Painting Travel Adventures

ARTIST & PHOTOGRAPHERS JOURNEY
TO MACHU PICCHU

Facilitated by Jill Segal & Lee Kraemer
October 14-26, 2006

EXPERIENCE THE SPIRITUAL, TRADITIONAL, CULTURAL AND MYSTICAL WONDERS OF PERU

This will be a unique opportunity to visit, sketch, paint and photograph the sacred sites of Peru.

• Creative Explorations - A Journey to the Mystical Wonders of Peru.
• 12 days/10 nights
• Willka T’ika 7 nights; Machu Picchu 1 night; Cusco 2 nights:

Willka T'ika Guesthouse, a tranquil, modern, creative arts and yoga retreat centre is set in breathtaking gardens in the Sacred Valley of the Inka. The surrounding gardens are filled with brilliant flowers, Andean medicinal plants, and organically grown vegetables.

An experienced guide will travel with you and spark your excitement, as you come into contact with the traditions and spirituality of each ancient site.

Painters will have the opportunity to paint/sketch daily and express their own unique vision. No formal instruction will be given. Jill will be available to demonstrate and critique work if requested.

Photographers will have an opportunity daily to take photographs (digital), view their pictures and present them to the group for discussion and comment. (Regular film may not be processed in time for viewing)

Jill Segal is an award winning professional artist and accomplished art teacher. She conducts demonstrations, classes and workshops. She has participated in and co-facilitated many workshops on spirituality and creativity. This will be her fourth journey to Peru.

Lee Hayden-Kraemer is a psychotherapist, writer and photographer. She combines her therapeutic work with her creative energy, in her “Innerscapes Workshops” -Exploring the Self through Photography and Writing.

Landcost: The price for this top quality 12 day package is $2,520 per person. (Single Supplement $550. Prices in US Dollars.)

For registration and information contact:

Lee Kraemer - (416).733-8735, innerscapes@gmail.com

www.MagicalJourney.org

or me;
Jill Segal (905)731-3834, jill@jillsegal.com

Participants will be taken daily to wonderful locations. You will spend time exploring the temples and fortresses of the Incas, including Machu Picchu, will bask in the natural beauty of Peru and will have the opportunity to wander amongst the exotic colourful markets and vibrant local people.

If you want to read an article I wrote shortly after my first trip,
please click here.

DAILY ITINERAY

• Saturday 14: Departure from home country for Cusco City via Lima.
  
  
• Sunday 15: Arrival at Cusco airport and transfer to the Sacred Valley and Willka T'ika Garden Guest House, your base over the next week. You will be welcomed with herbal teas to help you acclimate to the altitude of 9000ft.It is recommended that you rest for a few hours. Late afternoon orientation followed by a welcome dinner. (L.D)
  
  
• Monday 16: Group orientation tour of the seven sacred gardens. Energetic guests may hike in the countryside, stopping at a neighbour's "chicharia" to see how the traditional drink is brewed. At 4pm, the coca leaf reader, an authentic, ritual specialist, invites the group to participate in an Andean offering ceremony to Pachamama. (B.L.D)
  
  
• Tuesday 17: Drive through farmland communities to the amazing circles of Moray. Climb to the base or choose to paint or photograph from above. Continue by bus to the Maras Inkan Salt Farms stopping en route for a picnic lunch. The views are breathtaking. You may participate in a brief salt purification ceremony before hiking down the valley. (B.L.D)
  
  
• Wednesday 18: Visit the Ollantaytambo Ruins with its wonderful stonework and sun temple, followed by a special visit to an Andean mountain school (weather permitting), in a remote area that few tourists are privileged to visit. Your leaders are planning a special interactive project with the children. (B.L.D)
  
  
• Thursday 19: Dawn Breakfast overlooking impressive Incan terraces of P'isaq. Group will hike the non-tourist trail to the Inkan Temple of the Sun, a doorway to the upper Andean world. Optional hike down the mountain to the colourful market of P'isaq. This market offers a wonderful opportunity to buy woven goods, jewellery, wall hangings and hand-painted beadwork. Observe the colourful traditionally dressed campesinos coming to barter and sell their produce. Great photo opportunities. Return with time to relax.(B.D)
  
  
• Friday 20: Train to Aguas Calientes, the colourful village situated below Machu Picchu Ruins. Bus to the sunlit terraces of the historical Inkan center of spiritual and political power. Morning guided tour of the "Lost City of the Inka," with plenty of time to return in the afternoon to paint and photograph sites. Meet at the hotel at 6pm. Weather permitting, participate in an outdoor shamanic healing ceremony, with ancient musical instruments to help you tune in to the essence of Machu Picchu. After the hour-long ceremony, we invite you to a delicious dinner in one of the finest restaurants in Aguas Calientes. (B.D)
  
  
• Saturday 21: Full morning free to wander through the mysterious terraces and temples of Machu Picchu. You may wish to ascend on the first bus leaving at 6.00 AM. The energetic may climb to Waynapicchu, for a spectacular view of Machu Picchu. Afternoon train back to Ollantaytampu,transfer to Willka T'ika in time for dinner. (B.D)
  
  
• Sunday 22: Final day at Willka T’ika: Time to unwind and integrate experiences. Time to paint and photograph. You may wish to hike into the village of Urubamba and visit the local handcrafted ceramic studio or check out top-quality alpaca sweaters. Farewell dinner celebration at Willka T’ika. (B.L.D)
  
  
• Monday 23: After breakfast, bus to Cusco, ancient capital of the Inkan Empire. Check into a hotel situated off the historic Plaza de Armas. Morning guided walk through the cobblestone streets to the historical capital of the Inkan Empire, the Koricancha Temple, followed with a group lunch. In the afternoon, your guide will point out fascinating Inkan stonework as you walk through the San Blas Artists' district, stopping in at a well-known artist studio. In the late afternoon, you will be able to paint or photograph wonderful street scenes. This quaint area filled with artisan and art shops also has lively restaurants or coffee shops where individuals in the group might choose to have dinner. (B.L)
  
  
• Tuesday 24: After a buffet breakfast in the hotel, early bus to Kkenko, an Inkan holy site outside of the city, offering interesting art and photography opportunities. Continue onward to Saksaywaman overlooking the city of Cusco. Impressive stonework and structures weighing hundreds of tons will leave you in awe. Return to Cusco for lunch on your own and free time. The guide will accompany participants to the local market for special painting and photography scenes of traditional Quechua residents of Cusco.
  
  A farewell Andean buffet dinner, plus floor show with Andean music and dance has been organized(B,D)
  
  
• Wednesday 25: After breakfast in the hotel, bus transfer for the group to Cusco airport for the flight to the Lima airport and connecting flight home. Depending on flight connections we will plan for an optional extra city tour of Lima, before returning to the airport for an evening flight home, or reserve a day room in a hotel in Miraflores..
  
  Allow US$80 per person for the Lima day tour.(B)
  
  
• Thursday 26:Arrival in home city.

The order within this itinerary may vary to suit the needs of the group. The itinerary is subject to change in extraordinary circumstances.

So, if this Painting Travel Adventure piques your interest in any way and you want to learn more, feel free to contact me by phone (905)-781-3834 or by email: jill@jillsegal.com.

To Download a Registration Form, please click here.