I`ve just finished a 12 days retreat in the Jungle, Iqitos, Peru. I stayed at The Hummingbird Centre and took Ayahuasca every second evening. Ayahuasca is a very stong plant medicine from the Amazon rainforest. It is one of the most potent catalysts for expanded awareness known to man. Ayahuasca is actually a combination of two plants which work together to create a very powerful effect. There can be a variation in the plant species used, but the alkaloids are always consistent. That is, beta-carboline (harmine and harmaline) often from Banisteriopsis caapi vine, and tryptamine alkaloids (DMT) commonly from psychotria viridis leaves. Neither substance is normally psychoactive in oral does by itself. DMT is not orally active unless combined with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MOI). This is what makes ayahuasca effective: The harmine alkaloids in Banisteriopsis caapi vine are potent short term MAO inhibitors which synergize with the psychotria viridis leaves...producing a profound psychedelic experience. Its amazing that this combination was discovered by indigenous persons many many years ago. Some speculate that it was by trial and error, but this seems statistically very unlikely. Its more likely that the plant spirits communicated with man; a divine discovery.
My experience was incredible. A friend used a great analogy: That Ayahuasca is a tool, like a microscope that helps you see what is already there. Some of the intense experiences i had whilst using this plant i have also experienced during meditation, so i wont accept that my experience was in some way "not real". What i learnt was that EVERYTHING is alive. Using this plant medicine allowed me to commune with the spirit of the plants and i was taught an incredible amount about life and about myself. I saw in great detail the workings of my mind, and discoverd who i really am. I had "out of body experiences", visions and intense energetic sensations. One could say it is a way of communicating and getting in touch with the unconcious. It aids a reconnection, a tapping into cosmic knowledge. Its a wonderful, and at times terrible, experience. It is called "medicine" for a reason. It is by no means always a comfortable process. I endured a great deal of purging as energies and ´demons´ trapped in my body began to surface (through tears, vomit, shaking, shivering, intense emotional release). It`s a theraputic process: it caused all issues to surface, allowing me to work through difficult memories and feelings, to peel away all of the blinders i had put upon myself. Ultimatly i had to let go, stop hanging on to anything, stop holding...but keep breathing! My breathe was my rope: a bridge between worlds. It was really important to trust and surrender to the process, not resisting it (which people can easily do as it brings up alot of deep rooted fears!) At the end of this deep process i feel so much clearer, lighter, and a sense of clarity has blessed me as i now truly know myself. I was working with two very skilled and awesome Shaman: Adella and Jose, Mother and son. I felt hounered to be working with them. They held the space, worked to protect us and heal us (very talented at working with energies and potentially dangerous spirits/energies that could interfere with the ceremonie). The whole process has been life enriching. You know, i think anyone reading this should go and do it. Seriously, do it. Go and see what you can see, you will likely by amazed. I dare you!
I left the jungle this morning, and after a 1.5 hour plane ride here i am in Lima, a busy city again. Tommorow I fly back to the UK. I leave with the knowledge that i have carried out all of my intentions to meet myself, to meet my loneliness, to survive and to have a dam good adventure! I leave with awesome insights, friendships and memories that have touched my soul deeply. I am ready for the next chapter, im at the end of the red carpet and ready to fly...
"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spirits having a human experience"
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Nearing the red carpet home...
After a while in Santa Marta, with whistle stop visits to Taganga to buy coffee and chocolate brownines, i went back to Tyrona. This time I went with the addition of two lovely English girls i met in the cheap hostel I was staying in. They left after a few days and i continued to get into the placid pace of Tyrona, accompanied by token French man.
During this time I played alot of music and recorded a song with Jeremie which we are pretty happy with. It was great to get into such a creative process and with a satisfying end result! I also did loads of swimming, playing, sun bathing, cooking, photography, jungle exploration. I checked out some new beachs, including a nudist one (a first time experience for me) which blessed me with some very interesting situations (i might only tell you if you ask me!) I meditated alot too, on the ocean infront of the waves. It was a really special and suprising time.
During one weekend a large group of Biology students stayed at the camp site where I hung out. I noticed, under a wooden table where i often ate brekfast, that there was a box with a label on it saying "Serpent, dangerous". Tres interesting, i thought...keeping my feet at a distance. There was indeed a serpent in it, which got put down the following day (by lethal injection) for the Biology students to "study". I witnessed this process and felt quite emotional seeing a beautiful creature die for research.
Staying at Tyrona for so long meant that I was able to watch the ebb and flow of people come and go. I met some really cool and interesting people, sharing mini adventures along the way. I also started to feel a sense of community, building connections with people through regular encounters. One of my favourate daily meetings was with the owner of a bakery just off the beach. He was a great character, silent and cool, witnessing the world go by in his weatherd way.
