OAXACA A Journey to Oaxaca; the Magic and the Medicine Dates: October 6 - 14, 2017 Cost: $1,900 (Double Occupancy) Journey to the Heart of Indigenous Oaxaca with Maria Cook. Experience the Magic and the Medicine. !1 ! ! ! Daily Itinerary Cross Cultural Journeys is partnering with Maria Cook and Journeys for Deep Healing for an unforgettable experience in Oaxaca, Mexico. Maria Cook is a nationally certified Diplomate in Acupuncture through National Council of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) as well as a licensed massage therapist. Maria is committed to helping people feel better, both physically and emotionally. Her passion is to support people on their spiritual path and she uses her knowledge of the body and its energetic pathways to assist on a deep and powerful level. This is a unique journey for someone who is looking for something more meaningful than a traditional tour. This is a chance to grow, stretch, and experience something completely new in a beautiful place with the help of talented guides and a supportive group. The focus of the trip will be to work with Elizabeth, a talented healer and curandera in the indigenous tradition of Oaxaca, who, by leading us through ceremonies and rituals in nature, and through individual sessions, will help set free our sprits and bring us in touch with the magic that is Oaxaca and that resides deep within us all. Day 1| Friday, October 6| Hautulco You will arrive at the small Hautulco airport in the state of Oaxaca and transfer to the hotel. There, we will meet as a group and begin to explore how we can support each other in this amazing journey. We will make time for shopping in Hautulco, where vendors from all the rural area over bring handicrafts to sell, and we will have a chance to plunge into the warm Pacific ocean, our first stop on our path of learning about this incredible region. Hautulco Hotel (D) !2 Day 2| Saturday, October 7| Hautulco/ El Mamey After a delicious breakfast at the beach we travel for about 2 hours up into the jungle mostly on an endless dirt road. Upon reaching the community of El Mamey, we will be staying together, en famille, in a private family home at the coffee plantation also called El Mamey. There will be cozy basic accommodations with shared rooms and bathrooms outside. There is no heated water, but the warm climate provides plenty of comfort. We will share lovely family style meals and enjoy the hospitality of the family. Elizabeth, a profoundly wise and gifted healer, will give a presentation of her style of treatment. We will explore the grounds including a walk/hike along the river to take a swim in a natural pool, accompanied by birds, jungle noises, and the sound of the water tumbling over the rocks. El Mamey (B/L/D) Day 3| Sunday, October 8| El Mamey We start the day early with group work facilitated by Elizabeth. She will lead us in ceremonies and rituals, using natural elements, designed to touch us deeply and help us to move out of old patterns into an awareness of the magic that surrounds us. In the afternoon, we can walk/hike to a nearby waterfall. Later in the evening, we will gather together again as a group, to experience more of Elizabeth’s intuitively guided work. El Mamey (B/L/D) Day 4| Monday, October 9| El Mamey We will work with Elizabeth as a group and also have times for individual sessions. There will be time for walks, reading, sharing, and perhaps a cooking class in the big traditional kitchen. El Mamey (B/L/D) Day 5| Tuesday, October 10|El Mamey By now, fully immersed in the slow pace of life in this outpost, with insights that have emerged from the ceremonies and rituals, we take time to integrate. In the morning we head out on an excursion to the neighboring coffee plantation, “Finca La Gloria”. Later, we will walk to the waterfall near the community of Llano Grande. The evening brings us yet another celebration with Elizabeth. She will lead us in experiences that are unforgettable, uplifting, and truly transformative. Gathering around a fire on a dark jungle nigh, we will feel our feet on the earth and the power of nature speaking to our wild spirit: these are unique moments that will become our most treasured memories. As they help unleash our authentic self, we can go home and walk in the world with more of a sense of who we are and with an awareness of how all that is unseen can serve us, all with an inner freedom as we release old patterns that have held us back. El Mamey (B/L/D) !3 Day 6| Wednesday, October 11 | San Agustinillo We take our leave of “El Mamey” and travel down through the jungle the 3 hours to arrive at the Pacific beachside town of San Agustinillo. We enjoy the afternoon