FAQs about Peru Pilgrimages
Thinking About Peru?
How is the altitude
The altitude where we'll be is high, no doubt. Cusco is around 11k feet and the Sacred Valley is 6k feet. This is why we start by descending the first day into the Sacred Valley before ending the pilgrimage back Cusco at 11k feet. There is a medication that can be taken or also very good herbs. My experience is after a day the body is acclimated.
Is the effort worth it? Absolutely. Some say it is easier to access the divine in high altitudes. The vibration in this region, whether because of the altitude or not, is amazing. You'll never want to leave once you're there. If you're still concerned check with your doctor.
Are the healers "real"
Some people have asked me this because they've had travel experiences where a "shaman" is brought along and it turns out is just for show. The healers traveling with us are the real thing and they are the reason I keep going back. Read more about my experience with who I consider to be my Spiritual Parents. These are two of the most humble, ego-less, beautiful people I have ever met. They don't travel with any other organization and come from far away to join us.
Can I do the trekking (If your Pilgrimage includes trekking)
You need to be fit for sure. For at least a month before the pilgrimage you should be hiking or doing some rigorous exercise for several hours each week. With that said, we won't be climbing rocks, attached to ropes, or anything like that. We will be going very slowly on stable paths. You also won't be carrying anything other than water. The guides carry our luggage along with tents, sleeping pads, and AMAZING FOOD!!!
What's it like in the mountains? Amazing. Pachamama (mother earth) and the Apus (mountain spirits) are the two aspects of the divine we'll be asking for assistance in our healing journey. To actually be with them...well, incredible things happen.
How is the food
The food in Peru is the best food I've had in the world! It's the best kept secret, seriously. No matter what your eating needs - vegetarian, vegan, allergies - there is food in abundance for you and it's very healthy. I asked Rony, our guide, why it's so good and he simply replied, even the poorest people have spices so it would be ridiculous to not have delicious food at every meal. There you go. It's amazing. The hot chocolate...you have to come just for the hot chocolate!
Is it possible to contact family while I'm gone
The wi-fi in Peru is better than in Europe, it's crazy. So make friends with WhatsApp and/or Skype or Messenger and you can talk for free quite a bit. With that said, when we're in the mountains and depending on your phone it can be a challenge to maintain connection for long. Both times I've been to Peru parents have had young children at home and have found ways to make their journey pretty powerful for their children, too.
How woo-woo is this
My favorite question:). I'm trained as an Episcopal Priest and chaplain and have practiced meditative techniques with many healers and shamans, some of these meditations I'll be leading you in on our pilgrimage. We won't be participating in hallucinogenic plant medicine, but you will have incredible visions and realizations. On my last trip we had a couple skeptics who had incredible experiences and at the end were amazed and said "that wasn't woo-woo at all!" (See Testimonials) Ha! What I will say is that whatever your beliefs or questions you are welcome and will be respected and supported.
Traveling on your own
Sometimes a family member or friend will wish to share this journey with you. Many others find that this is a journey they need to make on their own. Some have expressed concern about traveling on their own, especially when it's with a group of others they don't know and/or when they haven't traveled this way before. What I can say is those who have made the journey come back empowered and transformed. And you won't really be traveling on your own!
Still trying to make a decision? Some advice
I've found that if your soul wants you to do this trip, regardless of all the practicalities - finances, other trips, family, etc - you will know you're supposed to go. If you're struggling a lot, it's probably not the time or pilgrimage for you. Keep it simple.
You will know.
What others are saying
“I found the experience fascinating. While the trip included the usual high quality tourist attractions and historical and background information, the meditations, healers, and hikes to non-tourist locations made it a unique and wonderful trip. The country is more beautiful, the people more friendly and the food healthier than I ever expected. Most importantly, I learned more about myself than I ever imagined.”
“There is so much care and love that goes into the planning for the experience and then during the experience as well. Keely is open and supportive and works so seamlessly with Rony that a “trip of a life time” is a journey of transitions and healing and finding your way home...”
“Living in Washington, DC, my partner and I came pre-packaged to be skeptical about a spiritual pilgrimage and worried it might be too “woo-woo.” It was not. It exceeded our expectations, gave us a chance to explore our relationship and brought us closer as a couple. We hiked to remote locations for spiritual ceremonies and know we saw a side of Peru that most tourists who just visit Machu Picchu never experience. ”
“This is the well-paced trip most visitors to Cusco, Machu Picchu, and the Sacred Valley would take if they knew it existed.
The incandescent Keely Morgan and the ever-resourceful Rony Camasa of Tika Trekking team up to guide travelers to Incan sites they expect to see but also to locations, grounded in spirituality, not included in tourist books.
They seem to have contacts and friends everywhere, such that wizened shaman and Andean flute players appear, seemingly magically, to join the group and then disappear. Because of its spiritual underpinnings, the trip has a meditative component that makes a profound connection to the pre Columbian people who built up one of the world’s great civilizations. The care they put into the itinerary guaranteed fine hotels, great meals, virtually no risk of getting sick, ample downtime, easy ground transportation, and endless opportunites to admire the splendor of surrounding mountains.”