Long Jorney - Ayahuaska

Ayahuaska - brew made out of various plants, employed for divinatory and healing purposes by the native peoples of Amazonian Peru.

Ayahuaska plant

Can you imagine that there exists a tree with more than 10 trunks, where 1 of them is red and as the slowest bullet with all the grace it enters the ground till the deepest level where it starts his new life.

When passing by, one can not drag its eyes away from this phenomenon. One falls as its legs get trapped in the labyrinths of roots, which partly come out from the underground world with such a force that some of them even start to look like a proper constructions - unbreakable walls with shade of green which poisons one's eyes with magic.

My God! Then the sounds! All possible frequencies and vibrations above the head and under the feet - just everywhere. It surrounds and squeezes ones private space till the point when each single hear on the skin gets ready to enter the war. Yes! Here I am - again in the jungles!

One gets to use to this shower so easily

This time the aim of my visit was to expand my mind and cure the body. In one word it is called - Ayahuaska. I came to the middle of the nowhere , or more precise - to the heart of the planet to stay for one week with Peruvian grandparents. The old man - Crusildo (78), who is known to be a curer, tend to invite people for Ayahuaska ceremony inside in the trunk of a massive tree. When I heard that, there was no need to repeat it twice. I was already on my way.

The Tree

Crusildo

1 week - 3 sessions. I was enlightened with this experience. To take a part in the preparation ceremony of the medical drink, to see the sunset from the inside of the mystical tree, which with its energy just shoots you out to the other level and then to listen beautiful chantings of the old grandpa, who sits shoulder to shoulder next to you and with all his humility offers to accept the plant so it can purify your body and mind. 

Physically it worked, but it did not enter my mind. It stayed untouched.

Might be a bit disappointing, but locals taught me - that plant knows better, so I accepted the message, that it was not my time to get approached by the language of nature and returned.

After that I was again alert to continue my way, but just before I left the hostel, suddenly I was invited by other shaman (friend of a friend) to attend the Ayahuaska ceremony, but leaded by him.

Firstly I thought - ohh no!.. 1 week of preparation diet (vegan food without salt and sugar, no alcohol, no drugs, no sex) again! But he explained that it is not necessary to do it for a week - 1 day of a diet is sufficient. It took me my time, but I decided - I have nothing to loose!

Ayahuaska flower

So there came my second try. This time - it was the plant's initiation to approach me, as I was invited with no personal intention. The place of the ceremony was not as beautiful - we did it in the hostel, but the ceremony itself was much more thought-out. Spiritual rituals, which were way stronger, chanting, purifying and so on. For real I felt beautiful after that, but still - in my mind nothing happened. No transendental discoveries, no visions, no guidelines appeared. So that was it! I was again ready to leave with acknowledgment - that I am not ready to receive the message.

The next day I was on the road again. Tarapoto - Yurimaguas, to catch the 3 day boat in Amazonian basin to go to the next jungle city - Iquitos, which can be reached only by the boat or plane.

My plan was quite clear this time (which is not usual). To visit for a few days Iquitos, than take a boat to the next jungle city - Pucallpa and then with bus to Lima where I needed to catch my flight to Bogota, Columbia (this plan came up as my second visa of Peru was again expired and I needed to cross the border).

I loved my  'cruise' boat

The way to Iquitos was incredible. You just hang your hammock in the spot you have been shown and it transforms to be your only private spot, bedroom and living room throughout all the trip.

Was it rough? Not at all, I loved it! As a Latvian, for me hammock was always something luxurious, so this was a pleasure in its highest mode.

Amazonian basin - sunrise

Amazonian basin - sunset

Every night which comes, you welcome with its peace and blanket full of stars, which are crashing above your head. Every sunrise you wait with no patience, to see the first sunshine entering the deepest corners of the forest, enlightening the mystery of it and waking up the local inhabitants. With colors overwhelmed birds, who start to draw the silhouettes above your head, the pink dolphins, who by their jumping all around the river seem to be willing to stop the boat and of course local village people, who live in the floating houses on the river and use any opportunity to catch up our 'cruise' with their wooden motorboats to sell the fish, cooked banana and lemonade. But besides the nature - also the people I got to know on the boat have a great responsibility for my enjoyment. Mexican artists, Spanish accountants, local professor and two Peruvian brothers - Galax and Cosmos.

