SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, MEXICO - JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF MEXICO

Discover the real Mexico! Walk with an Aztec Shaman and experience the Temazcal sweat
lodge ceremony in the heart of the desert! 

SAN MIGUEL de allende JOURNEY

Come with us to on a short and intense workshop to photograph the magic of San Miguel - the cobblestones, art galleries and colorful colonial architecture. Travel 5 hours north to Real de Catorce, to the place of Huichol legends, to study the light and stillness of the land with an Aztec Shaman. We will experience the sacred Temazcal sweat lodge ceremony and sleep under the stars, connect with the land and ourselves. Give back to the community, with a fundraising project for the farming family whose land we will be using for our spiritual retreat! Come home a changed person. 

Our NGO in Mexico

CASA, - An NGO that promotes sexual and reproductive rights education to women and youth in San Miguel and area. Their Youth Promoter model places at-risk youth in leadership positions to help themselves by helping others. Promoters are trained in reproductive justice and health education, and apply their skills in schools, homes, community centers and on the streets. They use art, theater, radio, participatory workshops, health fairs and public awareness campaigns to spread their knowledge.

APRIL 11- 17, 2018

Cost – $3050 usd
Guests – (6-8)
Arrival airport – Leon, Mexico  BJX

QUICK PACK List

Camera equipment, good walking shoes or hiking boots, long light quick dry pants, shorts, long sleeved light shirts, warmer layers for evening, sunscreen, sunhat, bug repellent, travel pillow, sleeping bag liner or sheet, small flashlight or headlamp

TRAVEL LEVEL

Comfortable, some strenuous walking, camping for one night in individual tents with sleeping bags and pads, that are provided.
 

ITINERARY

ARRIVAL DAY
Welcome to Mexico.
Flights into Mexico City - arrive in the afternoon. You’ll be picked up from the airport and brought back to our hotel.
Accommodations: Hacienda el Santuario

DAY 1 - SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE
One on ones with Nance exploring the colorful colonial streets, churches and markets as they come to life.
Welcome to San Miguel!  Language tips, maps and orientation and meet Cesar, our guide/translator
who we’ll be with us both in San Miquel and in the desert! We stroll the historic center with Cesar to get our bearings and soak up the culture that oozes out of every pore of this great city. 
Evening Culinary/Tasting Tour of SMA (optional)

DAY 2 - SAN MIGUEL to REAL DE CATORCE
We begin our 5 hr drive after our photo class -  stopping along the way to explore small villages, off the beaten path, along the way that time forgot.  Real de Catorce has long been a pilgrimage site for both local Catholics and Huichol shamanists because of its reputed spiritual energy. We begin our desert quest here
Accommodations:  El Real Love & Peace Hotel

DAY 3 - DESERT QUEST and TEMAZCAL RITUAL
We spend the day with our guide Cesar and an Aztec Shaman, on a desert retreat - a rejuvenating mystical experience! We’ll hike to look for medicinal desert plants, followed by the ancient ritual blessing of mother earth and then we’ll prepare the Temazcal sweat lodge.  After such a powerful experience we’ll have plenty of time for rest and reflection. 
A nice evening under the stars around a camp-fire tops off a full day.
Accommodations: Camping under the stars!

 DAY 4 - REAL DE CATORCE TO SAN MIGUEL
After a morning photo class, you can take an early horse-back ride to the sacred mountain of the Huichol Indians
or capture the scenic town of Real de Catorce in the early light. 
Travel back to San Miguel de Allende and upon arrival we'll have evening Cocktail Critiques at our amazing Hacienda
Accommodations:  Casa Schuck

DAY 5 - SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE
After our morning photo class and critique,  you are free to shop, relax
or explore the art galleries (we can arrange a tour) of San Miguel. In the afternoon, we will do an optional volunteer photo workshop at local NGO – CASA – a youth driven community organization that helps educate Mexican youth on
sexual and reproductive rights using art, theatre and music.  

FINAL DINNER and EXHIBIT of your work!

 DAY 6 - TRAVEL HOME
Shuttles to Mexico City airport.
Safe journey home - we will miss you!! 

recommended reading

The Shamanic Wisdom of the Huichol: Medicine Teachings for Modern Times, Tom Solloway Pinkson, True account of Pinkson's decade-long apprenticeship with Huichol shamans in the Mexican Sierra Madre

On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel, Tony Cohan An American writer and his wife find a new home—and a new lease on life—in the charming sixteenth-century hill town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.