Carnivals are a festival that is generally celebrated in February. The main days are Sundays and people from the village come out to play with each other pouring water, and talcum and spraying spray string on each other. It's a great time to see the wonderful dances and see the joy of the people of the sacred valley of the Icas.

 We will spend the day climbing the which are Peru’s most intact ancient sites, and a perfect example of ingenious Inca architecture. They are built on top of a mountain that towers over the small town of Pisac; the views of the countryside are spectacular, and the ruins and their makers are remarkable.

We will be led by a very informed guide to share with us the culture of the Incas. At some point on our journey, we will have time for meditation and ceremony to connect to this incredible site. We will then make our way back down into the beautiful town of Pisac for a late lunch and deep conversations about our learnings!

We will travel by train this morning to the village of Machu Picchu Pueblo.  On arrival, we will visit the famous city of Machu Picchu, also named the Crystal City, the Rainbow City, the City of the Condor the Hummingbird, the City of Peace, and the City of Light. The legendary beauty of this magnificent village defines an ancient city of ascended masters. Feel the energies while exploring the three sacred beings on the Inca trinity: CONDOR, ruler of the realm of spirit. PUMA, ruler of the realm of physical manifestation, and AMARU the sacred serpent, ruler of the realm of the psyche, death & rebirth.  You will get time to spend alone in spiritual ceremony to enhance your connection with your divine self, a transpersonal transformational journey into the inner path to gain confidence in your unique purpose.

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Then we will take a bus up to the entry of Machu Picchu and explore the Inca Ruins.

Today is a day of rest. You can just take your time getting up, have some coffee, and do some deep meditation. 

You can also request a flower bath or a wonderful relaxing massage. It's very important to be able to take a day to reflect on the wonderful experiences and maybe also journal. 

We will have time in the evening to sit around a fire to discuss and answer any questions about your journey. 

 One of the incredible things about Pisac which is a hidden gem, is the 12 indigenous communities that live in the mountains above Pisac. Over the last few months, we here at Catalina have forged relationships with 7 of these communities. These are Chahuaytire, Pampallacta, Paru Paru, Amaru, Viacha Ampay and Qotataqui.

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On this day and evening, we will spend time in one or two of these communities, learning about their culture. How they live, celebrate, and eat. We will learn about their agriculture, the staple of these communities the over 1700 different kinds of potatoes. They will also demonstrate how they take the wool of the Alpaca and how they create the permanent colors, like from the famous cochinilla bug that lives on the cactus of the Andes, and the process of making the beautiful textiles by hand they are famous for. We will dance with them and come away with a very deep sense of how these indigenous people, who are the descendants of the Incas have shaped the sacred valley and Pisac.

Cochahuasi is a private organization that has dedicated itself to the Rescue of Animals that have been abused, or come from the illicit traffic of Wildlife. The Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary was founded in the year 2007. Since them, we have provided refuge to a wide number of species; a lot of them are on the Brink of extinction in order to achieve the reproduction of these amazing birds and then release the offspring. 

OUR MISSION. Education is considered the most important factor when it comes to the conservation of local species and biodiversity. Through educational activities, we will install values that stimulate appreciation for biodiversity.

Maras is a town near the city of Cusco in the Sacred Valley of southeastern Peru. It's known for the Maras Salt Mines, thousands of individual salt pools on a hillside, dating back to Incan times. West of the town is Moray, an Inca archaeological site on a high plateau featuring a series of concentric terraces. Surrounding trails offer views of the snow-capped Urubamba mountain range. 

You will also have the opportunity to bring home some of this delicious organic salt and some of their amazing salt chocolate! 

Well, it's been a wonderful 10 days will you all, and it's time to say goodbye. Check-out is at 11 a.m. Our driver will take you to Cusco where you can spend the day exploring the Imperial City, before getting a taxi to the Cusco airport.