Join the "Ancient Cities of the Sun" Adventure Tour: June 19 - 25, 2009, Quito, Ecuador

What's on your "bucket list?" Have you ever wanted to visit the sites of ancient Earth civilizations? See a church made out of 7 tons of pure gold? Experience the healing energies of South American medicine? Visit sacred solar sites located precisely on the equator?

If you're ready for an adventure of a lifetime, join us June 19 - 25 (2009) in Quito, Ecuador where I'll be co-hosting this adventure tour with legendary explorer Stan Grist. Together, we'll bring you seven amazing days of exploration into some of the most amazing sites and experiences near Quito, Ecuador. You'll see ancient pre-Inca ruins and witness first-hand the evidence that these ancient civilizations had direct knowledge of the Earth's position in the solar system, including its axis tilt relationship with our sun.

Stan and I will be with you the whole way, exploring this amazing adventure with you and filming the ancient sites for NaturalNews readers!

This once-in-a-lifetime adventure is limited to 20 people.

What are the "Lost Cities of the Sun"?

A very advanced civilization once lived in the Quito area long before the Incas ever arrived. Some archaeologists and anthropologists believe that the ancient kingdom of the Kitus was actually the root origin of all ancient American civilizations, and perhaps even of other major civilizations around the world.

The ancient Kitus (later the Kitus-Caras) possessed an in-depth knowledge of astronomy and mathematics, especially geometry. They established a network of sacred solar temples and observatories, all centered about the equator.

Following below is a brief description of each site that we will visit on this unique, adventure tour:

June 20, 2009 - Day One: Orientation and Walking Tour of Historic Quito

On the morning of Day 1, we will all meet to briefly discuss the coming week's adventures and what to expect from our adventures. Stan will share the background of his explorations and discoveries of the virtually unknown, Ancient Cities of the Sun. Then we will begin a walking tour of Historic Quito.

Quito is the longest continuously inhabited city in the Americas. Our visit to historic Quito will take us to several sacred solar temple sites within the city as we begin to understand the ancient astronomical pattern. We will see sections of ancient tunnels that connect these sites. We will also visit La Compania, the Jesuit church where we will see no less than seven tons of gold covering the alter, walls and ceilings. Three excellent museums featuring ancient local history are also on the agenda.

June 21, 2009 - Day Two: Catequilla, Rumicucho and Mitad del Mundo Summer Solstice Festivities

Our day starts off with a fairly long hike from south to north along the axis leading directly to Catequilla Mountain (actually a very large hill), the very center of the astronomical pattern that we are investigating. We will ascend Catequilla and investigate the ruins we find up there. The ancient ones successfully located this site perfectly on the equator. Our GPS will reveal the site's accuracy to you. This was the exact site of the most important Solstice celebrations in ancient times.

Next on our schedule are the nearby ancient ruins of Rumicucho, which have been partially restored. The site is commonly thought to have been an Inca military installation. Indeed it was. However, Rumicucho was built long before the Incas ever arrived. It was originally built as a solar ritual site and observatory. At Rumicucho we will examine the ancient structures and discuss little-known astronomical alignments and aspects of them. We may find native ceremonies and celebrations going on at this site.

We will then complete our day with a visit to Mitad del Mundo, or Center of the Earth, located on (near) the equator. At Mitad del Mundo we will be treated with a celebration of Solstice Festivities including local music, native dance and delicious food.

June 22, 2009 - Day 3: Inti-nan Solar Museum, Pululagua Crater, and Tulipe

We will start the day with a visit to a very unique and special museum where you will be enjoy detailed explanations of the lives of the people who inhabited the ancient Kitu-Cara Sun Kingdom, including their beliefs and rituals, as well as some fascinating scientific demonstrations right on the equator!

Then we visit Pululagua volcanic crater, the largest diameter volcanic crater in all of South America (see photo above looking down into the crater). This crater was an important site in ancient times.

Finally, approximately 30 kilometers directly west from Catequlla, near the equator, we will visit a beautiful archaeological site called Tulipe. At the heart of an exuberant subtropical forest to the northwest of Quito lays Tulipe, the ceremonial center of the Yumbo culture. Bordering a river of crystal-clear waters, this is a unique energetic site where ceremonial practices of this ancient society took place to honor the sun, their highest deity.

The Yumbos were peaceful people dedicated to agriculture and commerce, with a close relationship to their environment and with a unique solar cosmo-vision. After years of patient work the Tulipe site has now been opened for visitors and features an on-site interpretation center and stone structures like pools or water mirrors of various forms, where the shamans (priests) and yachaks (sage men) performed astronomic observations and ceremonies to the sun and the moon. A hike on a path leading to the main pool is particularly interesting, surrounded by trees and medicinal, ritual and ornamental plants that border the Tulipe River.

