Ecological Sustainable Adventure Travel Tours
Quechuas Expeditions Authorized Inca Trail Adventure Tour Operator
Under Local Mountain-Jungle & Cultural Multilingual Guides Management
QUECHUAS EXPEDITIONS Highly Recommended By:

SOUTH AMERICAN EXPLORERS / LONELY PLANET / FROMMERS / NYTIMES / TRIP ADVISOR / REAL TRAVELERS REVIEWS. SPECIAL DISCOUNTS 2013 (for tour that Includes Machupicchu only ( By Quechuas Expeditions) • SAE MEMBERS: US$20.00 discount on full program price (valid South American Explorers Club membership card required). This discount may not be applicable in case a promotional price is offered • STUDENTS DISCOUNTS: US$20.00 (students require a valid International Student Identity Green Card (ISIC) ( click here to get your isic card) and must be below 26 years of age. Please beware that Youth Travel Cards are not valid). If the trips go to Machupicchu only. • TEENAGERS: US$ 20.00 (up to 15 years of age, passport copy required for all bookings). • CHILDREN: US$ 45.00 (up to 10 years of age, passport copy required for all bookings). 1.-QUECHUAS EXPEDITIONS GROUP TOP QUALITY SERVICE: (GROUP SIZE 02 Min - 08 Max) our most popular trek and offers to visitors the most economical method to trek the Inca Trail and alternative Inca Trails to Machu Picchu. you'll be joining a group of other hikkers like you coming from overseas, a great opportunity to have fun and make new friends. 2.-PRIVATE SERVICE: (GROUP SIZE UPON REQUEST) for Families, Honeymooners and Couples. special trek program just for you, and you can depart any day you wish and choose the group size, we don´t add any people, is arranged just for you. All private groups include additional services, such as: extra porters, horses to ride and to carry your personal gear( for alternate treks), First class Vistadome train, Machupicchu bus up & down, 1st breakfast & last lunch, sleeping bags, walking poles and among others.      Write us at: privateservice@quechuasexpeditions.com 3.-LARGE GROUPS SPECIAL DISCOUNTS: 02 Guides Over 08 people If you are a group  of 06 people or more Please contact us at: info@quechuasexpeditions.com VERY IMPORTANT !!!: If you are using a SPAM filter, Our E-mails could be caught in your filter. Please check your filter if you do not receive the E-mail within 5 minutes.Some of our passengers E-mail us saying our confirmation E-mails are placed to their spam folder rather than their inbox. We recommend to modify your JUNK or SPAM FILTER SETTINGS to receive our E-mails of Quechuas Expeditions: info@quechuasexpeditions.com, reservations@quechuasexpeditions.com, quechuasexpeditions@hotmail.com on the correct inbox. You may also want to add this email address to your list of known contacts. This will prevent our responses from being filtered into your Junk or Spam mail folder.

   VERY IMPORTANT !!!
•PRICES PER PERSON DEPEND ON THE GROUP SIZE, THE LARGER THE GROUP THE LOWEST THE PRICE PER PERSON.
•We are committed to departing with 02 of you on this trek - we will never pass you onto another operator! We are the sole operators of all our treks!
• INCA TRAIL Permits are subject to availability - book at least 5 months in advance for peak season (May to September) departure dates.Up to date permit availability can be viewed at : ( INCA TRAIL AVAILABILITY 2010) and for those who have missed the Classic Inca Trail ( We have some Alternative Inca Treks to Machupicchu. SALKANTAY TREK  /  INCA JUNGLE  /  LARES MACHUPICCHU  /  CHOQUEQUIRAO TO MACHUPICCHU  /   CACHICATA INCA QUARRY TREK  /  And OTHERS.

