San Pedros at Munay Sonqo Retreat Center
Abby & Maestro Hamilton
Pink flower at Munay Sonqo
Flowers at Munay Sonqo
Apus view from Munay Sonqo
Drinking coca tea at Munay Sonqo
My room at Munay Sonqo
Outside view of my room
Munay Sonqo
Twin San Pedros
Incan site in Ollantaytambo
Incan site in Ollantaytambo
Incan site in Ollantaytambo - View from my roof deck
Incan site in Ollantaytambo - View from my roof deck
Incan site in Ollantaytambo - View from my roof deck
Incan site in Ollantaytambo - View from my roof deck
Incan site in Ollantaytambo - View from my roof deck
Incan site in Ollantaytambo - View from my roof deck
Incan site in Ollantaytambo - View from my roof deck
Machu Picchu - the spot where I sobbed because it's so beautiful.
Machu Picchu - Big Mountain, Old Mountain
Urubamba River making it's way through the Andes
Temple at the top of Machu Picchu
Stone carved to match the shape of a mountain - Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
View to the south of Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Temple of the Sun - Machu Picchu
Temple of the Sun - Machu Picchu
Temple of the Sun - Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Cactus in Aguas Calientes
Mural in Aguas Calientes
Dinner in Aguas Calientes
Urubamba River from PeruRail Train
Urubamba River from PeruRail Train
Urubamba River from PeruRail Train
Urubamba River from PeruRail Train
Mango Juice in Ollantaytambo with a view of the mountains - this probably gave me diarrhea...
Ancient Cobblestone road to my house in Ollantaytambo - 5 blocks from the main square
My 3 bedroom home in Ollantaytambo with a rook deck view of the mountains.
Cobblestone road to my house in Ollantaytambo
View from roof deck in Ollantaytambo
View from roof deck in Ollantaytambo
View from roof deck in Ollantaytambo
View from roof deck in Ollantaytambo
Walking back to central Cusco from Sacsayhuaman, Capital of the Inca Empire
I didn't go see Cristo Blanco up close.
This was as close as I got to Cristo Blanco.
Sacsayhuaman, Capital of the Inca Empire
Sacsayhuaman, Capital of the Inca Empire
Sacsayhuaman, Capital of the Inca Empire
Offering in the river on the way to Tambomachay Water Temple
Tambomachay Water Temple
Pathway beyond Tambomachay Water Temple
Tambomachay Water Temple
Tambomachay Water Temple
Tambomachay Water Temple
Pathway to Tambomachay Water Temple
View from Puka Pukara: The Red Fortress
Puka Pukara: The Red Fortress
Puka Pukara: The Red Fortress
Weaving at Alpaca Farm Store
Alpaca
Alpaca
Qenqo: The Inca Spiritual Center
Coca tea with a view of Cusco
On the way to Sacsayhuaman
On the way to Sacsayhuaman
On the way to Sacsayhuaman
On the way to Sacsayhuaman
On the way to Sacsayhuaman
On the way to Sacsayhuaman
"Shaman Shop" on the way to Sacsayhuaman
Uphill road to Sacsayhuaman
Peruvian ladies
Inca Corn Soup in Ollantaytambo
Quinoa Soup in Aguas Calientes
Machu Picchu Snail
View from PeruRail Train
Lunch in Cusco
Church in Cusco
Plaza de Armas in Cusco
Plaza de Armas in Cusco
Plaza de Armas in Cusco
Plaza de Armas in Cusco
Plaza de Armas in Cusco
Ofrenda Restaurant in Cusco
Ofrenda Restaurant in Cusco
Ofrenda Restaurant in Cusco
Ofrenda Restaurant in Cusco
Ofrenda Restaurant in Cusco
October 15, 2025
My First Day in Peru I woke up at 7 AM on the 15th, the day of my flight, and it was so nice to not have to leave for the airport at the crack of dawn. I had my last cup of green tea and snuggled with each of the cats for a little…
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October 16, 2025
First Day in Cusco When I arrived in Cusco, it was so interesting. The infrastructure here is so different from what I’m used to. It’s a very small airport, and everything was easy — my bag arrived, I met my taxi driver easily, and it’s only about 15 minutes to where I’m staying. I was…
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October 17, 2025
Day 2 in Cusco: Altitude, Art, and Unexpected Adventures Today, on my second day in Cusco, I somehow ended up walking over 12,500 steps and climbing from 11,200 feet to 11,900 feet. I did a lot more than I planned, but it turned out to be a really full, beautiful day — even though I…
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October 18, 2025
Day 3 in Peru Today was a very full day of a lot of travel, but it’s 9:11 and I’m in bed showered and ready to go to sleep. But this morning, I was in Cuzco and I packed in a way where I could leave my big suitcase in Ollantayambo and just take my…
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October 19,2025
Day 4 – Machu Picchu So today, I woke up in Aguas Calientes at 5:30 a.m. and had diarrhea probably three different times before my alarm went off at six. My guide was coming to pick me up at 7 a.m. to go to Machu Picchu, and I just decided there was no way I…
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October 20, 2025
Day 5 – First Ceremony at Munay Sonqo Today I woke up in Ollantaytambo, and last night it rained a lot. It rained pretty hard, and I could hear the rain on the kind of tin corrugated roof because the house I was staying in was open to the outside, so I could hear the…
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October 21, 2025
Day 6 – San Pedro Ceremony Last night, I woke up around 2:30 and again at 4:30, but I actually slept pretty well considering it was the night after the ayahuasca ceremony. This morning there wasn’t breakfast, but there was tea at seven. Around 7:30, I went to get some coca tea, and the San…
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October 22, 2025
Asking for a Dream Last night, in the middle of the night, I asked the ayahuasca and Gaia to help me dream.I didn’t feel like I slept very well, but I did have some dreams. In one, I was in Marin, walking past two women. I felt drawn to them — curious — and then…
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October 23, 2025
The Second Ayahuasca Ceremony: Learning to Stay Present Through the Intensity Arriving with Caution and Intention The second ayahuasca ceremony began at 5 p.m., and I was nervous — mostly about the possibility of peeing my pants again while throwing up. This time, I was careful. I ate a light lunch, drank less water, and…
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October 25, 2025
Cusco Return, Gifts, and Early Flight Morning: Breakfast & Goodbyes at Monesanco On the morning of October 25th, I had a last breakfast with the group at Munay Sonqo. We took a group photo and we got to take individual photos with Maestro Hamilton. And somebody started a WhatsApp group and we all joined. And…
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October 26, 2025
Early taxi, Cusco check-in quirks, long LIM layover, LAX customs/recheck, delayed hop to SFO—and a few hard-won tips for smoother connections.
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