Yes! As interesting are their names - as interesting was my way.

 

One of the river towns

When we finally arrived, Iquitos didn't charm me too much. I mean, it did with its great history and colonial architecture , but not with the vibe. It was too touristic, with too many dead animals in the market. I can't explain, but I did not feel like staying there much.

Belen market (this, as I was explained, is for house decoration)

Belen - city on the river

Belen - city on the river

After few days I harnessed my backpack again and was on my way to catch the boat to Pucallpa. One of the brothers joined me and the third travel body was Tod - ex-navy of USA, who spent his duty in the war with Iraq. In the end me, Cosmos and Tod turned out to be a great travel team.

I was quite happy to be on the boat again, because besides the incredible views everyday and every night we also stopped in few villages on our way where we could pick enormous amount of coconuts, mandarins, oranges, grapefruits and papayas - and all right there - from the tree. Paradise! And this definitely compensated the fact that this boat trip was for 6 days and 3 times per day you are served the food - a bite of chicken with plain rice - all in all - 18 meals with food which obviously lacked love.

I will never forget this trip - but not because of the amount of rice, but because amount of stars in the night. The sound of motor which vibrates all your body as you lie down on the rooftop, the wind in your hair, a glass of cheap wine and incredible view all over the sky. It was a point when one can start to question reality or understand that this is the moment when one could never question the meaning of life.

Amazonian basin - night approaching

The time passed fast and there we were - already in Pucallpa. Unfortunately I was able to spend only 2 days as i got my flight. And for the first time it felt really annoying because in the timeless journey I actually had no time.Whatever. Puvallpa in these 2 days left us speechless.

First of all the swim in the lake with dolphins. 

Dolpfins in the Yarinacocha lake

Explanation: the town has enormous lake so to move from one neighbor village to another - it is necessary to use a boat. And at one point in the lake where there were many dolphins jumping around, me and Tod just jumped out of the boat to have a swim them. Remarkable!

And then again - I was approached by the ceremony of Ayahuaska!!! 

Street art - Iquitos

Street art - Iquitos

But I immediately said no!

I didn't want it anymore , I was ok with not vomiting for the next year at least, but the things turned out as always different.As both guys were open to have their first experience, the things collocated in the proper order for them to meet the plant on their way. It came while visiting Shipibo - indigenous village, where we got told local legends and only by accident and some random questions asked, we somehow arrived to the point when local man leaded us to introduce to the oldest shaman of the village. The place was so beautiful, that it was decided in a second - tomorrow guys will return for their ceremony.

Shipibo pottery

As there is a saying - curiosity killed a cat + fact that Pucallpa is motherland of Ayahuaska, made me for a really long time think, over-think and re-think again, that I accepted my destiny to meet this plant again. And there we were - 1 h boat trip and we arrived. This was the first time when i had no fear, no stress, no worries. I was already 99% sure that it will not affect me at all. So I with all my tranquility was more than relaxed and ready to clean my body once again.But as I said before - things always turn out different.

The first surprise was that in the house of the old Ayahuascero we met a Japanese man. This man comes there every few weeks per year to cure his health problems about which medicine gave up already. He didn't talk too much, but the way how he spoke about the old shaman just gave me this weird feeling inside and a little voice whispered in my ear: "This time it will be different". So than it started - with all possible meanings to it.

As I was thought by my friend before - I just relaxed till my highest possible relax mode and after receiving my cup of medicine, closed my eyes and concentrated as my forehead was a big black spot. Without any explication, nothing, there we were - 3 of us and Japanese man, waiting for the spiritual journey to begin.

Unpatience, skepticism, doubts and thousand other things run through my head, till suddenly - BOOM!

