A tracking exercise had us using masks so that people would not have the normal facial cues to read off of.

We then did the same thing with face paint.

Dinner the next night. Jody showing a picture of me taking a picture of her.

The dinner group.

Toby Christensen leading a drumming and dancing session. Toby's stuff is fantastic.

Toby plays with his drum over you to do some vibrational healing. You can really feel the power come out of the drum when he's playing.

Linda and Lynn doing a demo during class.

Wake leading the class with Kinlin and Don Fransicso by his side.

Don Francisco making a desacho

The class practicing giving the Q'ero rites.

Jody, Sam, and I outside during a nice afternoon class.

On our night off we went into town for dinner. Tudor, Don Francisco, me, Jods, Ojean (spelling?)

Back row, L->R, Fiona, Ed, me, Don Francisco, Ed, Wake, Tudor. Front row: jade, Kinlin, Ojean, Jods, Karen

Don Francisco giving a blessing during our mastai.

Don Francisco showing how to fold a mesa.

Wake and Don Francisco talking about textiles and what the symbols on the weavings mean.

The closing fire ceremony.

Mike, Sheryl, and Kitty registering people on day one.

Brian up front teaching us about Destiny Retrievals.

A bunch of us went out to dinner at Go Fish during our break.

Sunday. Yes, that does say "WIL MONEY HATR" which sort of hung with me a bit... until I won the NCAA pool the next night... LOL.

Lunch on Sunday at the Hilton.

Kitty setting up for our Ceremony on Monday morning.

Folks hanging around waiting for things to kick off.

Sheryl and Mike helping Marco set things up.

Kitty doing an excellent job welcoming everyone and showing them how the ceremoney will go.

Some introductions first...

Don Martin is an exceptional Andean Shaman. Born into a modest peasant family in the Andean community of Paccopata in the province of Paruro, he was 10 years old when first visited by the Condor, the spiritual Apu of the Andes which also became his spiritual name. Don Martin is married to Maria Sanchez, who is the granddaughter of Don Melchor Deza, a powerful shaman from Wasao Cusco-Peru, and she is also the niece of another famous shaman, Don Melchor’s student Don Benito Corihuaman, under whom Don Martin studied and received his Karpays, or transmission of energy. Don Benito gifted his mesa to Don Martin. Don Martin has kept alive the lineage and the tradition of Don Benito Corihuaman who was and still is considered the ‘greatest Altomesayak’ in South America.

Nicknamed El Condor, he is also an amazing coca reader and seer, a tradition passed down hundreds of years from generation to generation. Don Martin has the gift to interpret by cocoa leaves. He does amazing cleansings and healings over the luminous body (Kanchay). An accomplished Andean flute player, he also performs vibrational healings with his music. At his home in Wasoa, Don Martin helps heal hundreds of people every day, performing daily coca leaf readings, healings, cleansings, extractions, and purifications for his local community in Wasao and for people from abroad. He has been practicing Andean medicine for over 25 years and travels with Marco Nunez to the US conducting workshops and private healings.

Don Martin is the keeper of the sacred mountain named Pachatusan (where the earth dances) the main APU (spirit of the mountains) from the city of Cusco. From the sacred land of the Inca people, Don Martin was given the power to read (kanchay) with energy of the Condor, the most powerful flying bird of earth. His special gift comes through the eyes and wings of the Condor. His work with healing stones and with earth-honoring ceremony (despacho) is legendary and not to be missed.

Description from The Earthkeepers Foundation.

Doña Isabel Chinguel and Doña Olinda Pintado are famous curanderas from the North Coast of Peru, featured in Dr. Bonnie Glass-Coffin's acclaimed book, "The Gift of Life." They work with their mesa and with herbs

Known as, “The Twins”, they live in the north of Peru (Chiclayo), and are amazing healers. They use different ancient ways for treating people and they heal and put you at peace with the Spirits of Universe. Isabel, from Singo in the province of Huancabamba, and Olinda, from Huancabamba village are soul twins, also known as Yanatin-Masintin. For 25 years, they have practiced northern ancestral medicine in the city of Chiclayo. Their wonderful working relationship allows them to heal many kinds of terminal illnesses. Traveling to Huancabamba with their clients, Isabel and Olinda always make use of the sacred waters of the magical Huaringas lakes..