As i write this i am in Leticia! It has been an epic journey to get here, i was in Santa Marta yesterday morning, and Bogota last night before catching an early flight today to get here. When i arrived the humid heat smacked me in the face, contrasting the cool temperature in Bogota (i actually found it very difficult to sleep as i was so cold!) In Leticai i got stamped at DAS and walked with my heavy bags to the centre of this simple city. I was unsure about where to go, and thankfully met a friendly local walking his son back home. He showed me a good, relativly cheap hostel and gave me his number incase i needed any help or advice. My experience has been that often Colombians are very warm, welcoming and friendly :)
The hostel im staying at is a non gringo palce (yey. Im starting to really dislike hostels full of English speakers and back packers, not very authentic.) It is very homely here. It was actually a home until February when it got sold and turned into a small friendly hostel. there is a nice communal area with comfy sofas and books, simple and classey. I like it alot. And here I met a quirky French lady who has been travelling for 12 years, saying her home is planet earth (i know, a very hippy saying...but it fits her lifestyle). She just spent ten days at an Indian Village nearby which she said was deeply rooted in Catholism, likely influcened by neighbouring country, Brazil. At this village she was basically the devil incarnate, as a free woman who will not be controlled, who smokes, who speaks her mind. At one point she stood up in church and started to speak of love, life, freedom, corruption. She explained to me that the words just seemed to flow out of her mouth, perhaps the forest energy propelling her on. Everyone stared with wide and astonished eyes. Afterwards she was afraid she may get assasinated, as she is dangerous to the status quo there...and is messing with political Religious Mafia types. Now she is back in Leticia, safely we hope! She makes a living by finding jobs along her way, running creative art workshops, teaching languages, doing manual labour and taking opportunities as they arise. As I was talking to her a man walked in, they got chatting and she, after 10 minutes, got a job! She will be working with people dealing with addictions in a beautiful jungle area near by. She will run workshops and support where she can. The ethos of the centre is run off love not money, which fits well with her ideals. She was very excited and invited me to check the place out tommorow. I plan to!
The day after tommrow I will be catching a speed boat to Iqitos, where i will spend a few days checking out the witch market and general area before starting my ten day Ayhauska retreat. I see the retreat as a red carpet to the next chapter in my life...back to the UK!
During this time I played alot of music and recorded a song with Jeremie which we are pretty happy with. It was great to get into such a creative process and with a satisfying end result! I also did loads of swimming, playing, sun bathing, cooking, photography, jungle exploration. I checked out some new beachs, including a nudist one (a first time experience for me) which blessed me with some very interesting situations (i might only tell you if you ask me!) I meditated alot too, on the ocean infront of the waves. It was a really special and suprising time.
During one weekend a large group of Biology students stayed at the camp site where I hung out. I noticed, under a wooden table where i often ate brekfast, that there was a box with a label on it saying "Serpent, dangerous". Tres interesting, i thought...keeping my feet at a distance. There was indeed a serpent in it, which got put down the following day (by lethal injection) for the Biology students to "study". I witnessed this process and felt quite emotional seeing a beautiful creature die for research.
Staying at Tyrona for so long meant that I was able to watch the ebb and flow of people come and go. I met some really cool and interesting people, sharing mini adventures along the way. I also started to feel a sense of community, building connections with people through regular encounters. One of my favourate daily meetings was with the owner of a bakery just off the beach. He was a great character, silent and cool, witnessing the world go by in his weatherd way.
As i write this i am in Leticia! It has been an epic journey to get here, i was in Santa Marta yesterday morning, and Bogota last night before catching an early flight today to get here. When i arrived the humid heat smacked me in the face, contrasting the cool temperature in Bogota (i actually found it very difficult to sleep as i was so cold!) In Leticai i got stamped at DAS and walked with my heavy bags to the centre of this simple city. I was unsure about where to go, and thankfully met a friendly local walking his son back home. He showed me a good, relativly cheap hostel and gave me his number incase i needed any help or advice. My experience has been that often Colombians are very warm, welcoming and friendly :)
The hostel im staying at is a non gringo palce (yey. Im starting to really dislike hostels full of English speakers and back packers, not very authentic.) It is very homely here. It was actually a home until February when it got sold and turned into a small friendly hostel. there is a nice communal area with comfy sofas and books, simple and classey. I like it alot. And here I met a quirky French lady who has been travelling for 12 years, saying her home is planet earth (i know, a very hippy saying...but it fits her lifestyle). She just spent ten days at an Indian Village nearby which she said was deeply rooted in Catholism, likely influcened by neighbouring country, Brazil. At this village she was basically the devil incarnate, as a free woman who will not be controlled, who smokes, who speaks her mind. At one point she stood up in church and started to speak of love, life, freedom, corruption. She explained to me that the words just seemed to flow out of her mouth, perhaps the forest energy propelling her on. Everyone stared with wide and astonished eyes. Afterwards she was afraid she may get assasinated, as she is dangerous to the status quo there...and is messing with political Religious Mafia types. Now she is back in Leticia, safely we hope! She makes a living by finding jobs along her way, running creative art workshops, teaching languages, doing manual labour and taking opportunities as they arise. As I was talking to her a man walked in, they got chatting and she, after 10 minutes, got a job! She will be working with people dealing with addictions in a beautiful jungle area near by. She will run workshops and support where she can. The ethos of the centre is run off love not money, which fits well with her ideals. She was very excited and invited me to check the place out tommorow. I plan to!
