Cactus Juice

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A day in Uyuni without booking a trip to the Salt Flats meant another was on the cards. The prospect of another 24 hours in that town would require some chemical assistance.

Ben and Fiona checked out of their hovle and into the hostelling international around the corner. At twice the price it offered no water, no electricity and no hospitality. But all Ben needed was its kitchen.

It took Ben an hour to skin the cactuses. He ran his pocket knife along the valleys in the stellate plant then peeled the papery outer layer from the green flesh. He chopped them up, added about three litres of water and boiled them.

Two and a half hours later, Ben drained the cactus juice and used a plastic bag with a hole in the corner to squeeze the remainder from the soft chunks. The syrupy liquid was a baby-sick green and smelled like rhubarb crumble. Ben took his first swig of the peyote. It tasted like liquid ear wax. Determined to get it out of the way, Ben took three large swigs before Fiona took her medicine.

After an hour, the contents of his stomach had moved ten centimetres up his trachea and vomiting, whilst not a given, was a growing possibility. Meanwhile, the cornices melted in to the walls and kaleidoscopic patterns merged into each other on the ceiling. Fiona raced to the bathroom to puke. "I want this to be over," she said on the brink of crying. But Ben knew it was just starting and he felt great. He left Fiona in the foetal position listening to her iPod and wandered around town mistaking plastic bags in the breeze for kittens. Words on signs merged in to one another. The night air felt good. An hour later, Fiona hadn't moved. "Yay, you're back! I was worried about you.

“I've never noticed before, but you have a very active aura." Tears flowed.

“What’s wrong?” Ben asked.

“Your aura’s all messy,” she sobbed.

They calmed down and went into town in search of beer, but ended up at one of the town's biggest annual events - "La Reina De La Floras". In the town's basketball stadium, three girls in thick makeup and crowns sat on a stage as dozens of children in traditional dress danced for them. The high school kids present laughed at the two enraptured gringos, grinning stupidly

Back at the hostel, the affects of the cactuses wore on well in to the night. The hallucinations grew less intense but there was no chance of sleep. They spent the night talking shit and the following day feeling like it.

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Comments

[Nopalea Drink]

http://www.nopalea.com
I was looking for info on a different type of cactus juice! Nopalea (made from the prickly pear cactus) is renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties. It is said that inflammation is the root cause of many diseases and chronic discomforts. It is also believed that Nopalea juice is chock full of antioxidants and a property called betalains which contains many of the B vitamins and minerals.

[Nopalea Side Effects]

Wonder Cactus
Dr. Oz recently named the Prickly Pear Cactus as one of the seven wonders of the world. Nopalea (made from the prickly pear cactus) is renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties. It is said that inflammation is the root cause of many diseases and chronic discomforts. It is also believed that Nopalea juice is chock full of antioxidants and a property called betalains which contains many of the B vitamins and minerals.