June 23, 2009 - Day 4: Ilalo and the Cochasqui Pyramids

Day 4 starts off with a visit to a couple of unknown archaeological site that Stan discovered while exploring Ilalo Mountain, about 50 kilometers directly south of Catequilla. These sites feature an interesting stone etching and an ancient obsidian arrowhead manufacturing site. The obsidian was brought to the mountain from obsidian mines, dozens of kilometers away to the east. Archaeologists have dated similar obsidian arrowheads found in the area to more than 10,000 years old, making this one of the oldest archaeological sites in all of South America.

Next, we'll travel to the pyramids of Cochasqui. What? Pyramids in Ecuador? Yes, there are; big ones! This mysterious site has never yet really been thoroughly investigated. Here, we will enjoy a several-hour guided tour and learn of what is known of these pyramids. We will also hear of an amazing connection between this site and our previously visited Ilalo Mountain.

June 24, 2009 - Day 5: Pifo, El Quinche, Pamba Marca and Oyacachi

Prepare for a very long, busy and adventurous day! First, we will briefly visit large tolas (burial mounds) at Pifo and El Quinche. We will discuss how and why these sites fit into the pattern of the Solar Star.

Then we will ascend a 4,000 meter mountain where we will encounter the largest archaeological complex in all of South America! This is an unexcavated area that has never yet been properly studied. The climb will require between 3 and 5 hours depending on your level of physical fitness.

Once we reach the summit, if it is a clear day, we will enjoy one of the most amazing views available anywhere in the world. You will see Quito, Ilalo, Cataquilla, Cochasqui, the Solar Museum, Cayambe Mountain and so much more. During our time on the mountain, you will have the opportunity to stand inside dozens of pre-Inca structures and rooms.

Then we move on to a visit of Oyacachi, a unique, ancient town site that remained well-hidden from the Spanish Conquistadors. Oyacachi lies on the east side of the continental divide of the Andes Mountains.

Life continues here much as it has for thousands of years. You will see very few vehicles and quite a few horses. At Oyacachi we will immediately proceed to the beautiful, ancient stone ruins of the original site. The ruins lie along a path to the Amazon Jungle that has
been in continuous use for thousands of years. At Oyacachi we will also have an opportunity to relax in the natural, mineral hot springs for a while. This should help to calm the aches and pains of a physically intensive day.

June 25, 2009 - Day 6: Peguche Solar Clock, a visit to the Shamans at Illuman, Otavalo and our Farewell Celebration

Our last day of adventure will begin with a visit to the ancient site of Peguche, yet another site related to our quest. At Peguche we will study a large, ancient symbol made of rocks on the ground. The design is divided into 16 segments. You will have the opportunity to offer your best guess as to what it represents in light of our week's investigations. Near this site, we will visit a sacred waterfall that has been visited by the ancients on certain days of the year for thousands of years.

After our Peguche visit, we will then proceed on to the village of Illuman where some of Ecuador's most powerful Shamans and Healers reside. These are some of the descendants of the cultures we have been studying the entire week. Here, you will have the opportunity to participate in a ceremony if you wish. Feel free to take photos and videos of the entire experience.

After Illuman, we will go to Otalvalo, one of the world's greatest and most famous open markets, Here, you can purchase gifts and mementos to take home with you. You may even want to buy a famous piece of home-made pie from The Pie Shop.

Upon our return to Quito, we will all enjoy a Farewell Dinner together and reminisce over the amazing and adventurous week we all shared together.

Adventure tour schedule summary

June 19 (evening)
* Quito hotel check in, dinner and greetings, live foods juicing with
the Health Ranger.

June 20
* Orientation and safety meeting
* Walking tour of Historic Quito:
* La Compania gold church (and other historical structures)
* Sacred solar temple sites

June 21
* Catequilla ruins on the equator
* Ruins of Rumicucho
* Mitad del Mundo Summar Solstic festivities (food, dance, culture)

June 22
* Inti-Nan solar museum
* Pululagua volcanic crater
* Tulipe ruins - ceremonial center of the Yumbo culture

June 23
* Ilalo - archaeological site
* Cochasqui Pyramids - ancient pyramids of South America

June 24
* Pifo burial mounds
* Pamba Marca hike (4 hours) and mountain ascension
* Oyacachi ancient town site and mineral hot springs (bring your bathing suit!)

June 25
* Peguche solar clock
* Medicine Shamans at Illuman
* Otalvalo open market
* Closing dinner and celebration in Quito (with more juicing!)

This tour is host by myself (Mike Adams) and Stan Grist. We'll both be with you every step of the way, for all seven days.

