Kallawaya Deep Healing

Type: Deep Healing Journey • Community Interaction
Activities: Consultation and Divination • Kallawaya World • Physical Ruay Healing Therapies • Shamanic Munay & Yachay Healing Rituals • Interaction with Native Culture
Ecosystems: Andean Puna • High Andean Valley • High Glacial Peaks
Culture: Kallawaya
Duration: 5 days
Weather: Fog • High Altitude Cold and Sun
Availability: Limited
Guides: Mario Vargas • Julián Katari
Depart from: La Paz
Download: Journey Portfolio PDF»

ROUTE MAP

Consultation and Divination

Previous to your journey, in the city of La Paz, you will visit Kallawaya Mario’s Consultation Room. He will diagnose you by interviewing you and by asking the sacred spirits through a coca leaf reading. With this, he will have a clear solution to any problems you may have and will then apply the necessary therapies and rituals to solve them in the following days when you travel to his remote mountain village.

Road Journey

The road from La Paz to the Apolobamba Mountains goes through many unbelievable landscapes, towns and natural reserves. Just getting to the Kallawaya villages is by itself a great journey. We like to take two whole days to get the best experience on this road, stopping and interacting with the different landscapes. First we go around the eastern shore of Titicaca Lake, where we stop for an ancestral fish soup. Further ahead, we begin climbing to 15,000ft. and cross the Ulla Ulla wildlife reserve, where we will interact with high altitude llama herders and maybe get to see wild Vicuñas (vicugna vicugna). Night may fall upon us, so the other part of the road we will experience on the way back. On the way back we will first marvel at the views over the immense ravines of this part of the Andes, the fairy tale villages that cling to the mountains and the innumerable ancient cultivation terraces that shape the landscape. Then, a stop at some medicinal hot springs near the town of Charazani will leave us relaxed for the rest of the drive back to La Paz.

Kallawaya World

We cannot differentiate, say it’s about the healer, it’s about the culture, or it’s about the land, because it’s about all. We find best to call this activity Kallawaya World. You will visit one of the most powerful, unexplored, immensely wild places that remain on earth. Just as powerful, are the native Kallawaya, a sacred healing people inseparable from their sacred heart of the earth. Visiting this place heals the body, the mind and the soul through physical therapies, spiritual powers and an insuperable journey experience. At the same time it forces you to interact with the culture intimately. Interacting with this world involves hikes to special power places high in the mountains, near glacial lakes, or in deep valley ravines and rivers. Read our complete article about the Kallawaya»

Physical Ruay Healing Therapies

If you have a physical problem that may need healing «of which Mario will know about after his consultation, with the possibility of you not being aware of it» he will apply different types of therapies with either plants and/or minerals throughout your visit to the Kallawaya World. Kallawayas are considered to be the native nation with the most extensive pharmacopoeia of all. But this is just part of their extensive healing power.

Shamanic Yachay & Munay Healing Offerings

You have to know, that included in the cost of this journey are the expensive goods that are bought and offered to the spirits of the mountains in an elaborate ritual offering you will be starring in. It’s important to want to offer, give payment to mother earth and the mountains, so they may facilitate your healing or fixing of problems. Giving payment in a good spirit is essential for the ritual to work.

Deep Interaction with Native Culture

An absolute respect and disposition to heal and learn from this culture is required to participate in this journey. You will eat traditional local meals and it’s very important you don’t deny anything that is offered to you. You will maybe participate in agricultural duties and if you’re there in the right dates, you may participate in important community ceremonies that involve native ritual music. As a responsible community tourism operator we must veil for the community’s social and cultural integrity in this intercultural interaction. Therefore we offer you two options for this journey, one that includes our intercultural guide Julián Katari, whom allows fluid bi-cultural & bilingual comprehension and insight, and the other without him, with only Mario Vargas, the Kallawaya Medicine Man as a guide. For this last option we require speaking Spanish, previous experience interacting with native communities, and/or taking an exam that allows us to see that you’re prepared to interact with this indigenous nation.

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Food & Accommodations

Staying in Mario’s house is part of the complete native experience. Lodging is in a small adobe guest room, with a wooden bed and a hay mattress. There are no bathrooms; necessities are done in the mountain with incredible views. You will be eating local meals with the family. The food is all grown in the region, it’s organic and it’s been cultivated with prayers and ceremonies. Vegetarian diet not available in Unguided Personal Healing Journey.

Options and Costs

Guided Personal Healing Journey

With intercultural guide Julián Katari
Cost: Two Way Shuttle car: $1,094 • One Way Shuttle car: $985 • Regular Transportation: $832 • Companion: $350
Includes: Consultation with Kallawaya in La Paz • Transportation (shuttle or regular) • Intercultural Guide Julián Katari • Lodging • Complete Meals • Offerings & Rituals • Healing Therapies and Remedies • Contribution to native community.
Note: For the regular transportation option, the bus will not stop at all the places mentioned in the “Road Journey” section of this document. You will be able to see it from the bus, but not interact with the places; it’s only possible with private transportation. One way shuttle allows this experience at a lower cost.

Unguided Personal Healing Journey ·requires previous consultation·

Just you and the Kallawaya Medicine Man
Cost: $627 • Companion: $350
Includes: Consultation with Kallawaya in La Paz • Regular Transportation • Lodging • Complete Meals • Offerings & Rituals • Different Healing Therapies and Remedies.
Does not Include: A bs100 ($15) fee you need to pay personally to the community as a contribution for your visit.
Notes: You must speak Spanish and attend two consultations, one online and one in La Paz with Julian Katari • For the regular transportation option, the bus will not stop at all the incredible places mentioned in the “Road Journey” section in this document. You will be able to see it from the bus, but not interact with the places • Vegetarian diet not available.

Group Journey

Healing is for each one in the group
Cost per person: 3 pax $700 • 4 pax $640
Includes: Consultation with Kallawaya in La Paz • Private Transportation • Road Journey • Intercultural Guide Julián Katari • Lodging • Complete Meals, Snacks & Desserts • Offerings & Rituals • Different Healing Therapies and Remedies.
Does not Include: A bs100 ($15) fee you need to pay personally to the community as a contribution for your visit.