The Light Factor
Text Sean Savoy Photos Courtesy Andean Explorers
“Peru, Peru – My heart’s lighthouse.” – Steven Patrick Morrissey (English singer) Nazca Hummingbird
Sacred Places of Peru, Part 2 Dateline: Reno, Nevada How does a small-town boy from Reno end up leading twelve people on a sojourn in one of the world’s most beckoning destinations? Suffice it to say that however unlikely it may seem, Reno has been the home to the non-profit Andean Explorers organization since my dad moved here in 1972. After years in South America as one of the foremost experts in Andean exploration – he was the discoverer of the last capital of the Inca Empire – the sun, high deserts, and mountains of Nevada called him back to the US. With him came the club he founded in Peru in the 1950s.
world’s ancient places, but our specialty has always been Peru.
I followed closely in his footsteps, spending many seasons exploring citadels lost to time, and working with experts in archaeology to recover traces of pre-Columbian civilization in the Americas. Our programs introduce adventurers, spiritual seekers, history buffs, and amateur archaeologists to the
August 2-6: “Mysteries of Nazca” – Lima, Paracas, Ica, Ballestas Islands, Nazca
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I promised a recapitulation of my August adventure: Peru’s Sacred Places of Power Cultural Tour & Pilgrimage, so I hope that this brief summary, in two parts, will stimulate your imagination and compel you to visit this amazing country with me. Note: To arrive at our destinations, we traveled by plane, train, bus, car, and boat. We even dune buggied and surf boarded in the desert!
Our cultural tour started in Lima’s main square, where the new capital city was founded as “The City of Kings” in 1535. We visited the presidential palace, the