Street art - Tarapoto

My transcendental experience had begun - a flight up so high that you can see the division of the world so clear. It functions in 3 parts from which the middle one was the nonsence of human beings. System, machines - yes it looked the same "clicheish" as it sounds. So many things we follow, has so less meaning. So many necessary inventions which are made out of boredom and serve as a source to absorb the life. And just a bit above - if you would rise your eyes - you would feel that not everything should be understood or thought out. We have forgotten how to feel. sensations, intuitions instead of overthought brain, analyze and explications. Up there can enter people who still know how to use and listen to their heart, because at the same moment the world transforms, one can start to feel the life, the beauty of it and so obviously disappears not only the questions but also the meaning of words and language.

The underworld which was connected with upper world (without involving the middle part in this connection) was dark, but one can not describe the beauty it has. The colors and creatures - but I did not manage to explore it.

During my flight as soon as I reached the point of going down - when darkness and saddness would appear at that exact moment I heard that old men - the shaman - is singing just next to my feet. And it is not only that his singing has a secret unexplained sound, but it is also that one could not doubt his skills of being in the charge for all the trips there were going on. Each time he started to sing I returned up there and each time I started to drawn again - he was there - near my feet - singing.

That was the night when I understood the pointlessness of boarders (take it as abstract and as literal as you can), I heard the secret language of the spirits and was involved in the magic, which there is no necessity to explain. And besides that, of course, the colors, images, tale characters of my travel, which took me just till the point where I was, with a bit of more explanation.

Stories of Crusildo

You just can't explain!

Gracias Pachamama, I will continue to learn how to not loose this bond with you.
For now I leave Peru, to be able to come back. 

My love to all of You!
Anna

The day I will never forget/ Monkey business

It started on the 26th of March.

Incredible sensation - the puzzle of beauty

Early in the morning when I met my 'cargador' - 62 years old man who was arranged to help me to carry my huge backpack, full of food, up to the jungle mountain to Orlando's house. When I saw him, I thought I better pay this old man just for his company, but I didn't need to wait so long, when he proved that the age is not the one which matters. He put on his 'bandana' around my backpack and other part of it around his head,  and started to run in front of me in the same speed as I was without any weight on my shoulders, showing which stones are more safe to jump on, for crossing the river.
It felt amazing - going with my little wooden stick to fill the level of the water in front and to be amazed by everything my eyes met - the great variety of colors which were presented by different size of butterflies, frogs, ants, plants, etc.

This butterfly was later eaten by the monkey - Tina 

When we finally reached the house it was still the first part of the day. Orlando welcomed me in his house and the journey began! Paam - paam - paaaaam!!!!

My loveliest friend - Chikitito Tin

Watch our conversation: https://youtu.be/a5_6xJdGsF8

The place - Cerelias, where Orlando is located is a piece of land in the jungles where soil has been destroyed by locals, who in the time of migration were having different camps there. First of coffee, cacao but later of the Coca leaves for the cocaine production (from Orlando stories I also understood, that there was a time when biggest cocaine dealers of USA were placed in Tarapoto). Now this area is preserved and it is not allowed to live and cultivate agricultural plants there anymore. And as the nature recovers in the jungles quite fast - it almost looks back in the shape now, just the fertility of the soil is still doubted - trees are strong and beautiful, but their fruits are not good yet. And here naturally comes in the explanation why the animals in this place are so important. Because with the destruction of the local flora also fauna had been destroyed and that part of the jungles was left with no animals.

Martino - the Peruvian Spider Monkey - incredible character and favorite of everyone

So how does it works with animals, as the main idea of Orlando being there is to recover the fauna?
His explanation to me was as simple as that:
Sajinos (jungle pigs) are the way how the ground is being digged up, to be able receive seeds from the surrounding plants. The monkeys who all day long spend time by being themselves, playing at the top of 20 m high trees are the ones who by eating almost everything spread the seeds of the fruits and plants. As Orlando explained - monkeys are the ecological controllers, because they eat insects who would eat the leaves of the trees, in that way protecting the trees.

