And our first dinner..a wonderful meal at the Pucara... 

A new chapter begins...the first circle in Cusco for our second group...

Report from Pisaq June 6

Hello amigos and amigas,

Yesterday Carol turned 61. For her birthday she chose along with myself, to spend the day preparing a feast for our friends, Wiñay Taki. We went to the market, bought supplies, and cooked chile. A big new surprise for the folks here. Then we sang happy birthday to her in Quechua, and danced to the music of Wiñay Taki. Everyone danced together, men and women and children. The most vigorous included the oldest, Torribeo at 72 and Carol. Today is a lovely slow day for us here. This morning Terence went to the village of Taray a few kilometers away to take pictures of the 13 grade ones. A friend, Lourdes, is a Waldorf teacher and she is donating this year to teach in the grade one class of the local education system, using Waldorf principles.
Tonight we will be doing a healing ceremony for 3 of our friends.
On Weds. June 1, I got up early and took a bus while it was still dark, to the town of Lemay further down the sacred valley. There are the ruins of Huchuy Qosqo, 800 meters above the town. I saw some workmen taking another trail up, straight up, and instead of using the switchback trail, followed them. It was wonderful to watch the sun rise in the mountains and to be heading up to an unknown place. Like walking to Shangri La which I experience day after day here when I head up high. Once I get there, up high that is, I am reluctant to come down. But when the day ends and darkness is coming I turn and head down, totally filled with beauty and contentment.
The ruins here, at least until next week, had no road to them. It was wonderful to walk into them, alone but for a restoration crew. The terraces here are spectacular. Much wider than most places. The incas here built the streambed for several hundred meters and I had a great time, climbing up never knowing what was around the next bend, and always being surprised by something unexpected.
I sat in the ruins for several hours, no-one else there, appreciating the love and the value of beauty that caused people to create such magnificent places to live.
A little later in the morning I climbed up out of the ruins to a community above it. Like many days here I don't know where I am going but my imagination jumps up and says, let's see what's over there. The view from above looking down to the ruins only increased my appreciation and admiration for the builders.
Up here there were orange, red and pink flowers everywhwere and hummingbirds were surrounding me. Many different types and colors. At any one time I could see several and there must have be hundreds on the mountainside. I ended the day walking down an 8 kilometer road, under construction, which will be open in a few days allowing for the first time in hundreds of years for a car to approach this site. While it will allow many people to see this place who otherwise wouldn't, I couldn't help but feel some sadness too. Most of all though it was another beautiful day in the Andes.
It's cold at night, sunny and hot in the days. Yesterday for the first time in weeks it rained a little. Blessings and love to you all, Jim