From Lima and the coastal desert area over partly snowcapped Andean mountains, we were now heading to the high- and lowland rainforests of the Amazon basin.

Following the journey in the high Andes, the second part of our inland journey would lead us into a completely different geographical area in Peru.

After decades, I finally returned to the place where my grandparents used to live, a place I have a plentitude of memories of as I visited and spent periods of time there over the years in my childhood and adolescence.

It is a city in the jungle called Yurimaguas, located in the department of Loreto, Peru’s largest state and located in the area of the vast Amazon Rainforest region.

You can only get to Yurimaguas by car or boat. From Lima, a one-hour flight took us over the Andes to Tarapoto, known as the “City of Palm Trees” that sits on the edge of the vast jungle towards the eastern Amazon jungle of Peru.

From there it was a 3-hour drive along the only roadway leading over a winding road past the Cordillera Escalera.

It led through tropical mountain cloud forests with waterfalls into the low jungle to Yurimaguas also known as the “Pearl of Huallaga”.

.

We were met by my cousin I hadn’t seen for decades. I was happy to see her after such a long time and she introduced us to her family.

In tropical jungle manner, they showed us around on motorbikes and moto-taxis which are the main means of transportation, and we did some sightseeing to explore the place and surroundings.

The view over the Huallaga River is beautiful.

It appeared like not much had changed in Yurimaguas.

The plaza and the church were exactly as I had it in my memories when I was a young ring bearer for my uncle’s wedding in this same church.

During our strolls around the plaza day and night, it was very apparent is how many young mothers were there with their little children.

We visited various lively markets that had all sorts of food offerings from vegetables, fruits to chicken, dried fish, merchandising and more.

It is very common to find buckets with little living worms called Suri.

These juice grilled worms are one of the typical foods, representative of this area and the Peruvian jungle. It is eaten raw, fried, roasted, or grilled. The worms are extracted from the aguaje palm tree and from other similar palm trees.

As I was able to meet the past in the present, and being in gratitude for the beautiful times and memories, I could now let go of my held ‘imaginations’ of the past, simply be thankful and I had a sense of peace.

Heading further to Peru’s northern Amazon

After returning to Tarapoto back over the same mountain range, we embarked on a flight to Iquitos, capital of the department Loreto. Loreto is home to one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth.

On the flight to Iquitos, I was in wonder about the endless vast green tapestry of the rainforest that brought memories of these same images in my childhood years as I flew over the Amazon.

To give some perspective, the Amazon is one of the most sparsely populated regions.

Iquitos is like an island in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest and can only be reached by air or river, there is no road.

Iquitos, a city full opposite sides, has a rich local culture, is lively, colorful and a little crazy. It has a rich history, and shadow sides.

Due to natives being civilised by missionaries, enslaved, westernised over the many years, the city is a fusion of different cultures of mixed ancestry of indigenous, colonial, European descent and thus with some unique customs and traditions.

During my stay in Iquitos I quickly learned about the many diverse, interesting, and also problematic faces of Iquitos.

Iquitos experienced wealth during the late 19th century rubber boom, which also attracted businesspeople and landowners from all over the world who wanted to make money by utilizing rubber in the forest. The price was great since thousands of native people died and were displaced.

All of these developments resulted in an own urban and cultural identity of the city. Today, illegal logging and struggles with environmental issues are serious problems. Also, tourism plays a significant role today in Iquitos which is known as the gateway to the jungle and as a millennial shamanistic culture. However, this brings another series of challenges. At the same time it brings opportunities for more responsible and sustainable tourism.

A felt and experienced sense of disorder, chaotic city, garbage thrown on the streets throughout Iquitos, and in particular the noise pollution made by the noisiest type of vehicle in the city, the moto-taxi, is a cause for trouble besides that is a serious environmental problem.

Visiting my sponsor child

During our stay in Iquitos, I took the opportunity to visit my sponsor child Jesús that I am supporting through Plan International Germany and learn about his family, the community and the work of Plan International Peru‘s Loreto Program Unit.