at the beach on our own and in the evening we will embark on a small hike to see the sunset from the “Punta Coeta” which is the most southerly point of the geographic continent of North America. For the next few days our home on the beach is a a lovely bungalow style hotel where we can relax, integrate, and restore ourselves in one of the most beautiful places in the world. San Agustinillo Hotel (B) Day 7| Thursday, October 12 | San Agustinillo Before breakfast, we take an early morning boat tour on the open ocean to see dolphins, sea turtles, and possibly even whales! In the bay of Mazunte, we may stop to snorkel. The late afternoon is for exploring by boat the fresh water lagoon of La Ventanilla, "small window", a rock formation created through centuries of erosion by waves. This natural rock formation inspired the name of a small village, La Ventanilla, which overlooks a mangrove swamp. There are currently 25 families living in this village, all engaged in the task of managing the mangrove swamp and preserving its biodiversity. The mangrove swamp is home to various species of birds such as woodpeckers, kingfishers, diving ducks, herons and a wide variety of reptiles such as crocodiles and iguanas, many of which are endangered species. If possible we will be able to free young seas turtles at the beach, observing them as they make their way to the sea. In these lagoons, fringed by mangrove trees, there is a profusion of crustaceans and microorganisms upon which turtles, dolphins and fish feed. This phenomenon occurs during the rainy season when seawater enters the lagoons. In 1997 hurricane Pauline nearly destroyed this sensitive ecosystem. For this reason the inhabitants started a project called Servicios Ecoturisticos La Ventanilla, to reforest the mangrove and protect the area. With the help of the company the Body Shop they built an information center and offer boat trips to the fresh water lagoon as well as horseback riding on the beach. Fees for these activities go directly to the inhabitants of the village. San Agustinillo Hotel (B) Day 8| Friday, October 13 | San Agustinillo After breakfast, we visit a natural cosmetic factory and the sea turtle museum in the coastal village of Mazunte. Mazunte is inhabited by people originally from the mountain range who settled there about 40 years ago in order to benefit from the area's endless natural resources and untouched beaches. Specifically, they dedicated themselves to massive fishing and the exploitation of sea turtles. This unlimited exploitation led to the sea turtle's potential extinction, so in 1990 a ban was !4 imposed. This however led to widespread unemployment and extreme poverty for most local families. With the help of national and international organizations, a program to create long- term economic development was established. Within this program a small cosmetics factory was born (Cosméticos Naturales de Mazunte, S. de S.S.) and a sea turtle museum. By purchasing Mazunte products you are supporting an ecological project which not only benefits this community but also protects the sea turtles and wildlife of Oaxaca's coast. San Agustinillo Hotel (B) Day 9| Saturday, October 14| San Agustinillo / Home We transfer to the Huatulco airport, arriving in time for the 10:30 AM flight to Mexico City. (B) Journey Leader Maria Cook EAMP, Lac, LMT is a licensed acupuncturist and body worker. She has worked with alternative medicine and personal transformation for over 25 years, has studied extensively in Mexico, China, Taiwan and elsewhere, and appreciates many modalities. As a USCG licensed captain, she has led adventure travel expeditions aboard her charter sailboat in the Caribbean, taught seamanship for Outward Bound, and served as a watch leader on the schooner Adventures teaching environmental education. She has led Women’s Transformational Journeys, both kayak camping and in open boats, rowing and sailing. Her passion is to combine empowering experiences in nature, the power of alternative healing and traditional medicine, and the capacity of group work to heal and transform. She is in private practice on Bainbridge Island and leads trips world-wide. Sign up for her newsletter: http://www.healingandmore.com/journeys-for-deep-healing/ !5 Journey Details INCLUDED: All meals on the schedule (B/L/D on itinerary); all accommodations and transportation; preparation materials NOT INCLUDED: International and domestic flights; Meals not on the schedule; additional snacks, Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks; tips to local guides Dates: October 6 - 14, 2017 Cost: $1,900 (Double Occupancy) Add: $110 (Single Room) (800) 353-2276 Email: [email protected] !6.