Friendship

Coati animals are one of the cutest. They eat the tree leaves and later come back down to the roots of the same tree and make a poo there, in that way providing natural fertilizer to his food provider.

Coati - Senorita Luna

This is so simple explanation which is more than visible to every person's eye who enters this rain forest, how simple is the chain of nature and how important all participants are (except i didn't really understand what is the point of turtles there, but at least it is more fun for the monkeys :) ).

This was the smallest turtle, who lived in the kitchen and was always accidentally  kicked from one corner to another

The first night was incredible! We were sitting with Orlando till very late, despite the fact that the light disappeared together with sunset around 7:00 PM, but there were so many stories for me to hear. Just sitting there and drinking coffee behind the net of the house amazed me till the bottom of my heart, also because it was the first time in my life when I saw stars not only above my head but  also inside in the jungles - between the trees. Those were luciernagas - the little insects who shine in the night with so bright light that it seamed like a man in the forest coming towards the house with the torch light in front of him.

Luciernagas
Origin of the photo: http://www.ocholeguas.com/2011/09/02/noticias/1314968564.html

The stories of Orlando took me to the trip around the world with his time machine - from a young boy he was in a very wealthy family, where dinner table is the place where you dress up in your suit every night, till young careless surfer/ hippy in Lima, who was surfing with a board so huge, that it could be carried only by 2 persons. Than - 10 years in the ocean as a fisherman, staying in the waters of Brazil and Africa and acquiring skills of the fisherman talking style (incredibly rude shouting, which made me laugh so much, but it is still practiced in the conversation with animals). His career changed and followed by having his own business of artisania, where he taught local woman how to make handicraft, for later sell it to the tourists and travelers. Unexpectedly he gave it all up for the new offer and that is how he ended up here in the jungles, by becoming the legend - man, who successfully has liberated already more than 800 animals back to their natural life.

Orlando Zagaceta
https://www.facebook.com/orlando.zagazeta?fref=ts

But despite the crazy stories I was also amazed by the level of chauvinism Orlando had in his expressions - which like in majority of Peruvian men - flowed like a river without his notice (he so often didn't understand why I laugh). When he described me one of his relatives who is spinster lady, his words sounded like this: "She is a great woman! No really, she is! She COOKS so well!" And later when he was speaking about one of his divorced wife's he underlined very strongly that he broke up as a gentleman: "She had everything! No I mean it! She really had everything! She even had a fridge!". Some of these lines were just impossible to not remember, the same, like this - the fact that his ex-wife married another man was presented with words: "She married another compromise". :)
Yes! The smell of Chauvinism in Peru is quite strong, and it is being carried on also with the next generation.

But back to the monkey business!

The late arrival to Orlando's place - my new baby 

THE DAY (I will never forget!)

Few days after I came to Orlando's place, as it was planned before, Orlando needed to get down to the city, so it meant just one thing - I will stay all alone with 14 monkeys, 2 coatis, 9 turtles and a dog. The plan for the beginning seemed great - the only thing I needed to do is to prepare food for all my gang and at 10:30 am sharp and feed them. Didn't seemed so hard! So I calmed Orlando, that he can spend as much time as he needs in the city, because as we both noticed - me and animals got along quite well. Every bathroom visit to the river I was accompanied with one of the monkeys on my shoulders, they were sitting next to me when I did my business and till than I was bitten just once and just a little bit. It happened, when I took a broom in my hand to clean around the house but one of my biggest friends - the monkey Cusho, didn't really like it, so he landed with his tooth in my thumb.