• WE ALSO OFFER MANU NATIONAL PARK ( WILDLIFE JUNGLE ) EXPEDITIONS And SURVIVAL COURSES ( How to get water and food a Real Jungle Experience ) more info By clicking here..
• PLEASE NOTE: that we are not in control of the camping spots we are issued with from the Institute of National Culture (INC). In general your camping spot allocation is dependent on how early you book, or rather, how many permits are left. The first 250 spaces are generally given to Winay Wayna (3rd camping spot that affords you sunrise over Machupicchu 2 hours walking to Machupicchu) otherwise we could get Phuyupatamarca as your 3rd camping spot.(6 hours walking to Machupichu. so BOOK IN ADVANCE !!! Trains are subject to availability - book early to get the best schedules.
• If you want to stay 1 night in Aguas Calientes, Let us know and we can arrange your hotel and return train for the required dates.
• We can start the Inca Trail from the Sacred Valley if you are staying there.( Let us Know to Pick you from there)
• Extra porters (Porters carry a maximum load of 15kg): Please note that if you want to hire an extra porter you need to tell us this at the time of making your reservation as our Porters also require permits to enter the Inca Trail and we cannot add on more porters after we have obtained your permits!
• Note: All itineraries are subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control including, weather, road or trail conditions and flight schedules. Departure and arrival times are approximated.Campsites are subject to change according to our guide’s criteria and the group progress

AYAHUASCA CEREMONIES IN THE AMAZON IQUITOS JUNGLE RAINFOREST(Click here to see more info)

What is Ayahuasca?

The word "Ayahuasca" refers to a medicinal and magical drink incorporating two or more distinctive plant species capable of producing profound mental, physical and spiritual effects when brewed together and consumed in a ceremonial setting. One of these plants is always the giant woody liana vine called ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi or other species). The other plant or plants combined with ayahuasca generally contain tryptamine alkaloids, most often dimethyltryptamine (DMT). The plants most often used are the leaves of chacruna (Psychotria viridis and other species) and oco yagé; also known as chalipanga, chagraponga, and huambisa (Diplopterys cabrerana).
This drink is widely employed throughout Amazonian Perú, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, western Brazil, and in portions of the Río Orinoco basin. It has probably been used in the western Amazon for millennia and is rapidly expanding in South America and elsewhere through the growth of organized syncretic religious movements such as Santo Daime, União do Vegetal (UDV), and Barquinia, among others.
In traditional rainforest practice, other medicinal or visionary plants are often added to the brew for various purposes, from purely positive healing (blancura) and divination to malevolent black magic (brujeria, magia negra or rojo).
The oldest know object related to the use of ayahuasca is a ceremonial cup,made out of stone, with engraved ornamentation, which was found in the Pastaza culture of the Ecuadorean Amazon from 500 B.C. to 50 A.D. It is deposited in the collection of the Ethnological Museum of the Central University (Quito, Ecuador). This indicates that ayahuasca potions were known and used at least 2,500 years ago. Its antiquity in the lower Amazon is likely much greater.
The Ayahuasca medicine usually contains both beta-carboline and tryptamine alkaloids. However, some indigenous Amazonian cultures, i.e. Yahua and others, prepare a ceremonial drink from the ayahuasca vine alone.The effects differ in visionary qualities from the more typical composite preparation but with the same profound cleansing and spiritual effects.
The beta-carbolines (harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine) are obtained from the ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsis caapi). Harmine and harmaline are visionary at near toxic levels, but at modest dosage typically produce mainly tranquility and purgation. Tetrahydroharmine is present in significant levels in ayahuasca. It may be responsible for some of its more profound effects compared to analogue plants such as Syrian rue (Peganum harmala).
The ratio of the harmala alkaloids in ayahuasca appears to vary greatly from one geographical area to another in the Amazon basin. The proportions in which they are present likely account for the varied effects reported by shamans from different 'kinds' of ayahuasca even though all are botanically classified as Banisteriopsis caapi.
See 'Botanical Species and Shamanic Varieties of Banisteriopsis.'
Harmala alkaloids are short term monoamine oxidase inhibitors which render tryptamines orally active by temporarily reducing levels of monoamine oxidase in the body which otherwise rapidly destroys them. The combination of specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, such as Prozac), and most other antidepressants, with Ayahuasca or other MAO inhibitors can cause life support emergencies or death.
The principal ayahuasca compounds have a common indole structure which, through several mechanisms, influences certain functions of the central nervous system (CNS). The relevant factor is the biochemical similarity of these compounds to the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT). The harmala alkaloids in ayahuasca, primarily harmine and tetrahydroharmine, reversibly inhibit the neuronal enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO).
ayahuasca ceremony - bioandeanexpeditionsThis allows DMT to be active when ingested orally. It also facilitates accumulation of biogenic amines, such as 5-HT, which are normally metabolized by monoamine oxidase enzymes. DMT is a naturally-occurring biochemical substance secreted by the human body in the pineal gland. It occurs in hundreds of plant species worldwide. It can produce very powerful visionary effects when smoked in its pure form or taken orally in Ayahuasca.
It is incorrect, however, to characterize the Ayahuasca experience as merely an oral DMT experience activated by a beta carboline MAO inhibitor. The holistic processes at work are far more complex and it is unquestionably the ayahuasca vine which fuels the transformative power and profound teaching of the Ayahuasca experience.
Tryptamines (specifically N,N-dimethyltryptamine = DMT) are derived most commonly from the leaves of chacruna (Psychotria viridis and P. carthaginensis).