As I mention in my travel report of my recent sponsor child visit in Loreto, I have been sponsoring a child for over a decade with Plan International, a development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. It outlines more about Plan International’s work in in Peru about early child development, education, empowerment of children, young people, women and communities.

I have cherished memories of two earlier visits to my first sponsored child in the human settlements of Lima and the insight of one of these visits and how Plan works with the members of the community and local authorities can be accessed here.

As of my visit in Iquitos and to see first hand, I pointed out in my travel report: “It is an invaluable way of expanding our own horizons. It reminds us that there is a whole other world where and how our fellow human brothers and sisters live and relate. It deepens our understanding on the realities and concerns beyond our own in the western world.”

You can read more about the encouraging gathering with my sponsor child and community visit here.

In the next blog episode, you will hear about the amazing deep immersion into the Amazon Rainforest.

————-

Connect with Claudia Giselle:

• LinkedIn 
• Instagram
• Facebook
• www.sustained-impact.com

Subscribe to Claudia’s Newsletter: Subscription Link

————-

Continue reading the Series: Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration     

Next post blog #4: ‘A deep nature immersion into the Earth’s largest rainforest’ (4 of 5)

Review the last post blog #2: ‘Following the call to adventure and coming into right relationship with Mother Earth‘ (2 of 5)

Written by Claudia Giselle Edinger
Photo Credit: All photos by Claudia Giselle Edinger not separately mentioned

Acknowledgement and Gratitude

Sincere thanks and appreciation for Karen Aud and Scott Wurtzbacher for your support and valuable feedback on this article. And thank you dear reader for taking the time to read this blog.

Der Beitrag Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration (Part 3)  erschien zuerst auf Sustained Impact - Claudia G. Edinger.

Cusco is nestled in the Andes mountain range located at 3500m and is known as Peru’s Inca Imperial city. There is a lot to see, the architecture and its monuments are beautiful, rich in culture, archeology and history. The city has vibrant colorful markets, a large range of diverse restaurants and innovative food scene, and many things to discover. The best way to experience Cusco is by foot.

As we arrived in Cusco, I took the recommended two days to acclimate to the altitude. Coming out of breath quicker is common. Unfortunately, in the middle of the first night I experienced high altitude symptoms like headache, shortness of breath with a sensation of not receiving enough breath and a tension around my chest. It really felt constricting and very uncomfortable, however altitude sickness (or Acute Mountain Sickness) is not uncommon. I decided to sit-up and meditate centering myself focusing on breathing and called for a ‘Té de Coca’ (Coca tea). With the combination of the two measures, I could finally sleep again. Drinking lots of water and Coca tea is the best one can do in high altitude, henceforth this is what I did a lot more.

Following the call into the Mystical Wisdom tradition of the Q’eros

The highlight of our journey in the Andes would be the visit of one of the very remote places in the Peruvian Andes, an indigenous community of the Q’ero nation which is located at an altitude of between 4200m and 4800m. Since I began walking and practicing the path of Andean Mystical tradition and cosmovision, I have profound reverence and appreciation for the Q’ero Nature Wisdom teachings, spiritual and cultural heritage. It was my desire to go and be in this untouched very special place.

The journey into this remote region of one of the areas in the Andes took approximately 6 hours. Just a few years ago this place could only be reached by foot or by horse in an approximately 2 days long journey.

The drive of our group of four including my son Enmanuel, our awesome driver-guide Darwin and joyful host Don Francisco started along the populated valley of Cusco moving southeast, then turning towards a little town called Paucartambo, a hub for either going downwards into the Amazon jungle or further up the Andes mountain range. Here we made a small stop to buy some errands for our time in the high and remote Andes.

From here we had to turn into a non-paved road leading us up into the far away area we were heading to.

The landscape at first was very diversified, beautiful, and quite green with the typical vegetation. The higher we came, the more sparse and spacious the landscape became.

The views were stunning the more we moved into the higher mountains.

A river was gushing on one side in the depth, as the scenic and breathtaking views of peaks and ranges laid in the distance.

And soon we were accompanied by the wonderful alpacas. They were everywhere.

