Puno, Peru
The forest is not a resource for us; it is life itself . . . the only place for us to live.
—Rigoberta Menchú Tum (1959–), Guatemalan rights activist for indigenous people and Nobel laureate
Thirty-five miles from Puno, on the shores of sacred Lake Titicaca, juts a mysterious landscape of rock formations that resemble buildings and other structures; sometimes unexplained balls of light appear. But the most puzzling feature of this amazing landscape, known as the “City of the Gods,” is the door cut into a massive block of bedrock with a smaller doorway carved into the bottom; local people call it a “gateway to the lands of the gods.”
Whether you want to experience higher consciousness through contact with the magnetic energies of ancient holy places or are intrigued by the mysterious sites of ancient civilizations, visit Puerta de Hayu Marca. The nearest airport is Inca Manco Càpac International in nearby Juliaca, but many visitors arrange their trip through Lima. Trains run from Cuzco or Arequipa to Puno, and buses travel daily among the three cities. Contact tour agencies in Puno for a local guide.
Out of respect for the local people, do not take their pictures; they believe photographs pull out their souls.
Some people who have knelt in prayer in the ancient doorway feel dizzy or as if they were flying (sensations similar to meditation or a dream), suggestive of transitioning into higher consciousness. If you experience these sensations, declare your intention to manifest larger-than-life dreams of transformation and enlightenment, drawing upon the Inca’s sacred wisdom.
According to local legends, the great heroes passed through Puerta de Hayu Marca to meet their gods and embrace immortality; in rare instances, they returned with the gods to revisit their kingdom on Earth. This is also called “Spirit Forest” for the strange rock formations that archaeologists believe were carved by an ancient civilization.