The style of this tour is more free-form than most tours. We will not be giving you narration every step of the way. Instead, once we get to a site, you're free to walk around and explore it on your own. I'll also be spending some time shooting videos for NaturalNews readers, and you're free to shoot your own videos, too!

Many of these sites are new to us, too, so we'll be exploring and learning just as you are. So don't expect a point-by-point narration of everything we see. This is an adventure for true explorers who enjoy venturing into the unknown!

Price: $1195 per individual, or $995 per person for a party of 2 or more. This fee includes transportation on our tour bus for each of the 7 days. It also includes fresh, organic fruit and vegetable juices on our orientation night and celebration night.

This fee does not include:

* Food (approx. $15 - $20 per day, depending on what you eat)
* Air tickets to Quito (book your own on Continental, COPA or other airlines)
* Airport shuttle from Quito Airport to the hotel
* Other incidental expenditures such as laundry, souvenirs, tips, etc.
* Lodging (approx. $40 per night at the hotel) - we are getting you a good discount at a great hotel, so we're saving you money on lodging. Couples can share a room. Rooms for four people are also available for greater savings per person.

Cancellation policy: You may cancel within 30 days of the tour start date with a 100% refund. Cancellations within 15 days receive a 75% refund. Cancellations within 48 hours or less receive a 50% refund. If you need to cancel for any reason, you may also choose to move your reservation to a future event (more will be held in Quito in 2009).

Tour cancellation: If there is an emergency cancellation on our end for some unknown reason, we reserve the right to cancel the tour and give you a 100% refund of your tour fees. Such a scenario is extremely unlikely. We can't wait to join you on this tour!

Travel Visas: No special visas are needed to enter Ecuador. Just bring your passport and you'll be granted 30 - 90 days visitation rights as a tourist. Also bring 2 color copies of your passport to keep with you on the adventure while your passport is kept safe in the hotel security safe.

Tour Restrictions

* This tour is fragrance-free! No perfumes, skin lotions, shampoos, deodorants or anything containing fragrance chemicals.

* No smoking. This is a 100% non-smoking tour, including in the outdoor areas.

* Not for those with physical disabilities. This tour required a lot of hiking over rugged terrain.

* Not for those with heart problems or breathing difficulty. This tour takes place at high altitude (5,000 METERS and more). Yes, meters. That's 15,000 feet plus...

* Not for children under 18. This is an adventure tour for mature adults who are interested in astro-archaeology, ancient civilizations, natural medicine and cultural history.

* No recreational drug use, please. Do not bring weed into Ecuador (risky!). Social use of alcohol is fine (great red wines in Ecuador!).

What to bring

Money and ID:

* Only bring SMALL bills ($1, $5 and $10). Lots of $1 and $5 are a really good idea. Ecuador uses U.S. dollars, by the way.

* Do NOT expect to be able to use Traveler's Checks or credit cards. Ecuador is a cash economy. (Leave all that plastic at home!)

* Do purchase a secure waist pouch for keeping your money. Pickpockets do exist around the airports, and they will steal your bags if you're not careful.

* Tip wisely: Luggage help in the hotel = $1 tip. Restaurants = 10% - 15%.

* Bring both your passport and your driver's license. Keep them safe and secure, close to your body.

Recording devices:

* Bring a good, high-quality camera with plenty of storage for taking lots of amazing pictures.

* A high-quality video camera: keep it small and portable. Recommended model is the Panasonic HDC-SD100 using 16GB SD cards. (Amazing quality. No tapes or hard drive to break.) Approximate price is $530 from Amazon.com.

* Bring an audio recorder if you like bird sounds and audio. Recommended high-quality recorder with MP3 recording built-in: Olympus LS-10. (That's what I use.)

Personal health & hygiene:

* Your own fragrance-free laundry detergent (for a few loads of laundry).

* Several rolls of your own fragrance-free toilet paper.

* Travel size of Dr. Bronner's soap or other soap you like to use.

* Shampoo (non-fragrance) and any personal care products you need (contact lenses, feminine hygiene, etc.)

* If you take meds, bring 'em with you. Also bring any superfoods, supplements or vitamins you wish to take during your trip.

* Your own set of portable utensils. Recommended: The Brunton 3-Piece Titanium Flatware Set.

Essential gear you MUST bring:

* You'll need a good pair of ankle-high hiking boots that are well worn! Don't bring a NEW pair of boots and hope to break them in on the mountains of Ecuador unless you really enjoy blisters.