In awe of so much beauty and wide space along several mountain ranges, at some point we arrived at the highest Andean mountain pass on our route at approximate 4600m.

From here it went alternating downwards and upwards again with steep wide and colorful terrain. At times I felt like I am on one of the planets as seen in the Star Wars movies.

We finally arrived to the native village of Don Francisco, a respected Q’ero paqo. Paqos are Andean spiritual priests. At approximately 4200m, we would be at ‘home’ for the next 3 days. The village exists of a few humble houses made of clay and natural stone with roofs of hard grass except some new roof installations, and is home to approximately 30 families. When we arrived, we were surrounded by countless free walking Alpacas!

Though we had beautiful sunny days that day, I could only imagine how inhospitable it must be in the extreme temperatures in this altitude over 4000m with fog, rain, and snow in other seasons. I was happy that we were able to put up our tents inside Don Francisco’s house, the only ‘bigger’ house.

We made a delicious dinner in the most simple way and prepared for an early night. Because of the cold, I wrapped myself up like a Michellin (Wo)man doll. And yes, it was still very cold.

The next day awaited us with beautiful sunshine and a blue sky, which invited me for my morning meditation to be outside taking an inverted bucket as a sitting opportunity.

I sensed a deep connection with Mother Earth, and with the beauty of being embraced by the warm sun rays, it was such an exquisite way to start the day.

Reaching new heights and participation in sacred ceremony

Today’s plan was to hike up to the foot of Apu Huamanlipa, sacred mountain of the Q’eros, guardian and and protector for the Q’ero nation, and to perform a Despacho, a sacred offering of gratitude and giving back to Pachamama and the Apus (Mother Earth and sacred mountain spirits), and coming into Ayni, which is the Quechua word for “Sacred Reciprocity”.

I was out-of-shape, and I had a lot of respect for the difficulty of the hikes in Q’ero. Knowing this, led me to mentally prepare during my planning time with a strong intention to be guided, a strong will for the hike in this altitude, ‘to make it’, and a genuine desire for being ‘up there deep in the mountain’ participating in the Despacho offering.

So we began the ascent, and very soon I noticed, how my heart pumped. The hardest part was the breathing walking steeply upwards. The jaw-dropping sight along the way made up for all these at times painful efforts.
I only had imagined the natural beauty, yet standing in midst of this breathtaking nature and sheer solitude of the landscape was spectacular and hard to grasp.

My companions, who were all in good shape, with Don Francisco seemingly ‘flying’ up the mountain. Living here and being used to this height, I could see that it was simply normal for him. I decided to go on my own pace with what felt right for my body, as I was much slower than them. Everyone in our small group was supportive, they regularly waited for me no matter how long it took. Always in front of us the majestic Apu Huamanlipa framed by a deep blue sky.

On our way we passed a huge high plain that was soft to walk. After passing this otherworldly terrain I really started struggling to say at least. My breaths and steps got heavier and heavier and I had to look for a way to better handle this situation. At last, I found my own strategy to deal with the effort, and aside meditating my way upwards and asking a higher power for help, I was taking slow 3 to 4 steps, and pause taking 3-4 slow breaths breathing in deeply through the nose and out through the mouth. That worked for a while, until the next exhaustion came over me, which caused me make pauses of 30 – 60 seconds. I didn’t dare to stop to really rest. My mind was really occupied in how do I make it while my body was screaming. I decided to make this hike upwards in this height a long slow meditation and try to keep going in and with the flow.

I kept the same slow hiking pace not matter if the terrain was steep or flat. After arriving on one of the many hills, thinking of everyone hill hopefully being the last one, I only found out there was another one, and another one, it seemed to never end!

I burst 3 times into tears by the time I arrived to the last hill of countless hills before the plateau. This was out of exhaustion and fighting my instincts trying to tell me “I can’t do this anymore”.

When I arrived to the ceremonial place in about 4600m, everyone clapped and welcomed me in joy!

I guess all in all, they waited for me over an hour along the way up. I made it, and I was so incredibly delighted to be there on the foot of the sacred mountain.

This hike was the hardest effort for me, and overcoming the challenge as much psychological as physical, was a rewarding journey of aspiration, perseverance and success.