How ayahuasca works?

Scientific analysis isolated the main chemicals responsible for the hallucinogenic properties of ayahuasca. In 1923, Fischer analyzed the B. caapi vine and isolated a compound he named telepathine (from the telepathic powers one reportedly gains when under the influence of ayahuasca). It was not until 1969 that a full chemical analysis was carried out (Shultes & Hoffman, 1992), and the compound was actually found contain three active molecules - harmine, harmiline, and d-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroharmine. Harmine and harmiline were shown to be the primary molecules of the B. caapi vine responsible for the altered state of the ayahuasca drinker; however, these chemicals alone could not account for the intense visions and experiences of ayahuasca.

The beta-carboline chemicals like harmine found in the B. caapi vine can be psychedelic, but only in toxic doses (McKenna, 1993). Further research revealed P. viridis (chakruna) as a common admixture to ayahuasca. Assays showed this plant to contain small but significant amounts of the potent hallucinogen DMT or N, N- dimethyltryptamine. However, DMT is rendered in active when taken orally. How does the DMT in chakruna get into the blood when drinking ayahuasca? In the presence of the harmine (found in the B. caapi vine), DMT from the P. viridis plant becomes orally active in the body. Harmine alkaloids inhibit enzymes in the stomach that normally destroy DMT. In other words, the B. caapi vine allows the hallucinogen DMT to make its way to the brain to help induce hallucinations (Turner, 1994). Of the thousands of plants in the Amazon rain forest, only these two types of plants when combined and drank will allow the user to experience a slow, sustained release of DMT and the resulting hallucinations.

Ayahuasca steps ceremony

ayahuasca ceremonyIn order to begin to write about this traditional native ceremony it is essential to know about the plant that is used for this ritual: ¨Ayahuasca.¨ Its meaning comes from two ethnic Quechua words ¨Aya¨ and ¨Huasca,¨ which mean rope and death, or the rope of death. The other meaning of the word Ayahuasca is ¨Vine of the Soul.” The plant grows in the Peruvian Amazon. It is a climbing skinny plant that grows around the trees. That is why they call it rope.
The Ayahuasca ceremony is a ritual that consists of different steps. First, the shaman (healer or wizard) goes alone into the forest to prepare the Ayahuasca concoction. This concoction is a special drink made from four basic plants stirred together; “Chacruna,” “Toé,” “Tabacco” and “Chiric Sanango.” After that, the shaman keeps the concoction to macerate for twelve hours in a bowl. The drink is taken between 9pm and 10pm at night. Then the Shaman turns off the lights, and everyone whom is participating in the ceremony lies down on the jungle floor to wait for the initial effect.
After taking the Ayahuasca concoction, the shaman sings some strange songs in shipibo or dialects from the rainforest. These medicinal songs called ¨Icaros¨ allow him to communicate with the plant soul. These songs come directly from the plant spirits, according to the needs and personal problems of the people who are participating in the ceremony. The duration of the trance takes approximately four hours depending on the spiritual state, concentration and physical situation of the participant. The effect of the Ayahuasca concoction consists essentially of transporting the person on a trip outside this physical world. The only thing that maintains the person tied to his body is a small invisible power rope. This power is one that is not seen but felt, like hot air.

