THE AMAZON RAINFOREST: A Women’s Journey to the Heart of the World
Last Journey: January, 2023
This very special women’s journey to the Ecuadorian rainforest was developed in partnership with the Pachamama Alliance. We traveled here at the invitation of the indigenous Achuar people, in support of their goals to protect their ancient culture and keep their forests intact for future generations.
Our visit focused on the groundbreaking Ikiama Nukuri program (Achuar for “Women Keepers of the Forest,” a project of the Pachamama Alliance formerly known as Jungle Mamas). This program has not only greatly improved community health and birthing practices, but has also become a platform for women of an entire culture to find their voice. We heard directly from women whose lives have benefitted from Ikiama Nukuri, and talked with their local health promoters to understand the challenges faced in expanding this program in a highly patriarchal culture.
We had the rare opportunity to participate in these women’s daily life, and learned about their unique culture through hands-on village activities, from visiting their sacred gardens, to making pottery and creating beautiful baskets.
Highlights included:
An hour-long chartered flight over unbroken stretches of pristine forest, the only way to reach our remote destination
Five days in the primary rainforest, visiting three Achuar communities
Taking part in an Ikiama Nukuri training session on community health
Hiking pristine forests in the presence of enormous sacred trees more than 500 years old
Scenic canoe trips along rivers that are the only means of transportation in this roadless territory, providing a paradise for bird-watching
Elegantly simple accommodations in comfortable community-based lodges, with delicious meals
This journey immersed us in the spiritual dimension of life, and offered new perspectives through exploring the sacred traditions and cosmological vision of the Achuar people, whose lives are shaped by their dreams and their intimate connection with the natural world.
THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Last journey: October, 2021
Heartfire Journeys chartered a 16-passenger, first-class catamaran for back-to-back weeks to explore the enchanted Galapagos Islands for two separate groups. Our trips included stops at seven islands, with an abundance of hiking, snorkeling, and wildlife sightings. Traveling between the islands at night meant more time to explore during the day, maximizing our adventures with the land tortoises, penguins, and blue-footed boobies that we got to meet, up close and personal. This world treasure did not disappoint, and we returned home awed by the spectacular natural beauty found in this truly unique place on earth.
Highlights included:
Six days and five nights upon our beautifully-appointed boat, in the care of an 8-person crew and a local naturalist that explained all we saw.
Spotting birds and land animals found nowhere else on earth – Galapagos tortoises, marine iguanas, Darwin’s finches – and we closely observed an abundance of other species who exhibited no fear of our presence.
Numerous opportunities to swim or snorkel with friendly sea lions, marine turtles and iguanas.
Wetsuits and equipment for snorkeling, as well as kayaks, provided for our use and enjoyment.
A visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station where we learned about its conservation efforts to keep the Galapagos sustainable, pristine and accessible.
OAXACA, MEXICO: Celebrating Women's Culture and Day of the Dead
Last journey: October, 2019
This trip is a unique journey into a world of artisans, village chefs, and Mexico's biggest celebration, which, ironically, is a party for the dead!
Our trip took us from the 500-year-old colonial city of Oaxaca to 3,000-year-old Zapotec villages still immersed in traditional ways of life. With a focus on women's lives, we:
Met talented artisans who turn paper, clay and fabric into works of art for ritual and adornment
Got to know the women of Puente a la Salud, an innovative nonprofit assisting women farmers in amaranth production
Learned to cook from a renown Zapotec chef, shopping with her for ingredients at the local morning market
Spent a day visiting rural women empowered by microfinance opportunities and learned about their businesses
Take part in a natural dyeing workshop, creating your own take-home piece with locally-produced indigo
Explored the beautiful, ancient site of Monte Alban, whose great stone pyramids stand as silent reminders of its bustling metropolis 1500 years past
Our travels culminated around the Dia de los Muertos festivities, the grand tradition that honors the souls of the deceased who return each year to feast and celebrate. The graveyards were filled with people, candles, flowers, brass bands and food while home altars – literal cornucopias of food and beauty – were built to welcome back the departed. We were there too, building our own altar to remember and celebrate our loved ones, as well as visiting graveyards, masquerade parades and partaking in delicious feasts.