For me it was a huge achievement, and I felt a immense sense of accomplishment through this huge personal stretch, and a knowing that I was guided all along.

I cannot express how proud I felt of myself for not giving up as I was pushed to my limits. And, I also experienced how a burning genuine desire can be the fuel to bring dreams into being.

“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.”

Joseph Campbell

Don Francisco led a heartfelt Ayni Despacho ceremony. These Despacho offerings are about giving thanks to Pachamama (Mother Earth), the Apus and nature spirits. They are a reminder of our sacred bond with Nature and an act of love. Living in Ayni, to be in harmony and sacred reciprocity with Pachamama and Nature, and the natural living energy of the universe, is central to the earth-based Andean mystical path.

This precious offering looked like a beautiful mandala with meticulously placed  coca leaves with flower petals and diverse items into a marvelous form that was filled with our intentions, prayers, wishes, gratitude, and blessings, including for our planet and humanity. The Despacho was accompanied by our mesas, our personal altars used for connection, ceremonies and healing.

Temptation and more challenges

After descending much faster, yet arriving later than we thought, we came home quite exhausted and we made a quick light meal.

We mused over if we should do the originally planned second hike up to a sacred mountain lagoon on the foot of a neighbor glacier mountain for another type of offering in the afternoon. At first, we laughed about our thinking, and yet, shortly after we found ourselves on the way to our second adventure! On that same day!

The hike started at a higher place and had a completely different surface covered with millions of stones and boulders. There we stood and looked upwards, oh wow I thought, took a very deep breath, tuned my mind, and up it went.

Again, I was the last one, and my little group always patiently waiting for me until I caught up. However, Don Francisco was way ahead again flying up the mountain.

And here again, I was faced with the same challenge as earlier the day, however I noticed, something had changed. I felt stronger and mentally more at ease even though my body was exhausted. The terrain here required even more concentration because of the tiny, small, medium and big boulders.

I was amazed about myself as many hills later, I finally made it again! The view to the glacier and the lagoon was breathtaking. Here we did another special invocation and blessing ceremony. And I was also so glad to sit on the ground on a little cloth.

Because of the advanced time of the day, it was getting dark fast, we needed to make a decent quickly.

Being the weakest of our group in hiking, Don Francisco took me firmly by his hand, and with his guidance and help, I now almost ‘slid’ downhill in this rocky terrain stepping between the loose stones and the firmer ones.

In a highly concentrated state of awareness, I was always carefully watching the surface and every single step. It was truly a very remarkable experience in the dusk in the Andes.

We quickly lost sight of my son and Darwin, our guide. They simply took the other side downwards.

However, Don Francisco and I arrived first where we took off.  We waited for the two, and waited, and nothing. Don Francisco decided to go up again where they were supposed to come down.

I noticed how my mind wanted to go down the route of worry and fear. However, I could remain calm at first, which then alternated between trusting that all will be good, and becoming nervous and fearing that something happened.

First Darwin appeared, then Don Francisco, and finally Enmanuel appeared almost running down from the mountain covered in darkness. He fell into a natural hidden pit and luckily nothing happened aside that his clothes were wet and he was covered in mud up to the waist, and scare.

Finally rejoined, we could return home in the dark.This nervous-racking adventure of loosing each other in the mountain, its potential danger and leaving us a bit scared, was the talk of the night. It was truly a very remarkable adventuresome experience in the dusk in these imposing part of the Andes.

We climbed two mountain ranges on this day, two times between 4600 and almost 4800m. I do not know how I did the second hike, yet I did it!

These conscious walks and explorations in majestic nature were arduous and at the same time beautiful and awesome, and they were such a bonding experience like no other to connect deeply with nature,  Pachamama and the living energy world.

This special day certainly is one of my top two of most memorable and intense adventures I am fortunate to have had experienced. At the same time was filled with so much connection, joy, beauty, challenge, adrenaline, and deep gratitude.