The effects of Ayahuasca vary between one ceremony to the next, but often cause emotional acts; vomiting, seeing weird visions of the plant spirits, or figuring out some understanding about your own life. After approximately 4-5 hours the effect decreases, and then it is possible to sleep deeply until the next morning.
The trance allows you to see your past, present, and future life. Although only the shaman can detect what is happening with his patient. The ritual is useful for self-knowledge and when you begin the trip outside your own body, you feel strange and surprised since you notice new things that you had never realized before about your life.
The ability that the shamans have to visualize the evil, illness or spell troubling the patient during the trance is called ¨Arcaneada.¨ Applying their ¨Arcaneada,¨ the shaman locates and identifies the damage and inhales it to cure the patient.

The shamans always try to take precautions to prevent problems with foreign people because they don’t have the same ability to communicate their emotions and feelings before, during and after the ceremonies.

The ceremony of Ayahuasca is an ancestral traditional ceremony that was practiced in different parts of the country for many years mainly by the shamans. For many years, Shamans have used the ¨Ayahuasca ritual¨ as a doorway into the soul. The rite that they preach can heal any spell or any illness from the patient.
Actually the Ayahuasca ceremonies are being developing in many places around Peru. Mostly of them frequently are given in the jungle of Peru; in cities like Iquitos, Pucallpa, Madre de Dios and Puerto Maldonado. The favorite place for Ayahuasca tourists is Iquitos.
This kind of natural medicine is very different than conventional western medicine. Therefore the shamans ignore warnings about some adverse interactions between the ¨Ayahuasca¨ concoction with some prescription medicines, mainly those which are used to treat AIDS, psychiatric disorders and depression. The Ayahuasca tourists have to be careful about this and always try to prevent negative consequences.
Another important subject that has to be considered are the Shamans, there are some shamans that are fair and some who are not. There are some groups of Shamans to be wary of that like to swindle tourists.

For the Ayahuasca tourist, it is a grand adventure to travel to an unknown country, find a place to pass the experience, pay for it and ask a total stranger for a spiritual experience. While from the other side many shamans obviously apply their knowledge to help other people, recognizing that Ayahuasca tourism is a successful and developed business in Peru.
In conclusion, The Ayahuasca festival is an important part of Peruvian history, Peruvian culture, and Peruvian spiritual and economic life. The Ayahuasca tour is sponsored by government tourist agencies through ¨Promperu¨ promoting Peruvian jungle tours. Even the last Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo participated in an Ayahuasca ritual during his government in Iquitos to promote the Ayahuasca tour worldwide. However, there are many religions that disagree with this kind of ceremonies around the country.

