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Published: October 24th 2007
Coming Into Cuzco
The enveloping Andean MountainsWell hiya folks here goes again! Hope everyone is good and well - as you are already aware I was writing my El Salvador blog whilst waiting for the connecting flight to Cuzco, Peru. Since then we have been upto a fair bit and I will write a dedicated Cuzco blog a little later, but before that let me get you upto date a bit before I do more stuff and get even further behind with my blogging....
We eventually arrived in Cuzco after a lot of waiting around at Lima airport. Wow - what a difference in climates - coming from El Salvador - beach, humid & hot we were immediately hit by the cool, cold mountain air which includes the lack of oxygen, you find yourself short of breath after the smallest amount of walking around - infact alot of hotels offer oxygen therapy to its new arrivals, after all Cuzco is some 10000ft above sea level and nestled in the Andean mountains - so a bit of aclimatisation would have been good but hey, we are here now so no complaints! Cuzco is touted as the 'navel of the world' and was once the capital heartland of
Viva Peru
They write all over the mountains here - slogans, numbers, initials - its not grafitti the Inca empire. There is alot of Inca architecture still visible underneath the cities re-modelled Castillian styling - which makes the whole place feel very solid and trustworthy, history seems to speak to you through the enigmatic stonework when walking around its myriad cobbled streets. To acclimatise we spent the first few days not doing a great deal (as advised) and drinking copious amounts of Coca Tea - its a well known cure for altitude sickness, its not a drug over here folks its a way of life - honest! We hooked up with an independent travel guide called 'Alberto' who informed us of all the tourist options available and was bending over backwards to help us get settled and give us an itinery! He informed us that the Machu Picchu - Inca Trail was fully booked up until the 9th November (only 500 permits allowed per day for the 4 day, 3 night hike upto the sacred site).... Doh! Well we decided to book the 9th up whilst it was still available, this meant we now have about 4 weeks to kill before returning to Cuzco and setting out on our final tour whilst in South America.
We
Big Black Ants
They were at least 1 inch long and will happily bite ya feets... Stomp through the buggers! decided to use Cuzco as a base and to take some mini-adventures around this fascinating and colourful country. After a couple of trips around Cuzco and the surrounding Sacred Valley (blog to follow) we decided upon a trip to the Amazon Jungle and in particular Puerto Maldonado. There are many reasons for this journey - 1. To go on a boat up the Amazon - always wanted to do this (although its only a contributory river not the real Amazon), 2. To see the jungle first hand including wildlife & monkeys & 3. To meet a local Shaman/Herbal Doctor and partake in a Ayahuasca Ceremony - hehe! For those that are unaware from Wikipedia: Ayahuasca = (Quechua, pronounced ) is any of various psychoactive infusions or decoctions prepared from the Banisteriopsis spp. vine, native to the Amazon Rainforest (which is also called ayahuasca). The resulting drinks are pharmacologically complex and used for shamanic, folk-medicinal, and religious purposes. A heady brew, and whilst in the Amazon Rainforrest why not do as the local do!
We actually flew out to Puerto Maldonado due to the fact that it's an 18 hour bus journey & the roads are liable to be inoperative
due to the weather - so an hour from Cuzco by plane and you find yourself mid jungle and at a much warmer clime again - yay! Insect repellant on and lets head on up the river. We get on a narrow motor boat with the rest of the tourist hoardes and start the hour and a half journey up the Madre de Dios river to our eco-lodge home for the next few days. Leaving the town behind, we were soon immersed in the jungle - all the time our boat was busy avoiding various trees and logs that have found there way into the water, causing a menace to the river traffic. Past gold mining boats that dredge the river bed to find miniscule amounts of the prescious metal, past the turtles and on. We finally arrived at the Eco-Amazonia Lodge around mid-day and were treated to lunch (chicken cooked in a banana leaf parcel - a local dish & very tasty), next we were shown our lodgings - a wooden cabana which was very spacious and well appointed - it seems we are being spoilt here :o). No time to rest - a half hour after our lunch
has settled we are herded onto a boat and taken to our first destination 'Monkey Island' - Wooo Hoo! Needless to say to all you people out there - this was me all over. The monkeys on view were the Spider, Squirrel, Nasua, Little Lion & some Mocha coloured species - all very cute and all part of a breeding project. Due to the fact that all the species on show are not local to this part of the world the island is secluded enough to offer a familiar habitat - but one they cannot escape from into the carefully balanced eco-system that surrounds it. The mokeys themselves were certainly not camera shy and our guide led us round to feed the little fellas their bananas - all the time we were treated to a bit of a show by all the differing breeds vying for their dinner. Tour over and the sun was beginning to fade below the horizon and we were treated to a beautiful Amazonian Sunset. Time for dinner and a well needed rest.
