January 20, 2011
I have been trying to write this blog for the past 14 days, but I could not bring myself to do it.
On January 1, 2011 my dog ¨Sky¨ died in my arms, due to internal loss of blood.
We had arrived in Nasca 4 days prior to see the famous Nasca Lines and Figures in the desert. The airport was a zoo, when we arrived there, with people backed up waiting to get on a flight, because the airlines had been out of fuel all morning, not able to make their schedule. I had a reservation, but the price had gone up to $ 100 and higher, as I found out later. The companies were trying to recuperate their morning losses from the eagerly waiting tourists, knowing that many only had that day to make the flight. It was a nasty scene. I debated to wait, but one of the vendors told me this had been going on for days. So I paid the price to be done with it.
Seeing the lines and figures was impressive. One wonders how and why were these created over miles and miles of sprawling hot desert.
Before I could leave the airport, some Shaman looking guy decided to vent his anger over the commercialisation of the Nasca culture, to which I had to listen, since he had me cornered. The town was nice enough, but I wanted to leave the next day, feeling ill about the price gauging. We found an overpriced and undersized room in the center, but then got rescued to a nice and reasonable Hostal by a man who had been looking for us, because his cousin, who I had met in Huaca China, had told him we were comming to Nasca. Things were improving before they got worse.
That evening, Sky fell off the roof terrace through an opening, which serves as ventilation, onto a tiled floor below. It happened so fast.
The Veterinarian gave us coagelents for internal bleeding along with other meds. He seemed to be doing well, had no broken bones, consumed soft food and water and was able to walk, although I kept him quiet at all times. I sat with him, doing everything I could, hoping he would come through. Mysteriously, the Shaman, who I had encountered at the airport, showed up at the hostal, offering his assistance, because he had heard about a lady and her dog, but had no clue it was me. New Years eve, Sky was getting weak and the next morning he stopped eating and drinking. I knew he was leaving. The meds were not working and Nasca has no emergency veterinarian services.
I sat with him all day, sang to him, brushed him, we talked about all the people he loved and what an amazing dog he was. When his heart started racing, I prayed for mercy, to let him go. He died shortly thereafter of a heart attack.
The next morning I brought his body into the desert, a place I had seen from the plane, with the help of one of the guys from the hostal. He had brought pick and shovel to dig a grave and left quietly when it was done, so I could be alone with Sky´s body. I decorated all of his paws with my bracelets from the different countries we had been to, put food, his blanket and a coral stone with him. When there were no more tears to be shed I sang ¨Amazing Grace¨, because that is what he had been to me. The Shaman arrived, pointing out, that Sky´s grave was next to a Nasca Line. We built a stone tower, to which I attached the Eagle feather, I had carried with me from Alaska, so Sky could fly like a bird ...to all his favorite places.
I left Nasca that evening on a bus to Cusco. The images of the past 4 days kept circulating through my mind not allowing for any sleep, nor had I slept much the days prior. There was a friend from Israel in Cusco that I wanted to meet up with.
I needed company. However, on arrival at the hostal in Cusco, Noga did not seem to remember me. We had met in Israel the year before and spent several days together.
I was stunned, but too tired and in deep shock over the loss of my dog, to give it any thought. The next three days I drifted all over Cusco, walking, looking, but not really taking in anything. Noga and I were also getting acquainted again.
Cusco is a beautyful city, but very busy and full of tourists. The Shaman business is big business in Peru. There are Ayahuasca and San Pedro Ceremonies offered in every other store, or you can buy the brew in the market and do it yourself. Peru is going through a spiritual revolution/evolution and people from all over the world are flocking here to feel the energy. I had been wanting to do a Ayahuasca Ceremony, since I had arrived in Peru, but this spectacle in Cusco was way to confusing for me. On one of my walks through the city, a group of young Peruvian students shared their aspirations with me. They all wanted to study tourism, because that is where the money is. When asked, what they needed so much money for, the answer was...a house, a car, a good wife/husband....simple. Who can blame them, they want things we have enjoyed for a long time. Noga, who had been in Peru for the past three month and who was working with the plants, knew a trustworthy Curandero (healer)in the Sacred Valley and invited me to come along for her next ceremony, which would take place in a few days. I used this time to travel to Ollantaytambo to visit the pre-Incan ruins there and then on to Machu Picchu.
It is kind of crazy at Machu Picchu, there are at least a thousand visitors daily.
I caught the second bus at 5:30am to go up to the entrance, which was already jammed with the early bird hikers. Only the first 400 people are allowed to climb Huayma Picchu, which is a good thing, as the trail is steep and narrow. The Gods were with me and I got entrance to climb the mountain. Since it was still foggy at this early hour, I decided to descend to the Temple of the Moon first, hoping the majority of people would be gone later. The temple of the Moon was a long way down, but what a site. There was not a single soul. I used the peace and quiet for prayer, meditation and a journey with Sky. His collar was in my pocket. The trail up to Huayma Picchu was beyond steep, but the first view of the entire Machu Picchu site was breathtaking. By now the sun was out with only a few low clouds moving around.
I spent the rest of the day wandering around Machu Picchu, planted the Ruby crystal at the Temple of the Condor, hiked to the Inca drawbridge and layed in the grass amidst the giant stone walls.
One re-curring thought kept circling through my mind, since I had lost my dog companion. I am done looking, looking for something outside of myself, looking to others to give me something, that they can not give. Even connecting with all these amazing sites can not give me anything in addition, if I do not already have it inside of myself. I am done....
