Mystical Peru with Familiar Souls
In a land of ancient mystery, Humanity and Welcome shine brightest
The crowning experience of my year turning sixty came this past month when I traveled for two weeks with some of the most important people in my life, to South America - my first time visiting this vast and beautiful continent. Sharing the experience with our particular group and celebrating common humanity among us all, made it epic.
Caroline Henrici Nielsen (Carey) has been the most generous and loyal friend of my life. I met her when we were eighteen, and we have traveled all of our entire adult life together. Ever resourceful and positive, when Carey found herself suddenly single eighteen years ago, in the midst of raising her family, she found another way forward. In one example, rather than give up her love of travel for financial reasons, she became a part time travel guide. This way, she maintained her devotion to something she believes is essential.
A true people magnet, Carey embraced this part time endeavor with commitment and joy. By now, she has guided large groups of people on long trips to many countries all over the world including Tibet/India/Nepal (four trips), Tuscany (three trips), The Azores (three trips), Costa Rica (twice), Bali, Thailand, Cambodia, Iceland, Cuba, Japan and her favorite all time destination, Peru and Machu Picchu.
Carey is so taken by the people and the culture, history, simplicity and beautiful spiritual way of life in Peru, that she has returned nine times with different groups. She has also studied the Ancient Incan cultures and religion ever since, and has brought their healing practices into her own healing practice she maintains in Maine, called Beechtree Integrative Healing. https://beechtreehealing.com
After gaining guiding experience with another small company, Head Out Adventurers, Since 2015 Carey has guided trips on her own through her own Adventure Travel Company - Insight Eco Tours (https://www.insightecotours.com) - often with a beautiful and symbiotic partner - a wonderful and devoted Yoga and Medication Guide - named Nancy Doyle. (does she have a link?)
During our trip Carey and Nancy also partnered with a local guide named Silvario Mendoza Ore, who brought a priceless wealth of historical, cultural and logistical knowledge. https://www.banderitascusco.com
I have always known it would have been impossible to truly know Carey, without experiencing her beloved Peru with her. So I was incredibly grateful to finally able to join one of her trips to her beloved Peru, which came together like a magical aligning of the stars.
Another reason Carey and Nancy return to Peru so regularly, is because of their love and devotion to a particular place, a beautiful and welcoming 4-acre retreat center in the Urubamba Valley called Willka T’ika. https://willkatika.com
Willka T’ika is the manifestation of a dream of Carol Cumes, (80) of Johannasberg. (Pictured below, and Carol’s son Terry is pictured above) In the 1980’s Carol visited for the first time and was so taken with the culture and the people and the beauty that within ten years, in 1994, she set out to find land to buy. Eventually the land she sought presented itself through the existence of a single and grand 1,000- year old Lacuma Tree which now stands as the heart of her incredible campus. Over the next decade she proceeded to design and build the campus including guesthouses, a yoga studio, a meditation hut, a gathering space and kitchen, a library, and an office. Most importantly: she created seven gorgeous and themed gardens that bloom constantly, and are intentionally planted to represent the Seven Chakras of the body. She has published a beautiful coffee table book, Chakra Gardens, that tells the story of this stunning property, and sales support local schools.
Of course a spectacular highlight of our experience in Peru was reaching Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Perched high in Peru’s Andes Mountains, transcendent Machu Picchu sits at about 8,000 feet above sea level. According to my research it is “A 15th-century Incan citadel built of precisely cut granite blocks that fit together without mortar. Its terraces once grew maize and coca; its temples align with the sun’s solstices.” It is mind blowing to imagine that it was thought to have been used as a city for 80-100 years. It was then “Abandoned during the mid-16th century around the time of the Spanish conquest perhaps to protect it from Spanish conquistadors who never discovered it.” Lost to the outside world for centuries, it was rediscovered in 1911 by American Hiram Bingham and has since become one of the most iconic archaeological wonders of the world it is — “A masterpiece of architecture and spiritual ingenuity.” This astounding mystical place was the highlighted feature of the Insight Ecotour trip.
A central belief of the Incan & Andean people is to be mindful and grateful to Ancestors. One of the most special moments of our visit came toward the end of our visit, when Jane, who had lost her beloved mother this year, spoke eloquently about her loss and all of our collective losses, which sadly were many in our group this year, and it helped everyone. She scattered her mother’s ashes and just as she did, a beautiful rainbow appeared, seemingly as an answer to our collective anscestral prayers. ✨
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There are options when it comes to reaching Machu Picchu. Because we had other things on our itinerary, we took the train from the little town of Aguas Calientes. It made it possible to leave early in the morning, spend three hours hiking in the park, and return to Willka T’ika by bedtime. The other favorite way to reach Machu Picchu is to trek along the famous Inca Trail. This can be done in a number of guided itineraries from 1-6 days or so. Providing magnificent views of the Andes and the ultimate reward: arriving for your first glimpse of mystical Machu Piccu at sunrise long before other tourists arrive. Carey’s daughter Ella added this magnificent adventure to her trip with a group she recommends called Trexperience Peru. https://trexperienceperu.com
Here are the astounding photographic highlights of her journey. All photos in this section below were taken by Ella Nielsen:
Willka T’ika is a beautiful and peaceful place to base an exploration of this sacred valley. And one of the most special parts of this journey was due to Carol’s devotion to the people of this valley, whom she supports constantly in a myriad of ways.