Common names of the Ayahuasca in the Amazon

Yagé; bejuco bravo; bejuco de oro; caapi (Tupi, Brazil); mado, mado bidada and rami-wetsem (Culina); nucnu huasca and shimbaya huasca (Quechua); kamalampi (Piro); punga huasca; rambi and shuri (Sharanahua); ayahuasca amarillo; ayawasca; nishi and oni (Shipibo); ayahuasca; ayahuasca negro; ayahuasca blanco; ayahuasca trueno, cielo ayahuasca; népe; xono; datém; kamarampi; Pindé (Cayapa); natema (Jivaro); iona; mii; nixi; pae; ka-hee' (Makuna); mi-hi (Kubeo); kuma-basere; wai-bu-ku-kihoa-ma; wenan-duri-guda-hubea-ma; yaiya-suava-kahi-ma; wai-buhua-guda-hebea-ma; myoki-buku-guda-hubea-ma (Barasana); ka-hee-riama; mene'-kají-ma; yaiya-suána-kahi-ma; kahí-vaibucuru-rijoma; kaju'uri-kahi-ma; mene'-kají-ma; kahí-somoma' (Tukano); tsiputsueni, tsipu-wetseni; tsipu-makuni; rami-wetsem (Kulina); amarrón huasca, inde huasca (Ingano); oó-fa; yajé (Kofan); bi'-ã-yahé; sia-sewi-yahe; sese-yahé; weki-yajé; yai-yajé; nea-yajé; horo-yajé; sise-yajé (Shushufindi Siona); shimbaya huasca (Ketchwa); shillinto (Peru); nepi (Colorado); wai-yajé; yajé-oco; beji-yajé; so'-om-wa-wai-yajé; kwi-ku-yajé; aso-yajé; wati-yajé; kido-yajé; weko-yajé; weki-yajé; usebo-yajé; yai-yajé; ga-tokama-yai-yajé; zi-simi-yajé; hamo-weko-yajé (Siona of the Putomayo); shuri-fisopa; shuri-oshinipa; shuri-oshpa (Sharananahua).*
At least 42 indigenous names for this preparation are known. It is remarkable and significant that at least 72 different indigenous tribes of Amazonia, however widely separated by distance, language, and cultural differences, all manifested a detailed common knowledge of ayahuasca and its use.*
Both the plant and the medicine prepared from it are called 'ayahuasca' in most of the Peruvian Amazon. In this cyber treatise we distinguish the ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) from the medicinal brew (ayahuasca combined with a companion plant such as chacruna) by capitalizing the name of the prepared medicine, i.e. Ayahuasca.

from Schultes and Raffauf, The Healing Fores

ITINERARY:

IQUITOS AMAZON JUNGLE:

(NOTE: Tour Begins in Iquitos and Ends in Iquitos)

FIRST DAY: pick up from the airport and transfer to the hotel, then we visit Belen market to know about natural medicine, drinks and handicrafts in Pasaje Paquito. After that we visit the Manatie rescue place ( trichechus inunguis) there you can have directly contact with these amazing mammals. Finally in the afternoon we go to Capitari healing center for our first ayahuasca ceremony.

SECOND DAY: Breakfast then we go to the Museum to see about Amazonian art and paints crafts. After that we go to Nanay River to take a boat towards the Boras native community. Then we take the boat towards the Barrio florida to visit the Fundo Pedrito where we can observe caiman, arapaima gigas (the largest fish in the Amazon), turtles, monkey and others and then we take a swim in the Nanay river, after that we take our boat upstream to go to Gallito Village in here we can realize about the way of living of the local jungle people and we can visit the school and play football or volleyball and swim in the Amazon river. Finally we return to Capitari healing center to have our second ayahuasca ceremony.

THIRD DAY: We pick you up from your hotel at 7:00 a.m. and we travel to Nauta port for about 1:40 minutes from Iquitos , after that we jump into the long tailed motorized boat and we travel for about 2 hours to arrive to our lodge , before arriving to the lodge we stop in the middle of the two big rivers Marañon and Ucayali which give born to the amazing Amazon river, in this place we will see the marvelous gray and pink dolphins. So we arrive to the lodge around 11:30 am approximately. After having a great reception in the lodge we show the facilities and your bungalows, in that way, you have some time to relax before our lunch time. At 2:00pm we start our first short exploring into the jungle to recognize the area However just close to the lodge you will see some medicinal plant and some trees; the guide will explain you more about them. Finally at 6:30 pm is the best time to see nocturnal wild life in the lake such us night heron tarantulas and caiman.