Isabel Chinguel comes from las Huaringas and the sacred lakes nearby Piura, Peru. She is well known because of her angel’s hands. People from all over the world come and take baths at the lakes in Huaringas, and they are healed and blessed. When she was 30, she was elected by the divine and San Pedro spirit to be a healer. Ever since, she works at Chiclayo, Peru, helping people with terminal and rare diseases.

Olinda Pintado comes from Huancabamba the village near las Huaringas Piura, Peru. Since she was a little girl, she was interested in the mesadas (San Pedro ceremonies) and learned the ways. Once her cousin was very sick and she invited Isabel to do a mesada and they were so amazed by the results. After, she was elected by the Divine and San Pedro also to be a healer. She practices her medicine in Chiclayo, Peru, together with Isabel.

These wonderful curanderas offer us their beautiful feminine healing energy as they teach us how to heal our luminous bodies and reconnect with mother earth. They hold cleansing ceremonies, work with native Andean herbs, and sacred objects.

Description from The Earthkeepers Foundation.

Marco Antinio Nunez Zamalloa

Interpreter for the shamans, Marco is the facilitator of the United States tours.. He is an expert counselor in Andean medicine, graduated from San Antonio Abad del Cusco University, and he advises mesa carriers and people trained as Andean shamans. Marco also works as a healer, cleansing the chakras and energy field of the body.

Marco was born in Cusco. He trained himself as a mountain climber and trekking guide since the age of 17 and has covered over 25.000 miles walking in the Andes where he has learned and experienced Andean medicine. He is the facilitator for the shamans for 10 years and has learned and trained with several curanderos in the Andes. Throughout these years Marco has developed a deep love for the ancient traditions. He also spent 8 years in France and Europe working as a tour leader for South America.

Description from The Earthkeepers Foundation.

The first ceremony where we recieved some deep cleansing from the twins, then were off to some cleansing with Marco, then off to recieve the Hatun Karpay rites from Don Martin.

Final preperation for the despacho.

The procession during the despacho ceremony. Getting Kintus from the twins, then giving them to Don Martin where he did a blessing, then placed them in the despacho.

Kate recieving her blessing from Don Martin. Fiona on the right is holding two kintus in her hands. They are made up of three bay leaves and carnation petals held together by llama fat.

Terry's kintus going in.

Don Martin and the twins doing their final work on the despacho.

Then it was flute time!

The despacho wrapped up in a mestana so it can be transported to the fire later in the evening. He also topped it with some flowers and a condor feather.

Then it was outside for a ceremony that connected us to earth energy which ended with covering us in rose petals, then some dancing around with Don Martin playing his flute with message from the apus (mountains).

Marco and Don Martin watching over the fun chaos they created.

After the ceremony we headed over the Kitty's place in Mystic whic his on the water. I had a fantastic healing session with Don Martin right when I got there.

The view from the porch.

Me and michelle.

A seagull hanging out.

Karen and Elaine hanging by the wall.

Me, Don Martin, Kitty and Sheryl heading out to burn the despacho in Martin's hands.

We got the firing going.

Don Marting about to put the despacho in the fire.

We hung out at the house the rest of the night eating and talking and emailing friends of Don Martin. Great night.

Don Olinda setting up the altar that they ran the ceremony from.

Don Isabella.

Our group after the ceremony. I'm on the right with Persia behind me, Roberta to my right, and Pat behind her. Paola in on the other side of the table in the red shirt.

Roberta hugging Don Isabella.

Kitty's place was right on the beach so we went out walking a few times. This is Saturday.

Those are not our footsteps tresspassing.

From L->R: Fiona, Ed, Kitty, Mike, Maria, Me, Milena

We walked on Sunday too...

Mike making an offering to the water.

Kitty our on the dock making her offering.

We had a nice little fire with a despacho.