The day after tommrow I will be catching a speed boat to Iqitos, where i will spend a few days checking out the witch market and general area before starting my ten day Ayhauska retreat. I see the retreat as a red carpet to the next chapter in my life...back to the UK!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Tyrona
What an incredible place , oozing in wildlife: Snakes, Caymen, monkeys, donkeys, unidentifiable creatures including some kind of big rodent!¿ various spiders with colourful bums, tropical birds, many insects...Panthas roam the jungle but stayed clear of the more human areas. Though nowhere is really safe at dark, when animals come out to hunt and play.
To get there i ended up travelling with a friend, Jeremie, whom I met at a monkey rescue centre in Ecuador. We, for some reason, went the long way round and had to walk for ages with heavy bags through the national park to get to the beach. It was a hard walk, loads of steep bits and epic rock climbing. One wrong slip and you fall into a 20 meter ditch. It took longer than we expected, too. 3 hours turned into 6 hours. We stopped of once to eat cheese and bread, and watched indigenous children play innocently in the river. After more walking, the sun set. It got dark and we were lost in the jungle. Spiders and snakes showed themselves. We heard monkeys and i tryed not to let my mind dwell on jungle cats. It was tres Indiana Jones style and flashes of horror movie set ups kept blessing me. But we survived to tell the tale, and had fun along the way. It got to the point where could either made fun of the situation and laugh and joke our way through it...or cave into our tiredness and collapse into the jungle bed with little hope. Or perhaps kill one another as an outlet for our frustration. The later was our choice. Seemed like an interesting test of character!
The first camp site we got to seemed pretty tourist soaked and smelt of rotten fruit and crap. We had walked thus far and thought, whats another 60 minutes!? So off we set to the next camp site. Along the way i saw the biggest blue crab i have ever set my eyes on! When we arrived at the next site we stayed. It was peaceful and all i wanted was to shower. The shower was a bad experience though. Insects made a carpet on the floor, and im not sure if i had more bugs on my legs than i did water whilst showering. I was pretty grossed out. Big beatles, flying things, crawling things, creep me out things everywhere. Shower was super quick. Also that night someone stole a bottle of rum from the tent. And tried to steal food, but got caught in the act. A pretty adventourous day. The next day we found a nice camp site!!
Beautiful camp site: Finca Don Pedro, Surrounded by coconut mango and avocado trees. Set ten minutes away from the beach, and with perfect entrances to incredible jungle walks. Death by falling coconut seemed highly possible but thankfully i survived. Bringing food made it much cheaper and it was great to be able to cook everyday. Coconut rice, pasta and chunky tomato sauce, scrambled vegtable eggs, simple things but tasty none the less.
I spent long days doing yoga in the morning, dipping in the ocean, buying chocolate bread from a little bakery, wondering the jungle, witnessing natural wonders, playing on my guitar (and be taught by Jeremie...as well as helping him improve his English), trying to improve my spanish, enjoying daily cooking, getting into morning pages...and regular showers!
One evening the tent got totally swamped/ flooded by a strong down pour of rain and all the bags and shoes in the outside compartment of the tent floated! Tent had to be moved, but the next sunny day helped dry things out. I couldn´t stop laughing though. I have laughed a lot this last week. Sometimes rather inappropriately. Still, im sure its good for the soul.
Now back in Santa Marta sorting out VISA extensions and booking flights to enter the Amazon at the end of the month. May be going back to Tyrona next week. There is more sun bathing to be done, more chocolate bread to eat. And its a peaceful place to consolidate and reflect upon my journey, my intentions, my life. A good place to practice, to meditate and to simply be with life. Everything seems so alive in the jungle and along the rustic beach. For me, it evocks thoughts of how dead and fixed things can seem in more "civilized" environments. Where nature rules, everything has something to teach. Things are random, spontanious, all dance their own dance around you. Birds fly and sing in unison as the Caymen bathes his skin under the sun. The Ocean roars, a crab bumps into your big toe. Watchful, wonderful. I become more intune with the natural cycles of the sun and moon. The sky wraps a blanket of dark around me. Stars twinkle my spirit. The sun slows me. Im reminded constantly to expect the unexpected.