The rebel - Cusho

THE DAY started very early as Orlando left around 5 AM, while it is quite dark, so monkeys do not notice him and don't follow him till the city. Meanwhile after few hours I had my breakfast and started to cook the meal for the animals (rice with carrots) till I realized that there was no water. But that was not a problem - just need to take a bucket and go down till the river. With no much thinking - that is what I done. Of course this time I felt a bit more insecure as the fact of Orlando absence in his 'maison' is a great deal.
I successfully came down to river with no support on my shoulders, but it changed in the moment when I started to climbe back up and felt one of my friends landing from a jump of the tree on my shoulders.
So far so good, just till the moment when I needed to enter the house and the monkey (my friend Cusho) did the same. That was it! Monkey in the house is the most terrible thing what can happen if Orlando is not present, because only he can easily take him out only by the turbulence of his voice.
Shit! - that was the only word which came to my mind when I saw monkey going crazy - breaking the glass jar, cutting his foot and eating whatever there is on his way.
Orlando always say, that to take the monkey You need to grab his tail (close to the but), but I never felt safe about it, because they don't have as big respect to me as they have for Orlando. So I took a cookie, I took a piece of banana, but nothing worked.
I look at the house and realize that by the time when Orlando is back, there will be nothing left and other monkeys by seeing their 'brother' having fun will do everything possible to enter as well. Dammit! I was suppose to take a quick decision or I scarify myself and safe the house or he will destroy everything. With no much time to think I went up to this rascal with all my fear and grabbed his tail. When I did so he grabbed my hand with his teeth so hard, that the few seconds while I reached the door to throw him out seemed like overwhelming floods of time.

The second bite

I through him out with a scream, shut the door and just continued to scream. The blood was just pouring and the first thing I thought - how good that he bit me one time before and I could remember everything what Orlando did to maintain the wound. I ran inside Orlando's room and looked for the liquid (hydrogen peroxide). I found the bottle and poured it so much on my bruise but I was surprised that it is not foaming as it always do. I ran back to his room to find two other things. One was some purple spray and other- some tube of cream. And when I finally got those two, I realized that there is a skull head on that bottle which I used before - the sign of poison.
SHIT! I just realized I probably took the wrong bottle! (Yes! It was formaldehyde - to maintain the dead animals) And the worst was the thought that I will not die from the terrible monkey bite but from the blood poisoning I did to myself!
I read what was written on the bottle, but realized that I have very limited water (only what I brought), so I can't wash out this with running water. SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!
I found the real hydrogen peroxide and poured a lot of it. Afterwards I took the purple spray which I clearly remember him using and only at this moment realized that it is for vets in use for animals. "Whatever!!! It worked before - it will work now!" - and I just sprayed it. Then was left only the cream. I just decided I better don't read what is it for to stop shocking my self even more
. The treatment was over and I was trying to calm down.

After the bit of time reality came back -I have my duty to do! I need to feed the animals!
Ok! But the only thing I understood - I can not leave the house, because I will not enter it back alone and I don't have so many arms, to continue to sacrifice myself. So how should I feed the animals?
This is what I did. I found many old plates in Orlando's kitchen and when there was the less possible attention of the rebellious monkeys, I quickly opened the door and threw the plate with the food outside. To reach the most of the animals I tried to used all 3 doors there is in this shack, but unfortunately when Orlando is not there, the most naughty monkeys started to deprive other monkeys and other animals from the food and there was nothing how I could help them, so some of the animals didn't get their portion properly and they started to gather around the house. That was crazy! It was a time for panic.

As the house is with a net in stead of walls around it, monkeys (if they really want) can bite it and make a hole to enter (but they are afraid of Orlando's reaction, so usually they don't do it). But this time, when I was there on my own and not everyone was satisfied with their meal, the madness began... One of the monkeys started to work on demolition of the tube of the sink, which ends outside the house (if he moves it just a bit, it will create the hole for him to enter), other one started to bite the net and the third one found the weak point in the roof and started to try to lift it up (and monkeys have incredible force with their hands).
Mamma mia! At one point I thought - that's it, they will occupy this shack! And that was the point with the overwhelmed level of stress and overwhelmed purple color all around my hand - so I just gave up..
I made myself a coffee and lied down in hammock, with a thought - whatever happens, happens!
Luckily my calmness reduced their interest to enter the house and most of them left to play in the trees. It was such a relief! For real!

 

Coffee with Chia &
 My sleeping spot, where one night I woke up with a mouse in my tent. It was something!