Next morining 5am - breakfast time! Yep its not my hour of choice to be honest but here in the sweltering jungle
it pays to be up with the crack and be on your trek before the sun has chance to hit its zenith - which reduces you to a sweating, gibbering idiot. Claire wanted to chill out and not get up at this ungodly hour so I left her to her slumber, donned my walking boots, grabbed some breakfast from the buffet provided and some litres of water to be going on with. I joined the Intrepid Tour Group (a lovely collection of Autrailians who were on the last leg of their tour of Peru) and headed out into the jungle, our objective 'The Lost Lake'. The trek was 13km distance in total, 7km in and 6 km back, and included a quick jolly in a boat at the Lost Lake - some of our group had just finished the Inca Trail and had no desire for more punishment - and with the sun begining to rise over the forrest canopy above it was easy to understand why.
Our guide done a sterling job showing us all the delights of the jungle on our way to the hidden oasis - these included: An enormous 5-6 meter (baby) Anacaonda which was
Wheres Me Banana?
This little fella is a Mocha Monkey (forget the real name) carefully hidden and wrapped around trees in a swamp area - its body was at least the size of my thigh! a real highlight, although the pictures turned out shite! Bleh!. We were shown Tarantula holes and its annoyed inhabitant that came out to wrestle the guides stick that was poked in for good measure, a Wild Turkey, Turtles, some Howler Monkeys made an appearance and various colourful, saucer sized butterflies and swarms of some mosiquitos that hummed and made the air seem like a mirage. We also got an education on the various trees - including the Parasite Tree that literally sucks the life out of its prey - in our example a massive palm was close to death with the roots and tenderils of this predatory tree entangling and strangling its life away. He also pointed out the amazing 'Justice Tree' that on first inspection seems pretty mundane until he points out it has no moss or litchen growing on it and it is home to a colony of ants that live in symbiosis with it and protect it, one tap of the machette later and a swarm of ants came pouring out of small cracks and literally
River Crossing
Deep in the jungle pounced on us, looking at it in amazement! He then went on to tell us that if the local women had been cheating on their husbands they would be tied up against this tree and the ants were provoked to bite the cheating wench - One of the ladies present asked what about the cheating men - there was just a smile and a chuckle - 'Justice' indeed, its a mans world don't ya know! On the subject of ants - on our journey back from the Lake the path was literally moving with inch long black ants on the move, you had to run through stomping your feet to shake them off as they began to climb up yer legs.... lovely :o) So all in all a thoroughly enjoyable day out - we were collected from the rivers edge and taken back to the ranch by boat which was a welcome relief. We arrived back in time for lunch at 1.30pm, which due to our evening ahead, was to be the last meal of the day.