To get there i ended up travelling with a friend, Jeremie, whom I met at a monkey rescue centre in Ecuador. We, for some reason, went the long way round and had to walk for ages with heavy bags through the national park to get to the beach. It was a hard walk, loads of steep bits and epic rock climbing. One wrong slip and you fall into a 20 meter ditch. It took longer than we expected, too. 3 hours turned into 6 hours. We stopped of once to eat cheese and bread, and watched indigenous children play innocently in the river. After more walking, the sun set. It got dark and we were lost in the jungle. Spiders and snakes showed themselves. We heard monkeys and i tryed not to let my mind dwell on jungle cats. It was tres Indiana Jones style and flashes of horror movie set ups kept blessing me. But we survived to tell the tale, and had fun along the way. It got to the point where could either made fun of the situation and laugh and joke our way through it...or cave into our tiredness and collapse into the jungle bed with little hope. Or perhaps kill one another as an outlet for our frustration. The later was our choice. Seemed like an interesting test of character!
The first camp site we got to seemed pretty tourist soaked and smelt of rotten fruit and crap. We had walked thus far and thought, whats another 60 minutes!? So off we set to the next camp site. Along the way i saw the biggest blue crab i have ever set my eyes on! When we arrived at the next site we stayed. It was peaceful and all i wanted was to shower. The shower was a bad experience though. Insects made a carpet on the floor, and im not sure if i had more bugs on my legs than i did water whilst showering. I was pretty grossed out. Big beatles, flying things, crawling things, creep me out things everywhere. Shower was super quick. Also that night someone stole a bottle of rum from the tent. And tried to steal food, but got caught in the act. A pretty adventourous day. The next day we found a nice camp site!!
Beautiful camp site: Finca Don Pedro, Surrounded by coconut mango and avocado trees. Set ten minutes away from the beach, and with perfect entrances to incredible jungle walks. Death by falling coconut seemed highly possible but thankfully i survived. Bringing food made it much cheaper and it was great to be able to cook everyday. Coconut rice, pasta and chunky tomato sauce, scrambled vegtable eggs, simple things but tasty none the less.
I spent long days doing yoga in the morning, dipping in the ocean, buying chocolate bread from a little bakery, wondering the jungle, witnessing natural wonders, playing on my guitar (and be taught by Jeremie...as well as helping him improve his English), trying to improve my spanish, enjoying daily cooking, getting into morning pages...and regular showers!
One evening the tent got totally swamped/ flooded by a strong down pour of rain and all the bags and shoes in the outside compartment of the tent floated! Tent had to be moved, but the next sunny day helped dry things out. I couldn´t stop laughing though. I have laughed a lot this last week. Sometimes rather inappropriately. Still, im sure its good for the soul.
Now back in Santa Marta sorting out VISA extensions and booking flights to enter the Amazon at the end of the month. May be going back to Tyrona next week. There is more sun bathing to be done, more chocolate bread to eat. And its a peaceful place to consolidate and reflect upon my journey, my intentions, my life. A good place to practice, to meditate and to simply be with life. Everything seems so alive in the jungle and along the rustic beach. For me, it evocks thoughts of how dead and fixed things can seem in more "civilized" environments. Where nature rules, everything has something to teach. Things are random, spontanious, all dance their own dance around you. Birds fly and sing in unison as the Caymen bathes his skin under the sun. The Ocean roars, a crab bumps into your big toe. Watchful, wonderful. I become more intune with the natural cycles of the sun and moon. The sky wraps a blanket of dark around me. Stars twinkle my spirit. The sun slows me. Im reminded constantly to expect the unexpected.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The ocean floor
Unsure of what to do yesterday, i was talking to a Woman in my dormitory who was on a diving course here in Taganga. I knew this place was known for its beautiful and relativly inexpensive diving options. I decided not to regret passing this experience. I set off to reserach the recommended diving school, PADI certified, and found myself booking on for a one day diving experience.
Half a day later and my life has changed forever! The moment i took my first breath underwater was really profound for me. I was reminded of how my breathing often reflects my emotions, and that in the past i have struggled a lot to breathe properly and healthily. Underwater one is very aware of their breathing! To breathe slowly, deeply, continuously, is the single most important thing when diving, to avoid serious injury. Upon first going underwater i felt myself want to cry, a mild panic washed over me, various emotions surged throughout my body. My breathing was inititally shallow, anxious. I quickly realised i needed to take longer, deeper breaths, so I calmed myself and came into my body, into my experience. Suddenly i was breathing fluidly underwater, looking around me at what seemed an entirely new and alien world.
Getting into slow, deep, long breaths was a great meditation!
As i learnt and gained more confidence, we went deeper and deeper (two guys, myself and the instructor). The ocean floor was mind blowing. I could have been on the strongest acid trip...this was an utterly incredible experience. Weird and wonderful creatures danced around me; luminious fish swam in colourful schools; marine ecosystems would have taken my breath away had it not been so important to continue to breathe! Spider crabs, Tiger fish: all so utterly surreal! Is this a dream, i thought. I had recently had dreams of the ocean and of weird and hypnotic sea life. Vivid clours, glowing seductive animals watching me placidly. My dreams came true. I floated and swam with grace and ease, everything held together in the beautiful clear salt water. Bubbles of air made entrancing silver shapes as they flew towards the waters surface.
