The Sacred Valley
For the month of October in 2024, I volunteered in the Peruvian village of Huarán. Located about 2 hours north of Cusco, you take a road that nauseatingly meanders through the Andean highlands, until you open up and descend into the Sacred Valley. This valley was the heart and center of the Incan empire, and still today you feel the spiritual vibrancy that emanates through. The valley snakes through deified towering peaks alongside the Urabamba, a river that blesses the area with lush and fertile soil that’s in stark contrast to the surrounding altitudinous desolation. The original Quechua name for this river was “Willkamayu,” meaning sacred river and demonstrating its central significance in Incan spirituality. It was also believed to be the physical manifestation of the Milky Way galaxy, as depicted in this epic painting.
The valley itself is situated at an average altitude of 9,200 feet, but the encompassing peaks pierce the cosmic ceiling and ascend towards the heavens, reaching up to 20,940 feet at the peak of Mt. Ausungate. This valley is the home of Macchu Picchu, the archaeological ruins of Pisaac, the Sun Temple of Ollantaytambo, and countless other majestic sites. These sites are known to be in astrological alignment with zodiacal and cosmic processions, and were believed to be the location for various rituals and rites.
Incan spirituality is rooted in the energy of the Earth, and they were tapped into Pachamama (Quechua for mother Earth) in the most profound of ways. Even today, just living in the valley and exploring its magic for yourself, you feel a different energy than other places you’ve been. It’s as if your perception is heightened, and the energy flowing into your being is magnified in ways that can’t be explained. The Incas knew this and built their culture around this; their life of spirit and connection to the the Universes was regal, righteous, and purely divine.
La Casita: Garden of Ideals
Huarán is one of several small villages dotted along the Urabamba river, and La Casita is the name of a lodge/farm/community center situated in this village. It’s an estate that’s been passed down in the same family for time immemorial, and is currently maintained by a woman named Tania and her father Mario. After graduating from her collegiate studies in Germany, Tania returned home and had an unobscured perception of her village and surrounding areas. She witnessed countless children who lived in isolated and dilapidated mountain villages. These villages resided in the secluded highlands of the Andean mountains, and most of them are a strenuous journey’s hike down into the Sacred Valley.
These kids lacked the fundamental building blocks of a thriving development: education, nutritious sustenance, and connection beyond their village bubble. And so, Tania invited as many of these children as she could into her home. She began to house them, fed them, provide them work/responsibility on the farm, and essentially established a community, so these kids could have access to school in Huaran and strive to pursue continued education in the city of Cusco or beyond.
Through getting to know Tania and see her in action, I saw how pure and loving her devotion was. Adorned with a hummingbird tattoo upon the back of her hand, Tania truly embodies the spirit of that animal so revered in Inca culture. Hummingbirds are seen as a symbol for resilience, energy, and an unyielding quest to manifest love on Earth, and that perfectly summarizes Tania. When she opened her doors to the children in need, she sacrificed the life that was lived for herself. Within the enclosed walls and Eden-esque garden of La Casita, Tania has truly established a slice of heaven on Earth.
Daily Life at Casita
In order to house and feed so many people, La Casita is a thriving organic farm. With an ecological production of 120 different vegetable, fruit, meat, or animal based products, the agricultural bounty of La Casita is what allows the magic to occur. Every day, the Quechua kids who live at La Casita work the farm; either after school, on weekends, or during the day if they’d already graduated. It’s quite the sight to witness 10-15 kids devotionally working the land, giving back to the source which they’ve received endless love and blessings.
In addition to the bustling farm, La Casita also serves as an eco-lodge for guests. It is often the setting of various retreats or group gatherings as well, due to its idyllic nature and self-enclosed aura of peaceful wellness. Although no guests were there during my stay — save a very kind Chilean man, astounded by the situation he’d found himself in — I just missed out on a meditation retreat for 15 or so guests.
Life as a Volunteer
As volunteers, every day we would begin work at 8 AM: 1 or 2 people would help cook breakfast, and the rest of us would feed and take care of the animals. The roster was a diverse ray of furry friends, including but not limited to: a 3-generation family of 7 pigs, 3 llamas, 40 or so guinea pigs, 30 conejos (rabbits), 25 chickens, 20 ducks, and 5 dogs, including the wisest magely canine that I’ve ever met — Oxana.
After that, we’d all eat breakfast together, and then get started on our days work. We frequently rotated responsibilities, but some of the different tasks were helping with the construction of a the new lodge, maintenance of the farm/garden, working with the animals/cleaning their homes, cooking lunch, general housekeeping duties, or accompanying Tania on her bi-monthly quest to grocery shop for 35+ people.
After farm work, at 5 PM every day, all of the elementary and middle school students gather together in the common area to work on their homework. As a volunteer, helping the kids at this time was one of our primary responsibilities. Every day, we would switch up what kids we helped, but naturally you’d bond with certain kids more than others. Now for me, this daily task of intimate communication presented a renewing challenge of sorts: I spoke sólo un poco Español , and these kids barely spoke a lick of English. Fortunately though, the language of goofiness and playful silliness is universal, and so I had no difficulty in connecting with the youngins in spite of the linguistic divergence. This was where all the volunteers were allowed full rein of creative childishness, and you know for sure we all took advantage of it.
Tania’s Example as a Call to Arms
Tania felt called to make a change in this world, and to live her life in service to ideals that transcended her own life. I believe that to be the greatest decision that an individual can make in this life, and can only have faith that I possess enough courage to make the same choice. I hope to one day return to Casita, and to again immerse myself in the love that paints the colors of daily life there. It’s a special place, one that reminds you of everything you’re capable of in life; it gives you a glimpse of the potential we all hold within our hearts, and what we ourselves can manifest in the world.
Tania’s life is a demonstration of sacrifice in a way. However, there’s nothing tragic about it; sacrifice — in the highest sense of the word — is a shedding of your limiting beliefs and sense of self, and a stepping into of your greater destiny. It’s a recognition of your deep and eternal connection to all else that is, and choosing to live in service to that other. This world is built upon connection, and established on the exchange of energy between souls. I’m prone to get caught up in my own world all too often, and so I need a constant reminder to step beyond my mind and into the flow of all life. I’ll be forever grateful for Tania to giving me the chance to experience La Casita and the community that she has brought forth, I know I’ll keep it with me no matter where I wander, and use it as a reminder to connect with the people I meet in simplicity and honesty.
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