Lima to Cusco

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Today we were on the move again. We flew from Lima to Cusco which is at an elevation of a little over 11,000 feet. We immediately loaded onto a bus and descended down to 9,000 feet to Urumbamba in the Sacred Valley. Hopefully this will help everyone  acclimate better to the high altitude. We had a lovely lunch at a private home (Huayocari Ranch) followed by a show of their Peruvian Paso horses, the horse with the smoothest gait in the world.















There are several symbols we see repeated all over Peru:


Pachamama (Mother Earth)
                                              
The feminine power. The Triple Spiral.
She is the living, life-giving Mother who loves us unconditionally. We plant a single seed and she gives us one hundred back. We give her our heavy energy (hoocha) and she gives us new light energy (sami), a new perspective, and a new life.
The element of Earth for the Andean people.
The element of Earth purifies and transforms. When we are working with this element, we will have the possibility of telling the Pachamama about all our worries, our pain and our frustrations.
The Andean people use her and honour her actively in their everyday life. Every single step on earth is connected to her, usually with threads of energy.

 Andean Spiral
The Andean Spiral is a symbol seen all over Peru (jewelry, Nazca Lines).  The spiral respresents equilibrium and is frequently used as a symbol for the Pachamama.  It is the ancient symbol of unity, wholeness and completion and represents the never-ending cycle of life and a path to the Creator.






Chakana (Andean Cross)

The word Chakana is based on the word “chakay,” which means “to cross” or “to bridge”.

Image result for symbol chakanaThe 3 steps represent the 3 tiers or worlds that the Incan culture believed in, with the centered hole representing the Incan capital of Cusco. This included the upper, middle and lower worlds. 
     The upper wold (Hanan Pacha) included the stars, celestial beings and gods (condor).
     The middle world (Kay Pacha) represented the world of human life (Puma).
     The lower world (Uqhu Pacha) represented the underworld and death (Snake).


 Some speculate that the 12 corners of the cross represented the 12 month cycle, with the 4 major arms of the cross representing the points of a compass. The chakana is also a representation of the Southern Cross constellation, which was one of the most important constellations in the Incan system. 


Tumi (Medicine Man)

The Tumi is a Peruvian sacrificial ceremonial axe, or knife.  It was characterized by a semi-circular blade, made of either bronze, copper, gold-alloy, wood, or silver alloy.  The tumi was used for cutting the skull. 
The head of the Tumi represents Wiracocha, The Inkan God.





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Coca Leaves

Kintu - 3 perfect coca leaves
Kintu – 3 perfect coca leaves
Coca leaves are everywhere in the Andes and is a holy plant in Peru.
The leaves can be chewed in order to give energy, healing and inner visions. You can made tea with the leaves to neutralize altitude sickness.  Chewing the leaves lessens hunger, stimulates the heart and helps the farmers to endure working at such high aaltitudes.
Tourists chew coca leaves and drink coca tea in order to adjust to the high altitude.




We are staying at the Tambo Del Inka hotel. What a beautiful property!  The facility and the rooms are a delight.
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