The jungle treks were really a side show for what we had intentionally booked as our weekend out there with Ayahuasca! Being
The Parasite Tree
Strangling the life out of this giant palm tree one who wants to try most things at least once in my life and having read about its powers, both Claire & I were drawn to the Amazon for a special meeting with a Local Herbal Doctor (they shy away from the term Shaman as they believe Shamans are charlatans who use their knowledge for their own benefit) we were lucky enough to be in the hands of Edinson who is a 'Master of The Herb' and had been practicing his art for 38 years. Basically the main ingredient of Ayhausca is the Banisteriopsis vine that grows locally in the Amazon Rainforrests, this is crushed down to pulp and mixed with a variety of other active natural ingredients along with 36 litres of water, this is then boiled down over a day to create a litre of the psychedelic black medice which locals refer to as 'The Doctor'. Known for its hallucinogenic effects, this medicine has been used by the locals for eons to clean the body of bad spirts, and to guide them in matters of the heart, body and soul. Ayhausca is documented at being able to cure parasitic infections as well as drug dependencies including heroine addiction,
infact our guide proudly informed us that he had recently cured a Chillean Minister from a form of brain cancer over a series of sessions using Ayhuasca to 're-program' the mind and purge the evil out of his body - truly amazing stuff. For a full description of this incredible potion refer to
Wiki - Ayahuasca. Aya means "spirit," "ancestor," or "dead person," while waska means "vine" or "rope") - to the locals it is taken as a religous scarement and they are guided through the expereince with the aid of the 'Shaman' who will oversee the proceedings and ensure the safety of the participants.
Before we were set loose with the 'The Doctor' we met with Edinson (our guide) who unfortunately couldn't speak a word of English, but we were fortunate enough to have the guidance of one of his 'students' in the shape of Jona who translated for us. We were properly briefed on what to expect and how to cope with the other wordly visions that would be accompanying us for the evening, the main effect is nausea and vomitting as the body is purged of the evil spirits from within us. When the effects kicked in we
Anaconda - Honest! - It Was That Big
Im colourblind to so seeing this monster in the swampland was a task - but once spotted it was humungus - and its only a baby at 5-6 meters long! were to concentrate on core questions, to focus the mind, the main topics to 'ask the doctor' were Health, Luck, Work, Projects & Love. We were told hellish stories of idiots who had come and took the experience all too lightly only to have had nightmarish visions and to have screamed like the possesed but we were equally informed of the good positive stories where people had found there true love or calling in life after being shown the way by 'The Doctor'. So fully prepared with what to expect and being in the hands of a dedicated expert we were to commence the session at 8.00pm - woo! The night fell and the witching hour was upon us as we took water, blankets and a clear head, following the torchlit pathway into the jungle to the wooden octagon shaped hut that is dedicated for performing the ceremony. We were given a floor mat and asked to get comfortable, there was only Claire, Edinson, Jona & myself present and we were not to communicate or touch each other during the ceremony as it is a deeply personal experience to each present. We were shown where the Bathroom area was, which
Our Guide & A Massive Ceiba Tree
There were larger specimens of this behemouth hidden off the beaten track was lit by candle light & we were given bowls (just in case we couldn't make it to the toilet in time). Candlelight lit the proceedings as Edinson started the ceremony - first the cleansing of the equipment, the room and us participants with huge wafts of tobacco smoke which he billowed from a pipe - tobacco grounds the soul don't ya know. Following the cleansing he offered prayers/chants to his guides and to the 'Doctor' before proceeding with dealing out his medicine to us.
