FULL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Tuesday May 29 – Lima

You should arrive in Lima on this day at the very latest. Both international flights and transport to the hotel should be coordinated by each traveler. If you require assistance from Tanit Trails, then please contact us via: info@tanittrails.com. Hotel rooms will be available from 2 pm on this day.

Meals: --
Accommodation: Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores*****

Wednesday May 30 – Lima – Sacred Valley

After breakfast we will meet with Dado, our leader and photographer. Dado will be responsible for the photography instruction and guiding of the group throughout the trip, available to give us advice and suggestions about the best way to photograph the enormous variety of places, people and traditions that we will see during the coming days. Also, he will constantly evaluate and orient the work of each photographer, helping them to produce their own photo essay. Immediately after the meeting we will take the almost one hour ride to the airport to board our flight to Cusco. Once in Cusco, our vehicle will carry us on the one and a half hour drive to what is known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. After enjoying lunch in the hotel and resting for a while, we will be ready to begin activities. Dado will present a formal introduction to the photography trip, giving us a clear idea of the working methods, and afterwards we will participate in an offering to Mother Earth, during which we will enjoy contact for the first time with Andean spirituality in order to begin to get inside that spirituality, avoiding making it just an excuse to take photographs and transforming it instead into a respectful experience shared with the people who will accompany us on the trip. In the evening we will enjoy an informal meal in a simple local restaurant which probably produces the best gourmet cuisine in the Sacred Valley.

Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Hotel Sol y Luna

Thursday May 31 – Great constructions, silent witnesses to the Inca soul

Starting today, our days will begin at dawn, to enable us to photograph different places and events with the day’s first light. Our first destination is Ollantaytambo, with probably the best preserved centuries-old Inca architecture of any still inhabited village. Here we will walk through its narrow streets, photographing the original Inca walls, the imposing doors of the houses and the mountains that surround this mysterious town. There will also be an opportunity to climb to the top of the archaeological site, from where we will find new opportunities for photography. We will enjoy a good breakfast in the hotel before beginning the drive to the village of Chinchero, located in the heights above the Sacred Valley; there we will have plenty of time to visit a picturesque local market, where we will find interesting opportunities for photography. We will then continue our trip by visiting a privately-owned hacienda, where we can enjoy imposing views of the Sacred Valley. In the afternoon we will visit Pisac, which together with Ollantaytambo, is the most important and extensive Inca archaeological site in the Sacred Valley. The buildings, tombs and agricultural terraces are majestically located on the slopes of a steep mountain. The afternoon is the best time to walk through this site, for at this time the other tourists have left and we will be able to enjoy the magic produced by solitude and the afternoon light. In the evening we will enjoy a meal in the hotel, while we talk and discuss and order the photographic work produced during the day.

Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Hotel Sol y Luna

Friday June 1 – Andean man and meeting with our fellow pilgrims

We will get up at dawn again to photograph the first light of day over the Sacred Valley. At the start of this day we will see a traditional Andean community, which will allow us to learn a little about the way of life of the people of the high Andes, which has remained largely unchanged for centuries. Here we will be able to photograph themes of vital importance to these people, such as their textile tradition, agricultural practices and the raising of livestock. Our breakfast today will also be in keeping with the theme of the day, and will consist of different types of potatoes and tubers cooked in the earth in the traditional “watia” method. Those interested will also have a chance to try guinea pig cooked over an open fire. Around mid-morning we will return to the hotel. We will devote the rest of the morning to putting our photographic work in order, exchanging ideas with Dado and resting. Around midday we will enjoy a good lunch while watching a demonstration of Peruvian Paso horses, a very traditional Peruvian pastime which is a living portrait of Spanish cultural influence. This tradition began with the arrival of the first Spanish horses in America, and it has become a very deeply-rooted aspect of local culture, for the Peruvian Paso horse is a breed that has remained pure for approximately 400 years. In the afternoon we will cover a route of approximately one and a half hours to the village of Andahuaylillas; this is an extremely picturesque village which in the colonial period was an “Indian reduction”. Here we will encounter for the first time members of the Quispicanchis “nation”, the second most important “nation” of the eight which every year attend the celebration of the Lord of Qoylloriti. This “nation” will receive us as fellow pilgrims, and they will invite us to participate in their religious devotion, dances and celebrations, over the next four days. The afternoon begins with the gathering of the pilgrims and a mass in the beautiful village church. Immediately afterwards the dances begin, together with door-to-door visits to the local houses of the “jurcados” (individuals who support the celebrations with different types of donations). The dances and celebrations continue until around two in the morning. Long before this hour, we will have returned to our hotel to rest.

Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Hotel Sol y Luna

Saturday June 2 – the preparations continue

After breakfast we will load our bags onto the bus and leave our hotel in the valley. The meeting place is the house of the Carguyoc in Andahuaylillas, where the dancers arrive. After the mass, the group presents the complete Lord of Qoylloriti dance in the atrium of the church. During the rest of the day it is time for the pilgrims to share food, drink and music with the rest of the population. Towards sunset the crowd will begin to disperse and it is time to make the final preparations for the journey. Meanwhile, we will return to the bus and begin the drive to the town of Ocongate, located very close to Mawayani, the starting point of the pilgrimage the next morning. Throughout this trip there will be a number of opportunities to take photographs as we pass through the benign climate of the valley towards the heights of the wild high plains, or “puna”, the cradle of great pre-Columbian cultures. Here the people of the Andes retain their traditional lifestyle, taking care of their llamas, alpacas and vicuñas, planting the few crops that grow at these altitudes and creating marvelous textiles, which they produce from the finest animal fibers based on ancient techniques that have been passed on for centuries from parents to their children. We will spend the night in simple but pleasant accommodation in the outskirts of Ocongate. The other pilgrims will take public transport from the edge of the highway and travel all night to Mawayani, arriving between two and four in the morning.

Meals: B, BL, D
Accommodation: Parador del Ausangate Lodge

Sunday June 3 – On the way to Qoylloriti

After a very early breakfast, our vehicle will take us to the highest point of the highway at Mawayani, where we will prepare ourselves to begin the walk of approximately six hours to the shrine of Qoylloriti, which we will camp close to. The route is a constant ascent along a path used by hordes of pilgrims who pause briefly to pray at the foot of the fourteen crosses that guide us to the church. We will follow the slow pace of the pilgrims of the Quispicanchi nation, who we will have been accompanying since the first preparations for the pilgrimage in the vicinity of Cusco. Finally, we will arrive at the Qoylloriti shrine, the focal point of which is the church, spectacularly located at the foot of the great snow-capped peak of Sinakara. During the evening two masses are celebrated; one at 6 pm and the other at 8 pm. The masses are moments reserved exclusively for worship, and photography is not permitted; however, the mystical scenery at dusk, the multitude of colors produced by the pilgrims and dancers, and the silent and imposing presence of the snow-capped peaks, or Apus, provide us with the opportunity to continue with our photographic work. We will eat in our dining tent, using the time to talk about the day’s work and prepare for the next day.

Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Tented Camp

Monday June 4 - Qoylloriti

We will rise today with the first light of dawn to photograph the sunrise over the shrine. We will have time to wander freely in search of the best images. After a good breakfast we will be presented by a new spectacle: the Alacitas market. Unlike other markets, here all kinds of miniature replicas are purchased, ranging from houses and cars to university degrees, in the hope that these little items will become a reality in the lives of the faithful who buy them. During the morning dances are performed, prayers offered and masses attended. At midday the “Pabluchas” mass is held. The costumes of these mythical characters transform them into the official intermediaries between the Lord of Qoylloriti and mankind. They are the only ones authorized to climb the peak of Sinakara and offer their prayers in the name of all pilgrims. In the afternoon the processions of the Lord of Tayancani and Our Lady of Sorrows [Virgen Dolorosa] are held; the dances and celebrations continue. Around five in the afternoon, the shrine is enveloped in a special atmosphere; our dance group, the Quispicanchis nation, sings the “Alba”, or the first song in honor of the Lord of Qoylloriti; the ancient melodies and songs continue until the most important in the hierarchy is sung by the Paucartambo nation. That night there will be firework displays as we meet again to share the experiences of the day and to continue to give form to our photographic essay.

Meals: B, L, D
Accommodation: Tented Camp

Tuesday June 5 – The prayer of the Pabluchas and the pilgrimage to Tayancani

This is the most important day of the pilgrimage: It all begins a little after midnight, when the “Pabluchas” start their ascent of the sacred Apu, the imposing snow-capped peak of Sinakara. They are entrusted with the task of carrying the prayers of the pilgrims and gathering the blessings of the Lord. They used to return carrying enormous blocks of ice so heavy that more than once pilgrims tumbled into the ravine, evoking in this way the sacrifices of those who died in ancient times in honor of the same sacred Apus in order to ensure the well-being of those who remained alive. The mass is held that night in the small hours, ending just in time to enable those congregated to contemplate the rising sun and await the heroic return of the Ukukus or Pabluchas. Around midmorning the 24-hour pilgrimage will begin to the shrine of the Lord of Tayankani. This pilgrimage is divided into two stages; the first stage takes place under the blue sky of day, while the second stage occurs by the light of a bright moon. We will accompany the procession only to a certain point. Around midday, we will begin the return to Mawayani, from where we will return finally to our accommodation, where we will be able to enjoy a hot shower and a bed, after spending two days camping. The rest of the afternoon can be used to evaluate and put in order our photographic work in the company of Dado.