Just... WOW. I am doing the PADI diving course so that i can dive anywhere in the world. Its great to be learning something so incredible, being able to explore ocean life. The ocean is such an intrinsic part of life, yet i know so very little about it. A deep passion has been ignited.
Half a day later and my life has changed forever! The moment i took my first breath underwater was really profound for me. I was reminded of how my breathing often reflects my emotions, and that in the past i have struggled a lot to breathe properly and healthily. Underwater one is very aware of their breathing! To breathe slowly, deeply, continuously, is the single most important thing when diving, to avoid serious injury. Upon first going underwater i felt myself want to cry, a mild panic washed over me, various emotions surged throughout my body. My breathing was inititally shallow, anxious. I quickly realised i needed to take longer, deeper breaths, so I calmed myself and came into my body, into my experience. Suddenly i was breathing fluidly underwater, looking around me at what seemed an entirely new and alien world.
Getting into slow, deep, long breaths was a great meditation!
As i learnt and gained more confidence, we went deeper and deeper (two guys, myself and the instructor). The ocean floor was mind blowing. I could have been on the strongest acid trip...this was an utterly incredible experience. Weird and wonderful creatures danced around me; luminious fish swam in colourful schools; marine ecosystems would have taken my breath away had it not been so important to continue to breathe! Spider crabs, Tiger fish: all so utterly surreal! Is this a dream, i thought. I had recently had dreams of the ocean and of weird and hypnotic sea life. Vivid clours, glowing seductive animals watching me placidly. My dreams came true. I floated and swam with grace and ease, everything held together in the beautiful clear salt water. Bubbles of air made entrancing silver shapes as they flew towards the waters surface.
Just... WOW. I am doing the PADI diving course so that i can dive anywhere in the world. Its great to be learning something so incredible, being able to explore ocean life. The ocean is such an intrinsic part of life, yet i know so very little about it. A deep passion has been ignited.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Lost City
I did it! Five days of hard trekking in the Colombian jungle and mountains.
First it was a two hour jeep ride, the second half of which was a very very bumpy ride. After lunch we started the Trekking, taking a dip in the river along the way, and ascending an incredibly steep mountain for 60 minutes (with a stop off to stroke a pig and eat bananas). Each day we had a few fruit stops and at least one stop to swim in a natural lagoon or river, often with waterfalls, natural rapids and rocks to jump off. Tres fun, and a great relief to the intense heat of the day. It's like a day long sauna here!
The first night we slept in hammocks and thereafter in beds with questionable matresses and mosquitoes nets. I got bitten, though not as badly as my companions. Have i got more B Vitamin in my blood? (Apparently mosquitoes dont like the taste or smell of blood rich in B vitamin). My paranoia of bed bugs prevented at least two good nights sleep for me! One of the guys trekking got attacked by the little vampires on the first night, which implanted some anxiety in a few of us.
Bugs were a fairly large part of my venturing here. Ants trotted along the dirt tracks whilst carrying leaves of various shapes and sizes. Huge spiders could be seen here and there; I saw a few under rocks and one, upon my approach, jumped into the water and disappeared? Big water spiders! In the evenings we talked, read and ate by candle light and fire flies, accompanied by numerous insects collecting and dancing around the flames...with the inevitable death of a handful of Moths. Other animals i encountered included wild pigs (which concerned me a little), red and yellow striped snakes, mules, beautiful horned cows, chickens, fish, hummingbirds and beautiful colorful Paloma (Bird). Apparently there are Tigers in the jungles here too, though i saw none. I did spend some time trekking alone, far ahead of my group, and wondered what i would do if i saw a tiger. I found a large stick to defend myself just incase! and contemplated my lack of tree climbing skills.
I really got into my monkey energy; climbing rocks with vigor and excitement, feeling majestically present in the colors, sounds, smells and visions of the exotic jungle. Everything was bursting with life force, oozing with saps and intrigue. I found myself enchanted, feeling at one with the vines and veins of the earth as i wove through winding paths and waded through crystal clear rivers. I found a deep peace as i moved through the jungle.
Our guide was a very wonderful, affectionate and genuine man. His son also came along, leading the mule and singing a lot. He had a good voice, it was a nice addition. They introduced us to the indigenous tribes here; the Indianas. A medicine man was visiting one of the villages so people from all over were coming to visit him. Learning about the culture here has been fascinating. The women are married off once they begin menstruation, and the marriage is arranged by their parents. Before marriage the man must undergo three months "training" with a Shaman. During this time he chews, all day long, coca leaves and ground shell (the activator) which he had collected and ground himself. He keeps it in a device made from a dried fruit and uses a stick to pound the shells and eat from. This helps give him more energy and is also said to increase his sexual abilities in preparation for his wife! Oh and the women like sex, so i am told.
Once married, if the wife agrees, the husband may also sleep with her sister. Apparently they like sharing. Sometimes.