HERE'S WHAT PAST TRAVELERS HAD TO SAY:
“It was so much more than I expected. The Dia de Los Muertos was one of the most moving experiences I have had and the chance to visit the people and see how they live their lives in such simplicity and grace was truly a gift. I couldn’t make one suggestion on how to improve this trip!”
“I have traveled much of the world and this trip has to rate near the top for the experiences with the people of Oaxaca.”
“This was one of the best tours I have ever experienced. We felt not only like guests, but like family to the people who opened their homes to us to share their art and skills, their food and their hospitality.”
TRADITIONS OF GUATEMALA
Last journey: March, 2019
Guatemala is rich in culture, blending its ancient Mayan roots with the influences of its Spanish conquerors. The result is a tapestry of tradition, rooted in place through generations of artisans, with skills passed from mother to daughter and father to son. The stunning mountainous terrain has meant that even nearby villages were hard to reach, so towns have evolved their own unique customs and patterns, exhibited in the vibrant clothing worn by the women.
Here we explored Guatemala’s fascinating Mayan roots, and visited a number of non-profits working with women and girls in Mayan communities. We learned about their services, met local recipients, and took part in some of their activities. We also spent time in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Antigua, with its cobblestone streets and colonial charm. Here we tapped into the more-recent Christian outpouring of creativity and devotion that surrounds Semana Santa (Holy Week), in the season leading up to Easter. We watched huge, colorful “carpets” of sawdust and flowers be assembled in the streets to pave the way for monumental processions of floats and life-size statues depicting the death and resurrection of Christ. Emotionally moving and visually stunning, this was a bucket-list experience.
Other trip highlights included:
Three days visiting Limitless Horizons Ixil, a remarkable nonprofit in the small town of Chajul, meeting their sponsored girl students and taking part in the life of a rural village
A day with the nonprofit Starfish, visiting their innovative school and having lunch with the inspiring girls who are students there
Four days on beautiful, volcano-ringed Lake Atitlan, visiting some of the small, quaint towns that dot its shores
Demonstrations by master weavers, and a chance to try weaving on a backstrap loom for yourself
A visit to Chichicastenango, which hosts the largest indigenous artisan market in the country
Optional post-trip was available to the Mayan ruins of Tikal.
THE ESSENCE OF SCOTLAND
Last journey: May, 2018
Scotland is a magical land of castles, vast open moors and stunning mountain scenery. Its kaleidoscopic past is steeped in mystery, fairy tales and dark drama, all still deeply alive within the souls of everyday Scots.
On this journey we discovered the essence of this enchanting country, from ancient monuments to a cutting-edge social venture. We walked the cobblestone streets of the Royal Mile in old-town Edinburgh, relaxed on the sacred Hebridean island of Iona -- known as the jewel of Scotland – and stayed two nights in a beautiful 16th-century stone castle. We concluded our visit at The Findhorn Foundation, a thriving ecovillage and holistic learning center, where we experienced the heart and soul of this unique place, learning about its philosophy and taking part in daily life.
Other trip highlights included:
Exploring mysterious stone circles and carved standing stones, some dating back 4000 years
Watching traditional Highland Games, with pipers, Highland dancers, and age-old competitions such as the caber toss and hammer throw.
Taking a ride on the Jacobite steam train -- called “the greatest railway journey in the world” -- which took us along beautiful villages, deep lochs, and silvery beaches on the way to the glorious isle of Skye.
Cruising the beautiful Loch Ness, home of the legendary Loch Ness monster
And of course no tour of Scotland would be complete without our visit to a distillery of the “waters of life” – single-malt Scotch!
Along the way, we poked our heads into village pubs for some traditional Scottish music and a wee dram. We met the locals, some of whose families have been in Scotland for generations, and heard stories told in their melodious Scottish brogue. We left with a rich understanding of this captivating country that holds both deep historical roots and a progressive eye to the future.