Quinsacocha Lake Ceremony above the Sacred Valley

In the mountains above Pisac, three high peaks (known as "Apus" or deities to the local people) cradle a magical lake known as Quinsacocha, a place of pilgrimage for centuries.  Many of our friends living in Pisac recommended we go up there, but for some reason, it took us a while to schedule the trip. Finally, in late November, the day came, and we took an hour-long taxi ride way way up a dirt road to the lake. Guided by a local shaman, we walked into this magical alpine valley.  In the Quechua language, "cocha" means lake.  It was such a special day for us, a day of envigoration and celebration of our time in Peru.

Rush hour in highland village: alpacas, sheep on roadway near Quinsacocha

Friendly weavers selling their handiwork at the trailhead

Cuti, our guide,  gave the adults a wool vest to bearing the Andean cross (not the Christian cross!), ancient symbol reflecting the cosmology (world view) of the local people. We were also given special walking staffs, which definitely help when you're hiking a mountain trail at 14,000 feet!

Beginning the hike into the hidden valley

Envigorating!

The Andean Cross represents the Inca Cosmology: four directions, three worlds...the heart opening ceremony took place at the high lake Quinsacocha, a wonderful, magical, spiritual place of renewal

Cuti carefully creates the "mesa" or altar, using symbolic objects that represent abundance, joy, and other values.

Blocking the wind in order to help the fire catch 

Once the altar is complete, it is wrapped up in paper and burned with llama fat and llama dung. The idea is to send the prayers upward with the smoke towards the Apus (mountain spirits).

Blessings on our family

Cuti giving each of us a blessing for health, abundance, fertility (productivity)

After the ceremony, we were free to wander around, searching for small meteorites in the meadow.

I found it humorous that the tiny meteorites looked VERY similar to sheep pellets, which were much more abundant on the meadow! Can you tell which is the meteorite???  OK, it's the one on the left, where my finger is pointing.

Walking round the lake, elated. Giving Thanks to the Apus.

Andean Geese