The woman is said to do most of the work here. This involves gardening, growing and harvesting the fruit and vegetables. Looking after the animals, cooking, cleaning... but men chop wood (i'm sure they do more than that, but it was the only information i was given!) If a woman is found to have been cheating on her husband, the husband is entitled to go to her family and tell them about her disloyalties. Her family must then find him a new wife! If he wants to stay with her, however, she must be punished by going to a kind of prison and for three hours a day must work nakedly in-front of the community. I think the punishment is the same for the husband, although it seems like the woman is punished more readily. If both husband and wife are found to have been cheating, the community makes them have sex all night long for 8 days...and ties them together during the day! If the wife becomes widowed she is allowed to take another young husband, but when she becomes old he is allowed to marry her daughter (if she had any from previous husband). I thought it must be a very interesting psychology for the daughter in such a situation, knowing that her farther-in-the is one day to be her husband!
The Lost City was more impressive than i had expected. Photos can express better than words, but neither will really do it justice. All in all it was a magical experience. There was a total of eight people in my group, five friends from London (including two couples) and two Colombian Men. Everyone added a unique character and depth to the group, and i enjoyed getting to know this little family over the days. Then, we all went our separate ways. Impermanence my long standing companion.
After a lot of walking, now back in Santa Marta, my body really knows it has worked! I spent the last two days sitting and eating fruit and linseed bread rolls. Have been Wondering the streets a bit too, which is always nice. Lets me soak up the culture a little, watch the locals do there thing, buy some street food, haggle, observe, stretch limbs. The room i have been staying in is next to the Hostel bar so sleeping is not much on the menu, but i shall be leaving today to Taganga. Actually, i ought to start getting ready for that now...
First it was a two hour jeep ride, the second half of which was a very very bumpy ride. After lunch we started the Trekking, taking a dip in the river along the way, and ascending an incredibly steep mountain for 60 minutes (with a stop off to stroke a pig and eat bananas). Each day we had a few fruit stops and at least one stop to swim in a natural lagoon or river, often with waterfalls, natural rapids and rocks to jump off. Tres fun, and a great relief to the intense heat of the day. It's like a day long sauna here!
The first night we slept in hammocks and thereafter in beds with questionable matresses and mosquitoes nets. I got bitten, though not as badly as my companions. Have i got more B Vitamin in my blood? (Apparently mosquitoes dont like the taste or smell of blood rich in B vitamin). My paranoia of bed bugs prevented at least two good nights sleep for me! One of the guys trekking got attacked by the little vampires on the first night, which implanted some anxiety in a few of us.
Bugs were a fairly large part of my venturing here. Ants trotted along the dirt tracks whilst carrying leaves of various shapes and sizes. Huge spiders could be seen here and there; I saw a few under rocks and one, upon my approach, jumped into the water and disappeared? Big water spiders! In the evenings we talked, read and ate by candle light and fire flies, accompanied by numerous insects collecting and dancing around the flames...with the inevitable death of a handful of Moths. Other animals i encountered included wild pigs (which concerned me a little), red and yellow striped snakes, mules, beautiful horned cows, chickens, fish, hummingbirds and beautiful colorful Paloma (Bird). Apparently there are Tigers in the jungles here too, though i saw none. I did spend some time trekking alone, far ahead of my group, and wondered what i would do if i saw a tiger. I found a large stick to defend myself just incase! and contemplated my lack of tree climbing skills.
I really got into my monkey energy; climbing rocks with vigor and excitement, feeling majestically present in the colors, sounds, smells and visions of the exotic jungle. Everything was bursting with life force, oozing with saps and intrigue. I found myself enchanted, feeling at one with the vines and veins of the earth as i wove through winding paths and waded through crystal clear rivers. I found a deep peace as i moved through the jungle.
Our guide was a very wonderful, affectionate and genuine man. His son also came along, leading the mule and singing a lot. He had a good voice, it was a nice addition. They introduced us to the indigenous tribes here; the Indianas. A medicine man was visiting one of the villages so people from all over were coming to visit him. Learning about the culture here has been fascinating. The women are married off once they begin menstruation, and the marriage is arranged by their parents. Before marriage the man must undergo three months "training" with a Shaman. During this time he chews, all day long, coca leaves and ground shell (the activator) which he had collected and ground himself. He keeps it in a device made from a dried fruit and uses a stick to pound the shells and eat from. This helps give him more energy and is also said to increase his sexual abilities in preparation for his wife! Oh and the women like sex, so i am told.
Once married, if the wife agrees, the husband may also sleep with her sister. Apparently they like sharing. Sometimes.