Part of the Q’ero community still lives in in extreme poverty under harsh, simplest and poorest conditions, mostly in one-room houses made of natural stone and clay with roofs made of hard grass. Some of the improvements they received last years are toilets and solar panels for shower water, among other.

There is a lot to do to improve the living conditions, in particular of those of the children and mothers in the region. The adoption of health care measures is only one the improvements for them. On our first trip we brought coloring books, pencils and felt-tip pens, and gummy bear for the children in this village.

After having been in Q’ero, I witnessed the importance of improving the quality of life and preserving this unique indigenous and cultural heritage. This visit touched my heart, and a seed has been sown that I will explore how I could support here.

On the way back to Cusco we passed by schools of some of the little villages. Our friend Darwin helped to find out the situation of children in the various communities so that our friend Rocio and friends could organise a charitable initiative for the end of the year.

Exploring Incan Mythology and visiting social projects

Aside our 3 days up in the far away Andes, we spent time exploring several archaeological and sacred powerful places. We also visited social and environmental initiatives.

We went to the Sacred Valley of the Incas with its striking landscapes and very peaceful places along the valley. At several spots we passed by, I took the opportunity for meditation and connection with the land.

In one of the archaeological sites, we did another Despacho offering for Pachamama.

In most of the places, we had to hike, and in one of them we had to climb up past a series of terraces, like the ones found at many other important Inca archaeological sites.

In the realm in Inca cosmology these sacred and spiritual sites are endowed with significance and energy. I can witness to this because I was receptive to receiving the strong living energy experience in one of these locations at a carved entryway into the rock after hiking uphill through stone terraces.

One of the social projects we visited was Casa Munay that my friend Rocio helps to manage. Here underage girls are cared for, many of whom were themselves victims of sexual violence when they were still children.

I have been supporting this initiative with donations, which are used for programs to strengthen their skills, so that they fully can exercise their rights, empower them, value themselves, dare to dream.

We also passed by went to see the Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary, a privately owned rescue of animals that have been injured, have been used for cruel entertainment purposes or come from the illicit traffic of Wildlife. Rehabilitation centers such as this sanctuary are important to fighting species endangerment. The most impressive moments for me were the ones close to the Andean Condor.

Here in the sanctuary, they are held in a huge spacious cage where they have space to spread their tremendous wings and fly.

In an earlier trip to Peru four years ago, I was fortunate to see them soaring in one of their natural habitats in the Colca Canyon leaving me in awe. Condors are powerful spirit animals.

Now in the sanctuary, as they flew so closley over me, that I could hear the flap of their wings, which gave me an even deeper connection with them.

Finally, we visited Tiaparo ACP, a private conservation area close to Ollantaytambo that Rocio also supports and drives. Tiaparo is dedicated to conservation, protection and restoration, especially those that are in danger of extinction. Other pillars of work are improvement of the the quality of life of the inhabitants of the area, research and ecotourism.

“In Andean communities of Peru, one of the principles that define the way of life is Ayni (reciprocity). Ayni in its broader definition is be the exchange of energy between humans, nature and the universe. We work for the whole, for the community. We work being aware that all humans are brothers and sisters. Our Pachamama (Mother Earth) grows in love and doesn’t get tired of loving, of illuminating, and she doesn’t get tired of giving.”, my fiend Rocío states.

After such impactful, rich, profound and revealing ten days full of magic and mysticism, I left with a knowing that I will come back, support, and do work here.

Back to Lima

What followed this unforgetabbe time in the Andes is a stay in Lima for a week, digesting the trip, spending time with family members and friends, and preparing for the next journey into the Amazon.

Come and join me in the continuing exploration adventure in the jungle.

————-

Connect with Claudia Giselle:

• LinkedIn 
• Instagram
• Facebook
• www.sustained-impact.com

Subscribe to Claudia’s Newsletter: Subscription Link

————-

Continue reading the Series: Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration     

Next post blog #3: ‘Return to the past and entering into other realities’ (3 of 5)

Review the last post blog #1: ‘Setting the sails for the path of discovery‘ (1 of 5)

Written by Claudia Giselle Edinger, Founder Sustained Impact
Photo Credit: All photos by Claudia Giselle Edinger if not separately mentioned. Hero image by Shutterstock.