“One of Willka T’ika’s founding principles is the Quechua concept of ayni or reciprocity. Ayni roughly translates to “today for you, tomorrow for me,” in other words our energy and fates are intertwined, dependent on each other. For that reason, we include a day of ayni in all of our fully inclusive programs. Drive through the Sacred Valley to a Quechua mountain school supported by the Willka T’ika Children’s Fund. Since 1995, the WTCF has supported isolated mountain communities where few tourists visit. In an ayni exchange, the group will offer an interactive activity for the Quechua children. The warmth and heart-warming joy of the children and their openness in bringing guests into their daily lives are moments not easily forgotten. For many groups, this becomes one of their most cherished experiences.”
Also, they employ local chefs and experts to serve beautiful vegetarian meals based on the produce grown on the property, provide spa services, (truly some of the most skilled and generous I have ever experienced) - and most uniquely, to provide the opportunity to participate in cultural and spiritual Andean rituals on site as well.
One of the highlights of the week was witnessing a “Despacho Ceremony” from two indigenous men from the Inca Highlands. We were able to do this since Silvario is trilingual and speaks Quechuan in addition to Spanish and English. Born in the Highlands at roughly 17,000 feet of elevation, indigenous Incan, Quechua-speaking people still live, off the grid, and off the land in the old way of life that has existed for centuries. Though Silvario was born there, he was encouraged to leave the highlands by his mother, who wanted him to have a broader life. He left at age twelve, to live in Cusco city, where he eventually learned Spanish and then English and has made his living as a guide for decades, beginning with guiding people on the four-day trek along the Incan trail to Machu Picchu. Silvario can be reached through his website here: https://www.banderitascusco.com
It was an incredibly fortunate and fascinating opportunity to be able to learn about their way of life. I am unqualified to adequately explain the beautiful ceremony we witnessed, so in Carey’s own words:
Here a bit about this beautiful ritual/ceremony. It is special and has value and purpose.
A Despacho is a sacred Andean ceremonial offering. Essentially it represents a prayer in a bundle honoring with intentions our gratitude to Pachamama (mother earth) and the Apus (mountain spirits) Mama Cocha (water spirits or mother of the waters) etc...It is a ritual to which you create a bundle with symbolic items -flowers, grains, candy, seeds, cotton resembling the snow on the mountains, stones, colorful threads resembling the rainbow etc...
It is often performed for healing, new beginnings, cleansing negative energy, gratitude, or to restore balance. It can be done on a personal level or as a group collective.
Of utmost importance in this culture is the constant reciprocity given in great respect and gratitude and honoring of the spiritual forces-it is a deep connection with all the "unseen" energies all around our universe and planet. As well as "seen"-ie: the elements; the animals, the stones, the stars and galaxy and of course the land, mountains and waters that sustain us.
After the "prayer alter" is constructed: it is often tied up like a gift. The bundle may be burned, buried, or otherwise respectfully returned to the earth.
Key to remember: It is seen as an act of love and a reminder of the deep connection between humans and the natural world. It is not just about asking for things, but primarily about giving and expressing gratitude.
Strong and very warm, and as interested in us as we were in them. He stood about 4’9” tall. They crouch as they are unaccustomed to furniture.
“Payment to the Earth Ceremony: A heartfelt offering to Pachamama, this ceremony honors the Andean tradition of giving thanks to the Earth
for her abundance and protection. Through symbolic gifts, intention, and gratitude, we reconnect with nature, seek harmony, and invite blessings for the journey ahead.
A peaceful moment to pause, reflect, and give back to the land that sustains us.” Willka T’ika
Another ceremony offered was called an Umpina Wasi (or A Sweat Lodge). It is an ancient purification ritual for prayer, contemplation, and spiritual and physical cleansing. The seven of us who opted to participate crawled into a blanket covered yurt on the grass and gathered around a center fire pit in complete darkness. Herb-laced hot rocks representing ancestral knowledge heated in a sacred fire. They are then gradually placed in the fire pit creating steam and rising the temperature in excess of a traditional steam or sauna, stimulating the lymphatic system causing detox benefits. A trained Shamen led us through the 90-minute ritual, thanking Ancestors and Mother Earth (“Pachamama”), and gave us all a chance to make our personal thanks. It was incredibly soothing, and for some transformative, to lie in complete darkness on the cool grass, as the yurt became warmer and warmer while listening to the Shaman’s beautiful voice as he sang and chanted in Quechua and gently played percussion instruments. I personally found it very soothing, fascinating and gentle to be enveloped in the rich sounds and warm darkness. Afterward we enjoyed a warm plunge pool topped with “Lavender, Eucalyptus, Muña, Ruda, or Molle, all grown, harvested, and distilled at Willka T’ika”. My body felt incredibly relaxed, vibrant and content, and we all rejoiced in the chance to experience such a rich and soothing experience.