Only a half mug sized dose was required and I was first to have to take my medicine - down in one is the only way - it didn't actually taste horrible but I wouldn't exactly say it tasted nice either, sweet and sour all in one with an earthy, planty, tobacco type of taste, is the best I can offer as a description. The effects were due to start in 15-20 minutes so time to get comfortable and brace myself for the ride that was to come. Lights went out and silence, well there was the jungle living and breathing all around us with strange sonic whoops, calls and cries and insect clicks
and buzzes in the backgorund - our guide proceeded to offer his own rhythmic chants and whistles creating a perfect natural harmony. Having tried magic mushrooms and LSD in the past I can tell you that it is, and isn't in the same league. After 30 mins had passed I felt I was missing out on something as nothing really came to mind, no visions, no hallucinations, I had asked my personal questions to the doctor whoever he may be and offered myself to him and safe passage for the evening - no madness yet! Still with my wits about me, focusing on my surroundings, sat bolt upright on my mat in the enveloping darkness, I was aware of Jona our translator for the evening, making his way to the bathroom, followed a while later by my lovely Claire who also made her way to the bathroom to purge. Edinson had taken two doses of the brew and was intermittently up and down the room humming, blowing, speed speaking and whistling fantastically elaborate tunes which seemed in sync with the jungles own life. I lay down to get more comfortable... The first thing I recall was what I refer to
The Ayahuasca Room
The art work was apparently done by a local on the juice... i could hardly function! as crystaline structures, a kaleidescopic proffusion of colours - butterfly like shapes and colours, vine & snake like pulsing, in my minds eye. If I opened my eyes the visions were gone.... Nothing out of the ordinary so far I thought.... Time ticks by slowly, fastly - I still haven't thrown up, which is very unllike me, I'm usually first to get anything bad out - if in doubt get it out is my motto!
I decide to get up and have a fag (something which is supposed to enhance the experience), wooo haaa hold on a minute, I feel a little bit uneasy for the first time my mind begins to wander, strange thoughts begin to enter my head, flashes of songs, instances imagined and previously experienced start to batter my conscience. This is the trip for sure, I change my thoughts with a blow of breath (something we were told about before commencing) and this changes the tract of the thoughts - think of something else - be in control - any questions ask 'The Doctor' and he will put you on the right path. So I'm coming on strong now bursts of inspiration, my previously asked
Mad Faces & Colours
From Cuzco Museum collection questions begin to get cryptic messages as answers. For instance to my question 'Should I continue travelling after this?' I get the manic musings of Shaun Ryder & Happy Mondays chipping in with Loose Fit - 'Do what you're doing, Go where you're going, Think what you're thinking, Sounds good to meee!' And so it goes on colours, shapes, geometrical forms, thoughts, me here, there, in this and that situation, my questions are answered in one strange way or another - well at least I think thats what it was - I was well off my head for sure.
Midnight arrives and I'm still in another world - Edinson says we have to leave now and I gradually pull myself up onto my feet in a wibbly wobbly - what the fuck am I doing fashion - Claire is in pretty much the same state as I am - We walk out the door and into the forrest outside which appears to be something out of the Elven Kingdom in Lord Of The Rings. Claire & I laugh and chuckle our way back to the lodge in protracted, fumbling footsteps. What a night and I'm only just starting to
Flower Power Chicas
From museum collection in Cuzco level off from the heady high. Bed and a bit of tossing and turning, the usual after party high feeling, a few fags and more water. I'm in bed going over the nights events for what seems like an age - I still haven't thown up or even had the urge to - maybe thought I might poop meself but that passed. Bang - I've been asleep and the birds have began the morning chorus - just like that! I'm tired and not the least hungry - its 5am, I lay back down and sleep the day away. So there you have it, I arise later in the afternoon and have some dinner - all is normal, my faculties are intact, and I feel pretty much refreshed, the night was one hell of a ride and I must say it turned out to be a very positive experience for Claire & I both. The Following morning we are up and away from the jungle on the same boat heading back upriver to Puerto Maldonado leaving the Amazon behind us. I shall never forget that night - there was moonlight, magic and madness, we are trying to get a CD from
Turtle Power
On the banks of the Lost Lake our guide of his chants, musings and whistles - it was truly other worldly.
So that about wraps up a couple of weeks - as I said earlier I will do a dedicated Cuzco blog - as it is one amazing place to visit, the flavours, the landscapes, the people are so unique and colourful, I can hardly begin to put into words the feeling this place has. Well until next time its time to say Adios Amigos we are off to Puno on the shores of Lake Titticaka for a few days before heading over the border to Bolivia, so watch this space as the blogs will be coming thick and fast over the next few weeks.
Love to all ya'll, peace
;O)
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