FOURTH DAY: Today we wake up very early at 5:30 am to have a great opportunity to do bird watching. We can observe at least 40 species of birds around the lake. We come back just on time for the breakfast At 10am we get ready our machete to walk for about 1 hours to walk around the lodge in order to see during the trek some giant trees, timbers, medicinal plants, monkeys, and others. After lunch we go to the lagoon in front of the lodge to swim we do a canoeing around the lagoon to see for example: tapir, peccary, anacondas, howler monkey, pigmy marmoset, and the famous horned screamer turkey, finally to the lodge

FIFTH DAY: This day we will spend whole day fishing different kinds of fish such as: piranhas, cat fish, bass, prehistoric cat fish and others and as well we visited a special lagoon full of giant lily pads then we go to visit local communities to see about the way of living of these people, please don’t forget to take some money with you to buy some handicrafts in this way we support then to stop cutting down the trees and stop hunting as well. After all of these we take the boat to come back to the Nauta port and then back to Iquitos
In Iquitos we have a nice dinner to enjoy talking about the experience of the ayahuasca and the feel free to enjoy in any discothec around Iquitos.
CONTACT US AT: info@quechuasexpeditions.com

Personal Information:

Family Name: CULQUITÓN ROCCA
First Name: Luis
Birth date: September 24.1949
Birth Place: Iquitos, Perú
Nacionality: Perú
Civil Status: Married
Occupation: Folk healer

My name is Luis Culquitón Rocca. I am an Amazonian Folk Healer with 20 year of experiences in the practice of traditional medicine and its research. I am also the director and founder of a non-lucrative association "CAPITARI", the Center of Investigation of Traditional medicines and the Amazonian biodiversity CAPITARI located in Iquitos, Perú. I am also interested in childhood and environmental themes.

Summary:

Amazonian Folk Healer with experience of at least 20 years in traditional medicines and investigation of natural medicines. Director and founder of the non-lucrative association "KAPITARI" and the Center of Investigation of Traditional medicines and Amazonian biodiversity KAPITARI in Iquitos, Perú. Interesting in childhood, traditional medicines and environmental themes.

Education:

• High school: C.E.P.S.M. Nº 060 - Iquitos

Professional Experience:

2005-2006: Amazonian Development Organization – NGO. ODA (Tarapoto, Perú)
• Design, organization and institutional consolidation.
• Coordinator in Iquitos City
• Co-Author of “Art to Preserve” project.
• Advice in agro-forestry, traditional medicines and ecotourism.

2001-2006: KAPITARI Center of Investigation of Traditional medicines and Amazonian biodiversity.
- Founder-member
- Director
- Therapeutic Area
- Folk healer
- Design of the project: “Center of training to Amazonian biodiversity management”

2000-2005: TAKIWASI:

• Center for the Rehabilitation of Drug Addicts and the Investigation of Traditional Medicine
• Therapeutic Area
• Folk healer

C.I.A. PRAKLA
• Nursery Area
• Male nurse.
• 3 years of service.

IMPORTANT:

INCLUDES:

• Transfer from the airport to the hotel in Iquitos
• Long tailed boat transportation to the Amazon lodge
• Hostel for 2 nights in the city
• Boat transportation speed boat for the tour near Iquitos
• Three wheels motorbikes to do the visits in iquitos
• Entrance fees to the places to visit in iquitos and near iquitos
• Transfer in and out from the hotel
• Don Luis services
• Ayahuasca ceremonies
• Two people to look after the passengers during the ceremonies
• my guiding service
• City tour for 2 days (museum, boras tribe, butterfly farm, anacondas and Monkey Island, manaties rescue, Alpahuayo Mishana reserve, Belen market, )
• Bilingual guide ( English and Spanish)
• Mineral water in the lodge
• First Aids kit
• 3 meals per day in the lodge
• Cook
• 5 days and 4nights in Lodge
• 5 days 4 nights Tour in the amazon jungle

IT DOESNT INCLUDE:

• International and Domestic Airfares. and aiport taxes
• Additional nights during the trip due to flight cancellations

WHAT YOU HAVE TO BRING:

• Light easy dry clothes
• Zip off pants
• Sun glasses
• Insect reppelent 50% deet
• Rubber boots ( you can buy it here in iquitos)
• Rain poncho
• Personal medication
• Torch, head lamps or just flashlight
• Camera with extra bateries
• Cap or hat
• Trekking sandals
• Extra money
• Water bottle or camel back