But not for long... Before I managed to finish my cup of coffee, my eyes settled on the turtle. She was lying outside the house and upside-down! (and as I remember, Orlando was telling me before, that they can't turn back by themselves, so they can die if they stay in this position too long).
That means just one thing - I need to leave the house to safe her, but needed to do it so carefull that none of the monkeys could see me. I got all my strength and braveness, waited till monkeys start to loose their attention towards me and run as a wind out of the house. I pushed the turtle upside down (in position - back in the game) and in the speed of lightning run back in the house!
Crazy! I managed! No one could imagine my happy face in that moment. It was great...
Then came the lunch time for the animals and I served them in the same manner as breakfast, till I noticed that some of the bushes start to move chaotically, which meant just one - someone is coming!
And truth it was! It was a cargador (carrier) of Orlando!
My heart almost jumped out of the happiness, because that meant just one thing - I am not alone anymore!

After 5 days the same monkey bit me one more time (that was a different story) just this time I decided to leave and get back to the city, to clean my bruise as it was much deeper than the previous one. It was a good decision! In the city of Tarapoto I got my very first stitch in my life (who would ever think it will be fom the monkey bite) and bunch of antibiotics!

Love cures everything

This experience, the same as my scarfs will stay in my memories forever! I actually enjoyed it so much and this 'locura' (craziness) was a significant part besides the other calm days when I was  imagining my self as a mermaid by sitting on the stones of the river!


That is for now!
I am off to the next adventure, but let's keep it as a secret for now.

Besitos!
A.

Magnificent force of the nature is hidden here - ANDES

"Every new path starts by passing through the clouds" - that's how it looks, when after each dazzle of white foam You enter another paradise.

"Is that truth? Is that real? Am I not dreaming? I better pinch myself."

These are the thoughts which tangled my mind after I woke up in the bus around 6:00 am. I opened the window and never closed it again for the next 10 hours. I was warned - take some coca leaves, because from the road in the Andes you can get sick.
I did.. it put them in my bag. But I forgot.
This view destroyed reality.. This view took me to my dreams.. I finally felt that I got accepted by Andes and could start to fly.

People vomiting around me... eating so loud that you can record the rhythm of it... and watching 'Terminator 3' with all it's sound effects,  but I just continued sighing..

"Ahh... Ohhh.. Wooow... Mamma mia..."

Some locals next to me had a 'difficult' face expression to understand me, and for some I explained that my Latvian body is in the moment of ecstasy, as it seemed that I crashed into the fact that my wonder world does not exist only on the screen.

I put my hand out till the driver shouted on me... and on our stops I went so far that he shouted again...,
but my smile would never disappear

This trip made me speechless... and than I entered Gocta!

"Every new path starts by passing through the clouds"

CUMBEMAYO - after 4 h walk this magic just recharges You as an overheated solar battery.
Cumbemayo is a place which is known for canals made by Inka civilization 3000 years ago over smooth rocks. Canals which are created in the perfect 90 degree angles is thought to be one of the oldest man made structures, which carefully fallow grade of the land.

She just knows everything about them

There is no similar feeling for sitting on the cliff on the mountain and feel how cloud wraps around You till You can not see anything. You disappear.

Your majesty in all its glory

After ~ 2 h climb, You wipe Your sweat of happy face, because you can here - IT IS THERE, JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
(Gocta waterfall 771m)  

The falling parts of water seems like white horses racing each other - who will first reach the ground. But they don't know that they will not survive, because wind will break them apart and throw as a food to surrounding stones, by allowing only their souls in the form of vapor touch the surface of the ground and create such incredible drawings, which capture one's eyes as a hypnotic tool.

3rd or 6th or 15th highest waterfall in the world - 'deem' statistics - You can't measure the 'PARADISEiness"

Just push aside some brunches and lianas and here You go...

Thanks to guys I met in hostel for not letting me rest from the journey, but inviting me to conquer the beauty of Gocta together

I am living faster than I write...
Besos,
A.