda’s Wine Tours

Someone has dropped out, and there is room for one lucky woman to join this trip – especially the week sailing in the Galapagos.

More information on Ecuador Trip: Face Book Skigrlz Website

We are proud to announce that National Geographic Adventure Magazine rated us as one of the Best Adventure Tour Operators on the Planet, including one of the Top River and Sea Outfitters, for service, education, sustainability and spirit of adventure. We’ve been green since our beginnings in 1985, and we’re still doing our best to protect the places we visit.

HUMPBACK WHALES of the Silver Bank

Life changing encounters
Marine Mammal Sanctuary
Dominican Republic

Some spaces available on other weeks through Feb. and March….not discounted.

Gayle Lawrence Writes: My first snorkeling encounter with the humpback whales in Silver Bank was in 1999….  it changed my life.

I’ve been back 7 times to spend very intimate, very up-close-and-personal encounters with one of the worlds most captivating and awe-inspiring creatures…..the humpback whales.

This is an experience that mere words cannot begin to describe. For me it is a sacred encounter with these intelligent, gentle beings of the sea.

click on this link, video and complete trip details:

XTAPAN DE LA SAL, Mexico — I’ve been oiled, salted, kneaded, toned, perfumed, prodded in the intimate reaches of my metatarsal pressure points. My thighs have jounced and bounced; my Third Eye and First Chakra have been pried apart.

In this land of exquisite torture, I’ve even been denied chocolate. And I’m feeling pretty great about it all.

For a child of Depression Era parents — Calvinists to boot — the idea of tossing hundreds of dollars on a day at a spa is an all-too-fleeting extravagance that never seemed worth it. Springing for the occasional massage at the end of a particularly wretched week was pricy enough.

But when my Miamian-turned-New Yorker friend, Phyllis Stoller, suggested meeting at a spa in Mexico, I plunked down the credit card. Between a dying parent, fast-paced workplace, one of those ”zero” birthdays and The Husband’s midnight emergency appendectomy, I needed a break. And the price was oh-so-right: $830 for a four-night package including single room, all meals, workout classes and multiple spa treatments — about the price of a ”day” at a top spa here in Miami.

The added benefit: Girlfriending, that peculiar female ritual in which you never run out of things to say, and what you do say never comes back to haunt you.

Read the rest of this great article