Acknowledgement and Gratitude

Sincere thanks and appreciation for Karen Aud and Scott Wurtzbacher for your support and valuable feedback on this article. And thank you dear reader for taking the time to read this blog.  

Der Beitrag Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration (Part 2)  erschien zuerst auf Sustained Impact - Claudia G. Edinger.

Since I have been quietly on a deep personal and spiritual transformation for almost ten years, I was following my inner compass when I took this long overdue trip to Peru to help me explore what wanted to be discovered inwardly and outwardly. This time, aside visiting family, it would be a trip that included participation in ancestral traditions and mystical experiences, adventure and wilderness travel in isolated areas of the country, and some remote work. I was curious

I had originally planned to travel to Peru with my son in the northern hemisphere summer of 2020. I last visited Peru at the beginning of March just before the globe went into lockdown in 2020. It should take 2,5 years to be able to return last July and August.

Why Peru? Not only is Peru a stunning destination in many ways, it is a country I have strong ties with. I am half Peruvian, it is the place where my mother and son were born, I have family there, and it is the place where my soul is at home. I have been to Peru regularly since my childhood, and I try to combine the visits with remote inland travel to explore and get to know more this amazing country, its people, its cultures, its history, and natural wonders.

Yet, this time something was very different for me. As an initiate and apprentice on the shamanic path originating in the indigenous wisdom of the Peruvian Andes and Amazonas traditions for a couple of years, I traveled with a different consciousness and knowledge.

The power of intention

The intentions that I set up for this visit in Peru were of several nature.

Firstly, I wanted to spend a couple of weeks in Peru to deepen my understanding on how this place and my life journey connect.

I wanted to purposefully step into unknown and known places with an expanded heart and mind, integrate learnings and insights, connect with ancient wisdom traditions and earth-based rituals, visit archaeological, mystical, and special energy sites, make meaning, hike and be drawn into awe and wonder of nature and experience her, connect to Mother Earth and the cosmos, and visit local community and environmental projects.

Secondly, it was my desire to show my son more of the country he was born in, and experience it with a new awareness since his last visit 4 years ago and then teenager, and of course, see and spend time with family members, relatives, and friends. I wanted this trip to create positive impact for me, my son, the people, and the places we visited.

I was envisioning to visit various parts of the country like the Peruvian Amazon region, its cities, its people, its social realities, its beautiful high and low jungle, its majestic rivers, its unique and vast nature, and biodiversity.

And I was dreaming that I would see and enjoy magnificent scenery in the high Peruvian Andes, experience living energies and the magic cosmos, and I would be having the opportunity to visit and see first hand social and environmental sustainability development programs related to children and conservation.

This time, I would also get to see new areas of the capital Lima, which is one of the largest capital cities in South America and the second largest desert metropolis in the world, and situated at the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

Alone the organisation of the trip was filled with so much joy and excitement that I came to appreciate this as part of the whole discovery and as planning from the future.

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”

Martin Buber

Arriving in Peru, considered to be one of the most diverse countries in the world, is always like coming home as soon as I set my foot on the ground. After a week ‘homecoming’ and enjoying family members in Lima, cooking and just being together, our first inland trip took us to Cusco located in the Peruvian Andes.

————

Connect with Claudia Giselle:

• LinkedIn 
• Instagram
• Facebook
• www.sustained-impact.com

Subscribe to Claudia’s Newsletter: Subscription Link

————

Continue reading the Series: Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration
Next post blog #2: Following the call to adventure and coming into right relationship with Mother Earth (2 of 5)

Written by: Claudia Giselle Edinger, Founder Sustained Impact
Photo Credit: All photos by Claudia Giselle Edinger if not separately mentioned. Hero image by Shutterstock.

Acknowledgement and Gratitude

Sincere thanks appreciation for Karen Aud and Scott Wurtzbacher for your support and valuable feedback on this article. And thank you dear reader for taking the time to read this blog.

Der Beitrag Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration (Part 1) erschien zuerst auf Sustained Impact - Claudia G. Edinger.