tales of wander

December 1, 2022 This morning was supposed to be the San Pedro ceremony, which is the final bitter drink of the retreat. I was originally excited for it because I’ve never tried mescaline before, but I knew when I left the maloca last night that I would opt out. It was a rough night and … Continue reading →

November 30, 2022 After the night of the first ceremony, I was lying in bed one evening, trying to fall asleep and having difficulty because of the heat and the tightness in my neck. I remember suddenly smelling agua de florida, that aromatic liquid that Eladio uses often in his ceremonies. For a split second, … Continue reading →

November 26, 2022 At 5am, we’re wakened for our plant medicine. I haven’t been able to sleep since last night, so I’m feeling severely sleep deprived…and also finally hungry, which makes me sad that I only have dieta food to look forward to: more boiled carrots, beets, potatoes, and rice porridge. A few tomatoes for … Continue reading →

November 25, 2022 5am. We awake for the morning plant medicine, which will continue to be ajo sacha for the next few days. I stumble to the maloca in the pre-dawn light, go up to the altar, and gulp down my glass of garlic juice. The first drink is the most concentrated, then water is … Continue reading →

November 24, 2022 Today is Thanksgiving, the one holiday I actually like and feel sad to miss in the US. However, in a way, it’s appropriate that I’m here on this day. Last night’s gentle ceremony (The Bat notwithstanding) helped me to overcome some of the anxieties that I arrived with. In particular, I was … Continue reading →

November 23, 2002 After a night of deep slumber, I awake around 5am to the sound of buzzing, as though someone turned on an electric appliance. It was incredibly annoying and I thought: “who would use a gardening tool at this hour?” However, after some time it became clear that the buzzing was  coming from … Continue reading →

November 21, 2022 I’ve arrived in Iquitos without mishap, despite the fact that the Lima airport closed for a few days due to an accident. The airport remained closed right up to six hours before I was scheduled to leave, so it was a bit of a nail-biter to see if it would reopen in … Continue reading →

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things ~ Henry Miller Just four months after my last trip, I was scheduled to visit a friend in China in late March/early April of 2020. That trip never happened and given the date, I doubt I need to explain why. Later that … Continue reading →