While living here in Iquitos, I have worked with five different shamans, traveling into the jungle on six different occasions, spending nine nights away from town. In addition to the photos from Tamshiyacu (last blog), I took photos on three other adventures. This post contains 111 photos documenting those journeys.
As usual, the photos in this post are thumbnail images. Please click on any photo to enlarge it. The thumbnails leave much to be desired as far as colors and resolution – plus the thumbnails clip all of the edges. I use thumbnails for the post itself, because it gives people an opportunity to get a summary glimpse without downloading huge amounts of data for the high-res photos.
CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE TO HIGH RESOLUTION
Amaru Spirit
My first solo adventures involved two separate trips to a retreat center called “Amaru Sprit” owned and operated by David (Slocum) Hewson. I spent one night there on December 27, 2013, and then two more nights on New Years Eve and New Years Day.
The next 42 photos document these adventures, the first of which was on December 27, 2013.
This is inside the ceremonial maloca at Amaru Spirit. My new friend Jann is in the white dress. After the ceremony, we stayed up till 5:00 a.m. talking and sharing experiences with each other.
Me standing in the center of the ceremonial space.
Shortly before the ceremony. My mattress is in the bottom right corner. The shaman (Roman) sat in front of the white mattress. The rest of the room is behind me.
My little space for the night — mattress, backpack, pillow, and bucket for the fun purging.
After an almost sleepless night, I enjoyed a delightful breakfast smoothy and fun talks with others at the center. Around 10:00 a.m., I shared a boat headed back to Iquitos.
This is the little boat area below the retreat center.
This is one of the buildings on the property. I believe this is a caretaker’s house.
Preparing to get into the boat. We are in a little inlet off of the Itaya river.
The path from the boat up to the retreat center. Most other centers have a long walk. This one is very short.
A couple of other boats used by the local workers.
Another nearby boat on the shore.
This is Slocum’s darling little daughter. He and his wife are going into town with me.
Another photo of Slocum’s daughter. She is so cute.
Slocum and his wife. Slocum owns and operates Amaru Spirit.
Making our way through the small channel that leads out to the Rio Itaya.
Moving out into the Rio Itaya.
Headed back toward Iquitos.
The water is very smooth and gentle here.
A passing boat, with a couple of homes on stilts in the background.
Me, posing in the front of the boat.
Approaching the more populated parts of Iquitos.
Many people in this part of town live in homes like these.
Three days later, on Dec 31, 2013, I returned to Amaru Spirit for a New Years Eve ceremony. In this photo I am headed back out to the retreat center.
A group of young boys play on the submerged end of an old boat.
More homes along the Itaya river.
And another view of more homes.
A low-riding canoe heavily loaded with logs.
Continuing up the river, near the right shoreline.
And back to the left side.
A young boy sitting on the shore.
A couple of young men fishing from a canoe. They do not use fishing poles. Instead, they just dangle a fishing line from their hands.
Another family in a very low-riding boat.
And another very friendly family, waving back at me.
As we continue the twenty-minute boat ride, a rain cloud begins to release its moisture.
Two more people fishing from a canoe.
The falling rain causes the glass-like water to become agitated. You can see where the raindrops are falling.
With the rain now passing, we make our way by this tiny jungle home. it appears to be more of a makeshift shelter with nothing more than a roof. If you click and enlarge the photo, you can see a family playing (or working) below the house.
A tree that has fallen into the waters of these ever-shifting currents.
A close-up view of the family/hut from two photos ago. It looks like this family lives here.
The white letters on the sign up in the trees (center of photo) mark the boundary’s of Slocum’s property. We will enter the small inlet/channel to the left.
This is the inside of a common area, up above the kitchen at Amaru Spirit.
This area is immaculately furnished with four plush beanbag chairs and a bunch of large cushions. It is a really nice place to hang out and visit with others … or to take a nap around people. I really loved it here.
This photo was taken on New Years Day (2014) after my second ceremony at this retreat center. It was a good, but very intense ceremony. I was so tired and still doing so much processing, that Slocum let me stay an extra day.
