South America

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The borders of Peru and Bolivia meet at Lake Titicaca, and ancient legends say that life on earth began here, on the waters of what is now the highest navigable lake in the world. In the beginning, before Inca times, Wiraccocha created the heavens and the earth. He first created a race of giants, who did not obey his order to live in peace, so he destroyed them and a great flood covered the land. When Earth was dry, Wiraccocha went to Lake Titicaca and created Inti, the Sun and Killa the Moon, as well as the stars, all of which rose from the lake into the heavens. Inti and Killa had two children, Manko Kapak and Mama Okllo, who were born in the foam of Lake Titicaca and went out to civilize the earth. With them they took a golden rod, and then they arrived at Cusco, the rod sank into the ground, so in Cusco they founded the city which became the center of the Inca empire.

A fascinating variation of the Inca creation myth tells that Manko Kapak and Mama Okllo were really Aramu Muru and Arama Mara, two masters who came from the Pacific continent of Mu, bringing an amazing golden sun disk. Near Lake Titicaca, Aramu Muru founded the underground Monastery of the Seven Rays, where the sun disk was kept.

The Coricancha, or Temple of the Sun (above left), is the primary Inca temple in the heart of Cusco, and the Sun Disk of Mu was said to have been taken here until the time of the Spanish invasion, when it was returned to Lake Titicaca. Old Cusco was built in the shape of a puma, and at its head is the fortress of Sacsayhuaman. Other important sacred places near Cusco are the fountains of Tambo Machay and the ritual site of Qenko.  Winding northwest from Cusco toward Machu Picchu is the Sacred Valley of the Urubamba river. Two breathtaking sites in the valley are Pisac, which is like a miniature Machu Picchu, and Ollyantaytambo (right), a terraced complex topped with an amazing set of huge carved stone panels. At the northwestern end of the valley, accessible only by rail or helicopter, is Machu Picchu. A day-long trip south from Cusco to Puno brings you to Lake Titicaca, near which is the recently-discovered Aramu Muru's Portal, said to be a doorway into other dimensions. In the mountains north of Lima is Marca Huasi, an ancient mystery school believed to be more than ten thousand years old. Giant rock carvings resemble humans of all different races and animals not native to South America, including a Stegosaurus dinosaur. UFOs are often sighted in the area. Enigmatic Nazca Lines in the desert south of Lima are stylized animal shapes that can only be identified from the air, although they were created at least1650 years ago. Peru's Amazon rainforest is home to many native shaman, some of whom are now sharing their ancient traditions with non-native visitors.

Tiahuanaco, on the southern shore of Lake Titicaca in the Andes of Bolivia, may be the oldest city in South America. Although its altitude is now higher than 12,000 feet, evidence shows that Tiahuanaco was once at sea level, and there is speculation that its ruins are 17,000 years old, pre-dating the great flood. Construction used enormous basalt stones that were quarried at least 40 km away, on the other side of the Lake. Ingapirca is the only Inca city in Eduador that wasn't demolished by Spanish invaders. At a sacred cave at Lake Guatavita near Bogata Colombia, ancient rulers would drop offerings of gold and emeralds into the water. At Sao Tome das Letras near Minas, Brazil are caves associated with many mysterious legends, including stories of extraterrestrials and a tunnel system that connects with Machu Picchu. In the Atacama desert of Chile are hundreds of prehistoric carvings, similar to the Nazca lines.