I fell in love

Before I realized it, I had fallen in love with Karla, and Karla had fallen in love with me. We are not together as I write this, and I must say, it is painful to write about it. Spirit has asked me to continue to write. I will do what I must. My writing will allow me to move on and let go. When you love and fall in love deeply as she and I did, this that I write, you will know what I am talking about. Even if we are no longer together, everyone should experience this feeling, this emotion, this memory that I still have. The energy of it was so overwhelming that I felt consumed by it.

I know not everyone might relate to this, but I have to write about it because Karla was and is what made the trip to Peru so special to me.

July 21st

After breakfast, we visited the archaeological site of Moray, characterized by its circular terraces that are more than 30 meters deep. These terraces form several concentric rings that sink into the earth, creating a fascinating and mysterious setting. It is also one of the most important energy centers in the Sacred Valley. I took various pictures, as you can see.

At the site, we took a moment to pause and meditate. I don’t remember Mayk guiding us too much during the meditation. In general, he didn’t guide us as much as we all participated, instead allowing us to interpret the present experience on our own.

I fondly remember eating lunch with Karla. I must admit, most of our conversations escape me as I write this, but the strong feelings we developed for each other were ever more present.

Next, we headed to the town of Maras, where we visited the Salt Mines, which capture groundwater from the surrounding mountains and condense it in more than 4,000 artisanal wells. These mines have served as a salt supply center for the Inca Empire since ancient times.

Throughout the tour, we enjoyed the beautiful landscapes that the Sacred Valley of the Incas has to offer. We gathered near the top of the town of Maras, where we all held hands together as the sunset. Karla and I held hands as we all gathered in a circle. She and I had started flirting with each other at this point. She would often get nervous when I looked at her. She would raise her eyebrows on purpose while smiling at me to distract me.

When we returned to the hotel, we explored the areas we had not yet seen, including the library. We found various rooms and areas I don’t think most people would find or see unless they looked for them. The hotel had a hot spa. I remember I kept telling Karla we should go there. She was shy about it, and we never ended up going there together. When we returned to the hotel the next night, that’s when our confessions would take place, as the next day would reveal.

Dia Cuatro

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the archaeological center of Pisac, one of the most important archaeological sites. Its foundations are based on a solid history, built with each piece rich in culture by the Inca communities. Pisac, which comes from the Quechua word pisaq or p’isaqaq, meaning partridge, is an animal of high spiritual and mystical significance for the ancient Incas.

When we arrived, I recalled that a few stray dogs were near the parking lot. One of them was a white dog who came up to me. The dog handed me his paw and let Karla pet him. This was on the way back, but I remember buying this soda called “Inca Cola.” The best way I could describe it is it tasted like liquid bubble gum! Yuck! I also bought a pack of poker cards with images taken of Machu Pichu.

Pisac

We climbed the top of the stairs of the ruins. When we reached the top, this was the moment when our true feelings came to the surface. Mabel Katz, leading one of our next group exercises, told us to go around and tell the person closest to us, that you care for them. Karla looked at me, looked down, then looked back at me and said, “Te quiero mucho.” I said it back to her, but she and I were together the whole time. We didn’t go around and say it to anyone else; it was not as significant as when we told each other, to my recollection.

Oh, something funny I should mention is that throughout the trip, whenever Mabel saw me, she would make a funny face and put her hand up to her mouth as if she was saying, “Oh, look at you two, young love.” The people in the group did not say much about us, but it was apparent what was going on between us two.

It was on this day as well, when Publio, one of the men from the travel agency, told Karla she reminded him of a daughter he had. He called her princess. In a way, Karla and I were like a prince and a princess. Later that day, we went to a beautiful restaurant with a garden where we ran into Roberto! The man I met at the airport had come to check in on his wife. I told Karla I met him at the airport.

Well, a few more conversations had taken place, but this was the night we returned to the hotel. Karla and I looked at the stars at the top of one of the villa buildings in the hotel. Karla had an app on her phone that allowed her to identify precisely which star constellation was above us. It was either Orion or Sirius, from what I can remember, but I’m not entirely sure. I hesitated, but as the moment went on, I politely asked her if I could kiss her. I was so gentle, as gentle as I always am. This moment would segment our unannounced relationship as we had indeed grown fond of each other.