I spent a lot of time resting and integrating in this common area on New Years Day. After spending another not-so-restful night, again doing more after-dark processing, I returned to Iquitos on January 2.
Later that day, Judy contacted me. She was back from her two weeks with Don Lucho, having had an amazing time. Judy and I hung out frequently over the next five days before she returned to Lima, and then San Diego.
Adela Navas
On January 3, Judy and I went to visit Adela Navas, a “banco shaman” in her seventies. I don’t know what the title means, but it somehow means she has a great deal of experience. My first ceremony in Iquitos was with her son Jose. It was a beautiful ceremony.
After talking to Adela, we arranged to join her for a ceremony on the next day, January 4, 2014
This is me sitting with Adela, prior to that ceremony.
Judy, preparing for the ceremony.
Adela, enjoying a rest before the ceremony.
Me annd Bobby-bear sitting in our ceremony space. Adela’s ceremonial maloca is near the airport. When planes land and takeoff, the energetic vibrations are intense.
This little chicken spent the night just a few feet from where I was sitting. At first I was nervous about having the chicken so close, but she didn’t make any noise all night long.
A closer view of my little friend under the stairs.
On the morning of Jan 5, Judy and I took a mototaxi back to the center of Iquitos. I spent most of the day just resting and sleeping. It was an intense ceremony and I was still integrating and processing all day.
On Jan 6, I met Judy at Ari’s Burger and had a delightful visit with a new friend (Patricia) from Chile. She treated us to lunch and then gave us a brief tour of the market. Later that evening, Judy and I met up with another of her friends. It was a long day.
Tomorrow, Judy will fly home, and I will begin yet another adventure.
Ron Wheelock
Tuesday morning, January 7, 2014, I met Judy at her hotel and we shared a mototaxi that first dropped her off at the airport for her journey home.
After that, the driver (Ciro) took me out to kilometer 23 of the Nauta highway. Together we found the way to another retreat center — one owned and operated by Ron Wheelock. Some people refer to him as the gringo shaman.
These next 63 photos document what turns out to be a four-day / three night adventure out in the wilds of the jungle.
A view along the highway as we head away from Iquitos.
Continuing the journey. We have about 15 more kilometers to go more.
These little buses run back and forth, carrying passengers to smaller villages and towns outside of Iquitos.
We are about to pass those little fruit stands on the left, behind the mototaxi.
Looking down one of many rural roads that diverge from the main highway.
Typical buildings along the highway as we make our way further into the countryside.
The highway itself.
A blurry photo as we whiz by the side of the road. For a mototaxi, we are going very fast. I had to wear sunglasses to keep the wind and dust particles out of my eyes.
Some of the beautiful country in this part of the world.
More scenery along the road.
I love the dark greens in this photo. We are headed out to kilometer marker number 23. Neither my driver (Ciro) nor I have been here before, but he trusts that he can find our destination.
Just before kilometer 23, this road turns off to the left. Our instructions tell us to turn here.
Cruising down the sandy road in the mototaxi.
Ten minutes later, with almost no trouble, we find Ron Wheelocks albergue (ceremonial camp). He tells me I will be sleeping in the large bunkhouse. That is my bed (with the white mosquito net), second from the end.
This is the front entrance to the bunk house. It is two stories. Five people slept upstairs. Another couple shared the downstairs with me.
This is the area where we hung out the most. In the far background is the ceremonial maloca. On the left is a house used by the staff. On the left (not seen in the photo) is a kitchen and a common dining room. During the day (and mostly at night) there were hardly any mosquitoes.
This is the dining room. All of the buildings were thoroughly screened to prevent mosquitoes and other bugs from entering.
This is the ceremonial maloca (place where ceremonies are held).
Inside the maloca. Ron prefers a clay floor and chairs for people to sit in. I sat in the white char at the center.
That is Ron’s alter on the left, and yes, that is a gong in the center of the room. Ron would play the gong for a while in every ceremony.
