these shoes that tell a tale of…
mystical Lake Quicocha… mist shrouded and serene… a place where the shamans go and…
so do our Ecuador shamanic minga tours for…
purifying shamanic ceremonies. They begin on the shore and then…
off with the shoes and…
into the lake where…
with this shaman we…
bury our intentions, sharing them… with the water and the earth… creating positive frequencies.
Learn more about our March 19-20, 2010 Cotacachi Shamanic Minga Tour
Thoughts of Ecuador wonders began last week when our grandson uncovered this right handed shell in our back yard.
The conch shell is revered by wise men all over the world because it unfolds on the golden mean which is a 1 to 1.6 ratio. This is ratio at which nature, in its healthy state, unfolds… a fundamental measure that permeates almost everywhere, including crops, flowers and the growth of shells.
The actual golden ratio is about 1.618033988749894848204586834365638117720309180.
Some believe the golden ratio is the unique ratio that symbolically links each new generation to its ancestors, preserving the continuity of relationship as the means for retracing its lineage.
This was discovered by Fibonacci and the ratios appear in the ratio of the number of spiral arms in daisies, in the chronology of rabbit populations, in the sequence of leaf patterns as they twist around a branch, and a myriad of places in nature where self-generating patterns are in effect.
Leonardo da Vinci used the Golden Ratio in his painting of The Last Supper in both the overall composition (three vertical Golden Rectangles, and a decagon (which contains the golden ratio) for alignment of the central figure of Jesus.
Shamans in Ecuador begin ceremonies blowing a conch trumpet because they know that the frequency emitted is created by this Golden Mean, 1 to 1.6 expression of nature… the rate at which nature expands. Hearing this frequency helps integrate the brain, body mind and soul. The frequency balances all living things.
This belief is not unique to Ecuador.
Wise people from around the world blow conch trumpets at ceremonies. Here is a picture of a Fijian blowing a conch.
Here is a young Buddhist priest with a carved conch and these…
Hindu pundits began their Puja blowing the conch.
Here is a Mexican shaman in full regalia blowing a conch.
That’s a wonder in Ecuador and around the world. You can hear the sound of a conch trumpet at Wikepedia.
So…
We were really excited when our grandson found this shell buried in our back yard.
Conch shells have deep significance and are used in a variety of ways from culture to culture- worship, instruments of war, containers, and in many types of jewelry. The overwhelming majority of shells have spirals opening on the left side when observed with the face in front and crown pointed down. This is the spiral normally seen in nature.
The right-handed conch which opens on the left, is known as the “Sri Lakshmi Conch”, is extra special and is believed in the Hindu culture to bring abundant blessings on the possessor. These special conch shells call Sri Lakshmi and help generate intelligence, success, and worldly freedom. According to tradition, opening on the right (or Dakshinavarti) side, is an extremely low-probability genetic variation; this number has been reported within oral tradition as a rarity of 1 in 100,000,000.
So we were impressed until we realized this is a right handed Lightening Whelk. That spin though rare overall is common with the shell in our back yard. Most spiraling shells open to the right with the rare specimen opening to the left. Not the Lightning Whelk. Its Latin name, Busycon contrarium, indicates its contrary nature. The Lightning Whelk scientific name is Busycon sinistrum. Sinistrum is Latin for left.
So this shell was not such a wonder after all… though still rare because Lightening Whelks normally grow about one foot in length though 15 inches has been recorded. This shell in our back yard is 16 inches… so maybe it’s a rare wonder.
Whether it is or not, the shell sparked some thoughts on rare wonders.
Perhaps this was because our son just sent a note about a rare wonder in Mexico.
Mexico’s Cave of Crystals stunned geologists when it was first discovered in 2000. The underground chamber contains some of the largest natural crystals ever found – some of the selenite structures have grown to more than 10m long. Professor Iain Stewart got a rare glimpse of the subterranean spectacle while filming for the new BBC series How the Earth Made Us. See a glimpse of a Mexican rare wonder the cave of crystals
Ecuador Rare Wonders.
Some of Ecuador’s rare wonders include the Galapagos.
Our friend Kjetil Haugan’s company offers two of the most luxurious cruises in the Galapagos.
For more details contacts Kjetil Haugan at kjetil@haugancruises.com
The Amazon.
For ecotourism in the Amazon rainforest read on about friendly La Selva Jungle Lodge.
Carman Martin chief of La Selva operations welcomes subscribers.
What makes this rustic lodge special is a contract the lodge created with the indigenous community of Pilche. La Selva pays them each month in exchange for the use of 15,000 acres that borders La Selva and is held in trust to protect the land and wildlife. This leaves the land pristine yet La Selva guests may walk through the land leaving it in its natural state except for a trail. See more on la Selva Lodge here.