The woman is said to do most of the work here. This involves gardening, growing and harvesting the fruit and vegetables. Looking after the animals, cooking, cleaning... but men chop wood (i'm sure they do more than that, but it was the only information i was given!) If a woman is found to have been cheating on her husband, the husband is entitled to go to her family and tell them about her disloyalties. Her family must then find him a new wife! If he wants to stay with her, however, she must be punished by going to a kind of prison and for three hours a day must work nakedly in-front of the community. I think the punishment is the same for the husband, although it seems like the woman is punished more readily. If both husband and wife are found to have been cheating, the community makes them have sex all night long for 8 days...and ties them together during the day! If the wife becomes widowed she is allowed to take another young husband, but when she becomes old he is allowed to marry her daughter (if she had any from previous husband). I thought it must be a very interesting psychology for the daughter in such a situation, knowing that her farther-in-the is one day to be her husband!
The Lost City was more impressive than i had expected. Photos can express better than words, but neither will really do it justice. All in all it was a magical experience. There was a total of eight people in my group, five friends from London (including two couples) and two Colombian Men. Everyone added a unique character and depth to the group, and i enjoyed getting to know this little family over the days. Then, we all went our separate ways. Impermanence my long standing companion.
After a lot of walking, now back in Santa Marta, my body really knows it has worked! I spent the last two days sitting and eating fruit and linseed bread rolls. Have been Wondering the streets a bit too, which is always nice. Lets me soak up the culture a little, watch the locals do there thing, buy some street food, haggle, observe, stretch limbs. The room i have been staying in is next to the Hostel bar so sleeping is not much on the menu, but i shall be leaving today to Taganga. Actually, i ought to start getting ready for that now...
Friday, April 8, 2011
Santa Marta
Getting from Cartagena to Santa Marta was a miniture nightmare. It felt pretty much like one long over priced traffic jam. I was told that my ticket would get me to Santa Marta, but infact i had to get off half way and then pay for another bus ride which i was pissed about. I did kick up a bit of a fuss but not speaking fluent Espanol made things a little more tricky. The bus kept stopping and people slowly piled on. The bus moved at a snails pace then stopped again, for i dont know what. My meant to be 4 hour journey took 8 hours. At the end a young man got on the bus and did his personal selling things act. On every bus ride thus far in my journey at least one person entertains the bus audience with a speach about their product and why we should buy it. Sometimes they do very well, sometimes they even do magick tricks and get everyone laughing or singing or clapping! This particular man did a speach on God and sold CD's of various God related seminars and music. As i sat listening and eating little mangos I wished i could understand more of what he was saying. When he realised i was English he requested that I write down the words, in English so he could learn them, GOD LOVES YOU. When talking about God he always made hand gestures towards the sky. This inspired me to write, below GOD LOVES YOU, GOD IS WITHIN. And hoped he might integrate that into his english vocab. THinking about it now, i wish i has also written GOD IS THE DEVIL TOO!
When off the bus, this God dude was very helpful and helped me get a cheap Taxi ride to my desired Hotel. As i drove off towards my final destination (phew), he waved at me and shouted GOD LOVES YOU gesturing towards the sky and his heart. An interesting end to my very long journey!
Now im settled into a Gringo magnet hotel. I havnt been around this many English speakers for a very long time! This place is cheap, vibrant, very spacious and with its own bar and swimming pool. Next door is a Mexican Resturant owned by a New York chef. Its the most gourmet food i have had in a very very long time. It was exquisite, utterly. Melt in your mouth must lick the plate exquisite. After eating i contemplated my love for food and how i have been at war with this love for a long time. Ive decided to embrace that i love food, to love that i love food! It can make me very happy... ofcource, its all temporary. But as far as temporary pleasure goes, im pretty content with a good plate of Gourmet Mexican food.
Ok, short post for today. Now...maybe a dip in the swimming pool. And to plan a six day Trek. My body wants some challenging physical activity and my mind is meeting that request.
Amor para todos ustedes,
xx
When off the bus, this God dude was very helpful and helped me get a cheap Taxi ride to my desired Hotel. As i drove off towards my final destination (phew), he waved at me and shouted GOD LOVES YOU gesturing towards the sky and his heart. An interesting end to my very long journey!
Now im settled into a Gringo magnet hotel. I havnt been around this many English speakers for a very long time! This place is cheap, vibrant, very spacious and with its own bar and swimming pool. Next door is a Mexican Resturant owned by a New York chef. Its the most gourmet food i have had in a very very long time. It was exquisite, utterly. Melt in your mouth must lick the plate exquisite. After eating i contemplated my love for food and how i have been at war with this love for a long time. Ive decided to embrace that i love food, to love that i love food! It can make me very happy... ofcource, its all temporary. But as far as temporary pleasure goes, im pretty content with a good plate of Gourmet Mexican food.
Ok, short post for today. Now...maybe a dip in the swimming pool. And to plan a six day Trek. My body wants some challenging physical activity and my mind is meeting that request.
Amor para todos ustedes,
xx
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Carribean Coast
Playa Blanca: Picture perfect Carribean beach, pure blue green waters warm enough to walk into with no hesitation. Clear skys day and night. Fresh fish and fruit everywhere. Stretchs of gorgeous white sands and a good lack of tourists. Coral and incredible shells washed ashore; a natural beach museum! Spent the last 5 days sleeping on a hammock next to the ebb and flow of the waves.