Meals: B, L
Accommodation: Parador del Ausangate Lodge

Wednesday June 6 – Greeting the sun at Tayancani

The annual celebration of the Lord of Qoylloriti is coming to an end. At around 3:30 in the morning we will board our bus to begin the approximately 45-minute ride, followed by another 45 minutes on foot, to the shrine of the Lord of Tayancani. The first light of dawn delineates the shadows of the pilgrims as they walk over the mountain. Once again we will sense the deep imprint left by ancestral beliefs dating from a time when humankind awaited with joy and expectation the emergence of the sun god. In this celebration in which Inca beliefs are fused with those of the west to form a single expression of spirituality, the pilgrims greet the sunrise enthusiastically. The opportunities for photography during this sunrise are unique. We will return to our accommodation to share breakfast before beginning our journey to the city of Cusco, also known as the imperial city, in recognition of its history as the capital of the Inca Empire, after which it became, during the first years after the conquest, the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the main power center of South America. We will have the afternoon free to review with Dado our respective photographic work, which will now begin to take on the form of a photo essay. We will also be able to wander the city and photograph it at our leisure, either individually or in the company of our guide. In Cusco we are witnesses to a blend of western and Inca architecture not seen anywhere else in the world. We will walk through narrow streets that will remind us of the typical villages of southern Spain, but we will also pass through places where the majesty of Inca structures, ancient temples dedicated to the gods and the palaces of the nobility stand magnificently to this day, in spite of the fact that the majority of them were converted into colonial era buildings and churches. This architectural blend is essentially a new portrait of the soul of the people of the Andes.

Meals: B, BL
Accommodation: Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel - Deluxe Room

Thursday June 7 - Corpus Christi

The intense spirituality experienced and photographed in the preceding days, in which the Apu, water, Pachamama, the moon and sun were combined with worship of the Christian god, will take on a new aspect today, as shining liturgical ornaments, burning candles and colorful carpets of flowers speak in a soaring voice of the triumph of Jesus Christ. In the morning we will accompany for the last time our companions from the Quispicanchi nation in their own celebration of Corpus Christi in the village of Andahuaylillas. There we will participate in the culmination of these five intense days of pilgrimage, and we will take the time to bid farewell to them. In the afternoon, we will devote our time to watching and photographing Corpus Christi in Cusco, which although it does not possess the same intimacy of Andahuaylillas, reflects much greater splendor. The day will end with a dinner in an excellent local restaurant, which in addition to good food will offer us privileged views of the city’s Plaza de Armas.

Meals: B, D
Accommodation: Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel - Deluxe Room

Friday June 8 – Machu Picchu

We will get up early again today; the route from Cusco to the Sacred Valley takes us through extensive fields of crops, small villages and imposing snow-capped peaks, which together provide us with very good opportunities for photography, particularly during the first light of day. When we arrive in Ollantaytambo we will board the train that will take us to Machu Picchu. Our guide will take us step by step through the citadel, explaining each aspect in detail. After this visit, which lasts for a little over two hours, you will have free time to take pictures, walk around the Citadel or even walk to the Machu Picchu mountain or to the Inti Punku, depending on what you wish. The afternoon is probably the best time of day to photograph Machu Picchu, even better than at first light. This is because at this time most of the tourists leave, and the afternoon light gives the citadel a very special atmosphere. We will have the whole afternoon free to wander around Machu Picchu and photograph it . Towards the end of the afternoon, we will return to our hotel, which as well as possessing a magnificent infrastructure that harmonizes with the environment, also has an enormous area of forest, giving us the opportunity to observe and photograph different species of birds and plants, including orchids. This is the moment to come together and evaluate the photography of each member of the group, while we drink wine and eat snacks. The exhibition will have been prepared by Dado during the afternoon, so that each participant will have approximately five minutes to show the results of their work to their companions.

Meals: B, D
Accommodation: Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel - Inkaterra

Saturday June 9 – Aguas Calientes - Cusco

We will have the morning free. If we choose to, we can return to the archaeological site in the morning (this visit is optional, meaning that the entrance ticket and bus up to the ruins are not included in the itinerary). We also have the option to venture along the pathways around the hotel and photograph the lush natural surroundings. At around midday, we will board the train that will take us back to Ollantaytambo, from where we will return in our private vehicle to Cusco. In the evening we will have a farewell dinner in a pleasant local restaurant.

Meals: B, D
Accommodation: Aranwa Cusco Boutique Hotel - Deluxe Room

Sunday June 10 – Cusco – Lima

We will have this last morning in Cusco to wander the city independently, and perhaps even buy some souvenirs. At around midday, our vehicle will take us to the airport for our flight to Lima. Once in Lima, we will have a room available at the Hotel Costa del Sol Ramada in the airport, so that we will have a place to relax during the afternoon, and wait for the departure of our international flight.

Meals: B
Accommodation: Hotel Costa del Sol Ramada – Lima Airport