For more details contact Eric Swartz at lscentral1@cs.com
Because we do not ask for or accept commissions on tours, cruises, travel or lodges that we write about… we can help make visits to the Galapagos or Amazon special for our Ecuador Living subscribers.
For example Ecuador Living subscribers receive a 15% discount beyond the special offers on Kjetil’s February and March tours
You can learn numerous special benefits you can gain in the Amazon as an Ecuador Living subscriber.
Some Ecuador caves are also a wonder. Cueva de los Tayos (Spanish, “Cave of the Oilbirds”) is a natural cave located in the Amazon.
They run almost three miles and are largest of three entrances is a 65 meter deep shaft leading to 4.6 kilometers of spacious passages and a chamber measuring 90 meters by 240 meters. The cave has a vertical range of 201 meters with its lowest point.
The sacred LLanganatis valley is a wonder. Legend says Atahualpa’s treasures are stored there.
Here is Merri and me, with a friend, hiking in the LLanganatis.
There is a wonderous sacred grotto near Cotacachi where the water flows out the color of…
a golden sunrise. Our shamanic mingas have…
purifying ceremonies here.
One of our delegates at the sacred grotto.
There are the Santa Cruz lava tubes mentioned in a message about a Galapagos farm for sale.
To me however the really great wonder in Ecuador are the people.
Ecuador may have…
good times, or…
bad. But I hope…
that these pictures I have shot of…
people in Ecuador, reflect…
the gentle nature of the Ecuador’s people because…
in the end the…
reaction to events in any country is determined by…
the nature of the people. Here’s a photo I took of President Correa. The fact I could get so close in a crowd to El Presidente is a statement about Ecuador in itself. He may turn out to be a good leader or not but…
the fate of…
Ecuador… is in the…
nature of the people. Merri and…
I have enormous respect for the…
connection that Ecuador’s people have with…
the wonder of…
this land called…
Ecuador.
I hope you find your weekend filled with wonder.
Gary
Join us for the March Florida Ecuador split session. Learn about the wonders of the mind and Spanish in Florida… then travel to Ecuador and practice as you view Ecuador real estate across the country and join our Ecuador shamanic minga tour.
March 11-14 Super Thinking + Spanish Course, Mt. Dora, Fl.
March 15 Travel to Quito
March 16 Travel Quito Cotacachi
March 17-18 North Andes, Imbabura & Cotacachi Real Estate Tour
March 19-20 Cotacachi Shamanic Minga Tour
March 21 Travel Cotacachi to Manta
March 22-23 Manta & Mid Coast Real Estate Tour
March 24 Travel Manta to Cuenca
March 25-26 Cuenca Real Estate Tour
March 27 Travel Cuenca to Salinas
Mar. 28-29 Salinas & South Coast Real Estate Tour
Or join Merri and me and our webmaster this February at a seminar and share ways to invest, do business and live that protect wealth as they bring joy, satisfaction and better health.
Join us with our investment advisors and tax attorney February 11-14 at Quantum Wealth -International Investing & Business Made EZ, Mt. Dora, Fl.
You can also come on with us to Ecuador.
February 15-16 Travel to Quito and tour Quito
February 17 Travel Quito to Manta
February 18-19 Manta & Mid Coast Real Estate Tour
February 20 Travel Manta to Cotacachi
February 21-22 North Andes, Imbabura & Cotacachi Real Estate Tour
February 23-24 Quito & Mindo Real Estate Tour
February 25 Travel Quito Cuenca
February 26-27 Cuenca Real Estate Tour
There are three days left to gain the largest savings on our Ecuador tours.
The Ecuador airfare war makes it cheaper to get to Ecuador than ever before… and there is still time to enjoy great Ecuador tour savings.
You enjoy discounts by attending multiple seminars and tours. Here are our multi tour adventure discounts.
Two Pack… 2 seminar courses & tours $998 Couple $1,349 Save $149 on couple
Three Pack… 3 seminar courses & tours $1399 Couple $1,899 Save $98 single or $348 on a couple or more
Four Pack… 4 seminar courses & tours $1,699 Couple $2,299 Save $98 single or $697 on a couple or more
Five Pack… 5 seminar courses & tours $1,999 Couple $2,699 Save $496 single or $1,046 on a couple or more
Six Pack… 6 seminars courses & tours $2,199 Couple $3,099 Save $795 single or $1,395 on a couple or more
Even Better. Greater Savings. Our 2010 International Club membership allows you and a guest to attend as many of the 51 courses and tours we’ll sponsor and conduct in 2010 (fees would be $40,947 for all these courses individually) is only $2,999.
The International club fee rises to $3,500 January 25 2010. Enroll in the International Club now at the original fee of $2,999. Save $501 extra before January 25, 2010.
International Club Three Monthly Payments of $1,025