I arrived by boat to this isolated beach near Cartagena. It took 40 minutes and i was accompanied by a guy from New Zeland. When we arrived we were greeted by a friendly man who owned a beach shack and showed us his (very cheap but pretty dam good) hammocks. I said yes! Dumped bags off in a wooden "locker" which didnt lock at all (how very authentic...) and hit the beach. God that water was perfect. I try not to have expectations, but any subtle expectations that might have been lurking in the corners of my mind were certainnly not dissapointed! I spent long days walking, looking at dead coral and shells, playing with fish in the waters, running along the coast, meditating and singing under the sunset. Most of my time was spent in isolation. A good opportunity to finish the book i was reading and to sit with my mind for long hours...sometimes almost melting into the landscapes...
The Pinicolada was a must try, made with freshly opened coconut water. My brother told me i had to drink rum, so i did it for him! maybe a little bit for me too though, I admitt. I drank it on a hammock with fellow traveller, Sam. I placed the drink on the table and everytime i wanted a sip i swung the hammock and grabbed the drink with a rapidity and desperation that made Sam laugh each time. Especailly as it was so dark and my figure seemed to appear from knowhere. Funny moments. Maybe you had to be there! Sam left after a couple of days and i was totally alone. Talked to none other than the cook who taught me how to make Carribean Coconut rice (which is utterly gorgeous!) I got deeper into my mediation which felt really important. Days were long and peaceful, lots of time for reflection. Ive been going throgh a more introverted phase of my travels. Part of my ebb and flow, it seems. Useful insights have certainly emerged from a time of solitude.
Back in Cartagena has been interesting. Last night i found myself with a stick of little potatoes for dinner (Soy Vegetariana...sin carne por favour!). I got chatting with a Jamacan Rasta, Raphiet, and we wondered the streets together with all that that involves. "Its ok, your with a black man" he said. Its true, i wouldnt have walked alone here. We realised the red light district: Clusters of women dotted around the place,sturtting there stuff, making seductive remarks whilst eyeing us up. Me and Raphiet had to pretend we were a couple to disuade one insistent woman. I think she thought we wanted to see her as a couple. She responded that she only takes one at a time! ha!
We ended up in a retro bar with Reggae music and pictures of Marilyn Monroe and others surrounding us. A small bunch of us got up and danced whilst watching a DVD, on large projector screen, of Lucky Dubai (what a dude!)
Whats next?
I arrived by boat to this isolated beach near Cartagena. It took 40 minutes and i was accompanied by a guy from New Zeland. When we arrived we were greeted by a friendly man who owned a beach shack and showed us his (very cheap but pretty dam good) hammocks. I said yes! Dumped bags off in a wooden "locker" which didnt lock at all (how very authentic...) and hit the beach. God that water was perfect. I try not to have expectations, but any subtle expectations that might have been lurking in the corners of my mind were certainnly not dissapointed! I spent long days walking, looking at dead coral and shells, playing with fish in the waters, running along the coast, meditating and singing under the sunset. Most of my time was spent in isolation. A good opportunity to finish the book i was reading and to sit with my mind for long hours...sometimes almost melting into the landscapes...
The Pinicolada was a must try, made with freshly opened coconut water. My brother told me i had to drink rum, so i did it for him! maybe a little bit for me too though, I admitt. I drank it on a hammock with fellow traveller, Sam. I placed the drink on the table and everytime i wanted a sip i swung the hammock and grabbed the drink with a rapidity and desperation that made Sam laugh each time. Especailly as it was so dark and my figure seemed to appear from knowhere. Funny moments. Maybe you had to be there! Sam left after a couple of days and i was totally alone. Talked to none other than the cook who taught me how to make Carribean Coconut rice (which is utterly gorgeous!) I got deeper into my mediation which felt really important. Days were long and peaceful, lots of time for reflection. Ive been going throgh a more introverted phase of my travels. Part of my ebb and flow, it seems. Useful insights have certainly emerged from a time of solitude.
Back in Cartagena has been interesting. Last night i found myself with a stick of little potatoes for dinner (Soy Vegetariana...sin carne por favour!). I got chatting with a Jamacan Rasta, Raphiet, and we wondered the streets together with all that that involves. "Its ok, your with a black man" he said. Its true, i wouldnt have walked alone here. We realised the red light district: Clusters of women dotted around the place,sturtting there stuff, making seductive remarks whilst eyeing us up. Me and Raphiet had to pretend we were a couple to disuade one insistent woman. I think she thought we wanted to see her as a couple. She responded that she only takes one at a time! ha!
We ended up in a retro bar with Reggae music and pictures of Marilyn Monroe and others surrounding us. A small bunch of us got up and danced whilst watching a DVD, on large projector screen, of Lucky Dubai (what a dude!)
Whats next?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)