Wow, talk about an intense energetic experience. When that gong was playing I had no idea what to expect next …
Bathroom by the maloca. Two pit toilets with a drop down cloth for privacy.
Beautiful Carola. She was quite the character. If she got into the kitchen area she could be quite the nusance.
Chickens and roosters ran wild and free here.
Two new friends … Julie and Violeta (white hair).
Ron Wheelock.
Me, in the kitchen with Violeta (center) and Julie (right).
It rained quite a lot here, and when it did, the road was very muddy. At night, it was not fun walking in the rain and mud out to the outhouse.
After the ceremony on January 7, 2014, I decided to stay two extra days so that I could do a second ceremony on January 9. The night of January 8 was especially rainy.
On the morning of January 9, I found these chickens all sunning themselves on the back of a bench.
I loved this beautiful plant growing in an old stump.
Andres (kneeling) talking to two of the local people who work/live here.
A beautiful variety of plants grow from the bark of this and other trees.
Believe it or not, this is a huge cluster of caterpillars. The worker here told us that they were venemous. They would not kill us, but touching them would cause us to be in a lot of pain.
They are growing in an intricate design on the side of this treey, next to the dining room area.
If you enlarge the photo and look closely, you can see that this is actually hundreds of spiny caterpillars.
Family of some of the workers that help here.
Back to the caterpillars. Sorry, I was obsessed by their beauty. You can see them better in this photo.
Another new friend, Marianna, loved to play and draw with the children. The young man on the left was extremely talkative, trying to learn English, and loved to hang out with us.
Looking inside the small kitchen area.
A visiting cricket, hanging out on the mosquito mesh.
On the morning of January 9, 2014, we all went for a hike. We ended up walking out to the highway. It took us about 45 minutes each way.
Looking into the bushes. In the photo are Andres (foreground), Yevin (left), Jason (behind Andres), Violeta (her white hair), and Marianna (back right).
Some interesting plants that caught my eye. I love their texture.
Between Ron’s camp and the highway, there is a large chicken farm. We took a look inside one of the huge structures.
It appears that the chicken farm workers and their families live in these huts. Each has a grass roof, and the walls appear to be some type of plastic gunny-sack material.
Looking back at the huts. People, left to right, are: Andres, Marianna, Violeta, Yevin, Leni, and Jason.
More buildings from the chicken farm. There are many similar chicken farms along the main highway.
I walked on ahead for a while. This photo is looking back at those who are still back behind. For whatever reason, today I was craving quiet alone time, and I really didn’t have much of it.
The sign at the chicken farm. It reads “Welcome to the farm R-24”
By the sign was an unmanned reception booth.
Interesting flowers along the way.
Looking ahead at the rest of the group (in the distance). Here, I am lagging behind, still craving silence. They were all very fun to be around, but they were talking constantly and I wanted to hear the sounds of nature.
As we reached the main highway, this hotel/pool complex came into view.
This is a sign that was across the highway, opposite the side road that we were on. It appears to map out a conservation reserve of some sort.
After another intense ceremony on Thursday evening, I spent Friday morning, January 10, mostly sleeping and resting. After a while, I got up and enjoyed visiting with my new friends.
This is Marianna playing with Carola.
Me, holding Carola on my arm.
More playing with Carola.
And one more of my new friend. We wore matching colors for the photo shoot.
For a while, we got a soccer match going with some of the locals. I played a little bit but got tired very fast and decide to sit it out.
Carola says “Ola”. She really does.
In the late afternoon, we took group photos with the participants and the workers.
It is amazing how close you can get to people after just a few days.
This is the end of my photos for Iquitos. Today is Tuesday January 14, 2014. In just over three days I will be embarking on another adventure — a three month retreat in the jungle. I will be taking many photos at that retreat, as long as my batteries hold out. There will be no electricity or internet there.
I am going to try to write a blog entry in the next two days, summarizing my amazing growth experiences of the last month. After that, I will disappear from the electrical grid until April 16, 2014.
Copyright © 2014 by Brenda Larsen, All Rights Reserved