* LED flashlight. Highly recommended model: Pak-Lite. Uses a standard 9V battery. Headband flashlight is also a good idea. You can never have enough LED flashlights in Ecuador, it seems. See www.9Vlight.com

* A really good portable raincoat and windbreaker that you can carry with you at all times. Recommended maker: L.L. Bean (www.LLBean.com) "Trail Model Rainwear" is approx. $69

* A lightweight, sun-protective long-sleeve shirt (or two), made for adventure. You will NOT want to wear short sleeves on these adventures due to sun and mosquitoes (they're not bad, but they do exist). Get a good brand of adventure shirt, like L.L. Bean or Columbia River. Lightweight, synthetic material is best for this because they dry quickly following rain.

* A hat to protect you from the intense sun rays. (I wear Tilley hemp hats.) (www.Tilley.com) A packable, portable hat is best. Hemp works well.

* A very high-quality, rugged backpack or gear bag. I recommend Maxpedition brand. See Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_sg?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=maxpedition&x=0&y=0 (A really great bag for this trip is the Maxpedition Jumbo S-Type Versipack.)

* Swimsuit or water shorts for swimming in the waterfall or soaking in the hot springs. Water shoes are optional; they won't be used much.

* Natural suncreen if you're not used to the intense sun of the equator. No fragrance chemicals please!

* A portable first aid kit with bandages, ointments, anti-itch creams and anti-diarrhea medicine (just in case!). If you don't bring a portable water filtration unit (below), then bring lots of extra diarrhea medicine. :-)

Preparedness food:

* It's a good idea to bring emergency food items that you can carry with you, just in case we have transportation trouble, or landslides that block roads, or closed restaurants, etc. So bring what you like to eat: Larabars, Organic Food Bars, raw nuts, or anything else you might want to eat in a pinch.

* Bring some superfood powders to mix with your water. Suggestions: Ola Loa vitamin powders, Emerald Balance or X-Balance powders, Boku Superfood (www.BokuSuperfood.com), Delicious Greens, etc.

Highly recommended additional gear:

* TrackBack GPS device (made by Bushnell), about $50 on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Bushnell-BackTrack-Personal-Locator-Camo/dp/B001F7BL0K/ (this helps you find your way back to the bus or hotel in case you get lost). I have one of these as well.

* Spanish phrase guide, translator or dictionary.

* A good pair of high-quality tweezers, such as Tweezerman, to deal with possible splinters.

* Katadyn Vario water filter: about $80 on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Katadyn-Vario-Multi-Water-Microfilter/dp/B000KUVVY4/ (This is the water filter I highly recommend and use myself. It contains both carbon and ceramic elements.)

* Camelback BPA-Free Water Bottle: about $14 at any sports or outdoors store. Or any hydration system you prefer.

* Good quality compass, electronic or mechanical.

* Portable GPS unit. Maps probably won't work in South America, but the basic functions will work fine.

* Batteries for your stuff. You CAN buy more batteries in Ecuador if you need (AA or AAA).

* Waterproof plastic bags (Ziplock or other) for your stuff, in case we get soaked with rain. (It can happen.)

* SPOT GPS locator and communicator (www.FindMeSpot.com) which lets you broadcast your GPS coordinates to friends or family members, in real time, via satellite (so they know you're ok).

* Field binoculars. A compact model is best. You can even use a monocular if you wish. Monoculars are typically better because they're lighter and more portable.

* Bring your laptop computer if you wish to upload and share photos each evening! (Bandwidth is provided at the hotel.)

* A multi-tool with a blade, such as the Leatherman Skeletool CX Multitool (or something similar). (It is perfectly legal to bring even large knives into Ecuador. People walk around Ecuador with machetes all the time. Don't bring firearms, however.)

Release form: To attend this event, you will have to sign a release form that says we're not responsible for your injury or death. Obviously, we are going to do our best to keep this tour safe and fun, but Ecuador is not Disneyland! There are no safety rails. This is not some fabricated jungle adventure -- this is the real deal! As a result, there are certain risks to your health and safety that are inevitably present in this adventurous environment. Be prepared and be safe (bringing the gear I've mentioned here will vastly improve your safety and enjoyment of this adventure). Don't be careless and stand on the edge of the volcano. Keep your wits about you!

Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime!

This "Ancient Cities of the Sun" adventure tour is a once-in-a-lifetime tour of ancient civilization, sacred sites and earth medicine, and it's with two super-fun people: Stan Grist and the Health Ranger! We look forward to seeing you on this tour in Quito, Ecuador.

Back to back with the Vilcabamba real estate tour

Immediately after this event, I fly to Loja, Ecuador and host a 3-day real estate tour in Vilcabamba (from the evening of June 26 to the morning of June 29), so if you're interested in living in Ecuador, you can experience these two events back to back.

Click here to reserve your spot on the Vilcabamba Real Estate tour (limited to 20 people).

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