One of the central philosophies of Willka T’ika and the Andean people is to “Honor the blessings of the land, and the oneness with energy of the earth. Allow Fire ceremonies to release things that don’t serve, and to remind us all we are a part of the garden. We are interconnected. Honor the soil and water and land and our interconnectedness.”
A final ritual on our last evening was led by a Lebanese Shaman, who escaped the trauma of the war a dozen years ago, and found healing through the ancient Incan practices. He led us through a beautiful sound bath healing ritual with the use of beautiful sound bowls, where we simply layed comfortably listening as the mystical sounds enveloped us for 45 peaceful minutes. “A sound healing ceremony has the power to penetrate our habitual thought patterns, permitting us to reduce our mental activity and reach a state of profound relaxation…helping to balance mental and physical equilibrium and reach a place of internal harmony.” It truly was one of the most calming experiences I have ever had, to be enveloped in mystical and resonant and rich sound for so long. It felt much like being in a state of deep sleep while still being awake. Afterwards, my two travel mates and I were treated to a “solar bath” under the stars in a beautiful private heated outdoor tub filled with sacred flower petals.
The common theme of every one of these ancient ceremonies was Gratitude, and acknowledgment of our common struggles and common humanity. We truly are, one human family, blessed with the against-all-odds fortune, to be alive. It felt so fortunate to stop moving in our usual lives, with our usual and normal demands, and to simply be able to take the time to be cared for in these ancient, powerful and mystical ways. To step back and relax and contemplate and feel gratitude for the generations that lived before us, the long history of the earth and nature and all it still give us, a reminder to take care of it for all who will come after us as well.
After all of these experiences, after this whole remarkable year, I layed awake that night into the wee-hours - Marveling… How it could be that I would come on such a powerful journey with such precious people? Six of us made up the Western Contingent - nearly all I have known for decades and some of the most important people in my life. The other six a gang of New Englanders I feel so fortunate to now know - also friends of Carey’s for decades. Carey and Ella were the center of the bow tie that brought us all together ✨
Thoroughly grateful
On our first day together Carey put us in pairs with someone we did not know. We spent a few minutes talking to each other and soon after we introduced our partner to the group based on what we learned. This was a gift to me, as I was paired with Allison, (below, right) who was traveling with her sister Betsy. One of my favorite things about the trip was getting to know them. I learned she too is the middle of three sisters, and it was a joy to watch them together with their awesome familial brand of lighthearted humor and laughter all week, and learn some of the subtle, painful, joyful parts of this special bond and chapter of their lives.
Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park is a town and an Inca archaeological site not far from Machu Picchu. Based on my research I learned that “Today the town of Ollantaytambo is one of the most intact Inca towns in the Sacred Valley that dates from the late 15th century, and contains some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in South America. A location with great historic significance during the Spanish conquest of Peru, it served as the capital of the Incan resistance.” We spent one valuable day exploring and hiking to the top of the fascinating agricultural terraces and ruins above town. An Inn I discovered which would be another great place to base before Machu Picchu in this special little town is https://www.earthtonesperu.com
The best meal of the trip came from Organika, which is a beautiful and new restaurant a short walk from Willka T’ika. They have a wonderful location in Cusco also, called Yaku. Planned to open years ago, it was delayed do to the Pandemic, and has only been open five months, so we were so lucky to experience this beautiful place. They proudly face their extensive garden and we were able to tour it before our spectacular meal. Trout (pictured below) is a common entree and was absolutely divine.
After leaving Willka T’ika we visited The Chinchero Market, which is “Recognized as the center of weaving in all of Peru” It was such a lovely surprise to be able to feed the young alpaca grass and then go next door to the market where we watched a demonstration to learn how their wool is spun into yarn and dyed using things from the earth such as insects, salts and minerals which creates the gorgeous vivid colors of their lovely and famous textiles. I now have such a better understanding and appreciation for the things they make and for the things I bought to bring home.
Back in Cusco we loved the chance to explore this ancient city. But it was hard to say goodbye to our group. We gathered up and pledged it wouldn’t be the last time we’d meet, even if the next times are closer to our homes.
In order to make the travel less arduous and taste another region in Peru, the three of us decided to spend one more night in Cusco (Beautiful spot called Antigua San Blas, see below) and visit a special Bohemian neighborhood in Lima called Barranco. In US Terms it felt a lot like going from Utah to Laguna Beach. We loved where we stayed in Lima - Villa Barranco - https://villabarranco.ananayhotels.com and would choose it again for its serenity, beauty and special location walkable to both Barranco and bigger and more urban and popular Miraflores, along the lovely coast path. It was delightful to be near the sea and in a lovely bohemian neighborhood to walk and see the markets and street art along the cliffs of the Pacific. It was a wonderful and relaxing way to end this epic trip.
(By the way, another great travel tip is to know that there is a Wyndham Hotel right on the site of the new Lima airport. It is a long haul to reach Cusco all in one day, so I recommend an overnight stay there where you can simply walk after landing, before taking on an additional flight to Cusco https://www.wyndhamhotels.com )
Thank you precious Peru. Til Next Time. ✨
So Grateful to you Sweet Caroline ✨
Brenda Lush
November 10, 2025