tales of wander
adventures
Turning the light on
December 6, 2022 Today is the day I leave Iquitos. I spent the last four days exploring the city and getting massages to ease my tense muscles. I knew getting on a plane with that kind of muscle tension would be a mistake, so my focus these last four days was just on trying to … Continue reading
La ceremonia de fuego…
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
Agua de florida and healing plants…
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
La Purga
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
Driven to distraction…
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
A jungle Thanksgiving…
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
Of cleanses, ceremonies, and icaros…
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
By bus, boat, and motocarro…
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
A new way of seeing things…
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
Patagonia: Ushuaia
Ushuaia is the capital of Tierra del Fuego, which is an island that marks the southernmost tip of South America before Antarctica. For this reason, it is often referred to as “El fin del mundo” (the end of the world). In truth, I’ve heard there’s dispute over which country (Chile or Argentina) actually lays claim … Continue reading
tales of wander 