From Peru to Ecuador

Little did I know that a simple email would change my life. So my three months visa was coming to an end in Argentina and I needed to decide where to go. I was talking to my friend Katherine, whom I met at the Eco Yoga Farm about traveling to Bolivia together. Than I received an email from my friend, Patricia. Patricia is the most loving and sweet woman ever. We worked together at the Crisis Center. She is from Peru and wrote that she would be coming to Peru to spend time with her family and would love for me to join her. I decided to head to Peru and meet up with Katherine later. So I took the 3 day bus to head into Lima. It was a long, but nice ride. I guess after 3 days you really get to know people who are around you. By the end of the trip many of us exchanged email addresses and I was invited to visit them while in Peru. I arrived to the home of Patricia´s family and what a wonderful family she had. They treated me like I was there daughter. Very loving, caring and fun. Despite the language barrier we got along very well and was able to work together smoothly. Her parents and sisters did not speak English, but her brothers did. I spoke a little Spanish at the time. It was nice spending time, sharing, cooking with, and learning about Peru from the Rosales´. I got to meditate and share reiki with her family. We also enjoyed Salsa dancing and traveling throughout the country. We went to beautiful Caraz, which had had breathtaking mountains and hiking. We went to the magical energetic center of the country, Macchu Picchu. Enjoyed Pachamancha, food cooked under the ground with vocanic rocks. Most of all we laughed, shared, learned, and loved each other. It was nice after traveling for 6 months on my own to now be with a loving family that I could call my own. I continue to keep in touch with my new family who welcomes me whenever I return to Lima. We went to Cusco for a five day trip, but whilst in Cusco I had the feeling of needing to stay. It was difficult because I traveled with my family and was enjoying my time there so I had thoughts of going back to Lima with them and just returning to Cusco later but something inside me said I had to stay then. So as hard as it was I said my goodbyes while they returned to Lima and I stayed in Cusco by myself. I didn´t know where I would go or what I would do but I had the feeling I needed to stay. As we traveled I learned about a medicine plant, San Pedro. Patricia and I had spoke to a Shaman at the Shaman Shop, in Cusco. He was recommended by someone at the Hospedaje we were staying at. We spoke to him about the ceremonies, but after having a Coca leaf reading by him I was sure about doing a ceremony with him. I still wasn´t sure if I wanted to try San Pedro. I remembered about the Casa de La Gringa, a guy from my Hostal in Buenos Aires recommended. So I went there and later decided to do the San Pedro. (You can read more about this in my last blog, San Pedro) This changed the course of my trip. Now my three month visa was ending again and I needed to leave Peru. I ended up staying in Cusco for almost 2 months. A 5 day trip turned into a 2 month self work intense retreat. I knew I needed a mental break after doing work with S.P. and constantly speaking of what I need to change with my friend, David. At the same time I received an email that another friend, Susanna, from home was returning to Ecuador to live. Susanna and I met at Won Buddhist temple. Another wonderful lady I have been blessed to meet. So I decided to head North and go to the beaches in North Peru and Southern Ecuador then head to Quito to meet Susanna. I asked David to join me. I thought he might enjoy a break as well at the beach. So, he decided the join me. We first headed to Trujillo. Stayed in a little beach town just outside of Trujillo. It was beautiful and comfortable. Almost no tourists there, so it was nice and quiet. It was too cold to swim but we were able to enjoy walks on the beach and touring the city. We visited the pyramids, Huaca de Sol, and Huaca de Luna. Then we headed to Mancora. Mancora was just as beautiful but a little more crowded. It was more sunny here so we were able to enjoy swimming and watching all the surfers. They had regular and kite surfing. This was the first time I had heard of kite surfing so it was nice to see the people on the surfboard being driven by a huge kite. I wanted to learn, but it was a 3 day course for over $200. I felt like that money could be more wisely used for food and shelter. We first stayed in a nice Hostal a little further down the beach and then later decided to spend a tiny bit more to have a hotel on the beach. So we left Angeles Hotel to head to Pink Parrot. Pink Parrot was beautiful. They had the beach chairs that we could lay out on and read, relax, or just people watch. From here David decided to travel with me to Ecuador. We stopped in Guayaquil for a night then went to Montañita beach. There we were blessed to meet Maider. We happened to be walking to look for a Hostel to stay and saw here place. She is also a Reiki Practitioner. So we stopped and spoke to her for about 2 hours. She told us of a Ayahuasca ceremony that her and Jorge would be having. I was excited and at the same time scared. I have always heard that Ayahuasca was stronger than San Pedro and it really makes you face your fears. The plant is a medicine and works on what you need. It forces you to see yourself. So now I am on a working vacation. We were able to enjoy Montañita. It was much like Mancora. At the same time do more work. We both decided to do the ceremony which meant we would have to stay for at least a week there. It was a wonderful ceremony. They had everyone roll sacred pure tobacco in paper, while putting our intention of what we want to work on inside. Everything was done with intention and purpose. We then had to sniff tobacco water to clear our third eye and prepare us for the ceremony. After we smoked the tobacco while praying. After shared a prayer we then drank the sacred plant. Of course, it was not a pleasant taste, but who says medicine should be pleasant. People have different experiences on the medicine. Some people see their deepest fears, some see the beauty of life, I saw an angel give me something. I couldn´t see what it was for some reason, but I was given something. I asked what it was and was told when I was ready I will know what it was. I can´t wait to find out, and am doing the work I need to be ready. After a few hours we then went into the Temascal (sweat lodge). We had to crawl in and at the end crawl to the door then stand to walk out. This is because the Temascal is the womb of the earth and symbolizes a rebirthing. The whole experience can not be beautifully described by me in words right now. Maider told us of a place to go in Agua Blanca and Peguche. She also told me about a few ceremonies and a vision quest. So we went to Agua Blanca and enjoyed a limpieza. A cleaning with plants. We also enjoyed bathing in the sulfur lake. We decided we would go visit Peguche when we go to Quito since it was just outside of Quito. En route to Quito we stopped in Canoa to visit yet another beach town. This was smaller than Trujillo and we had to take a bus, than boat to get there. The boat ride was nice and Canoa was a nice little town to visit. We made it to Quito just in time to go to the All Soul´s ceremony that Maider told us about. I invited Susanna to go. She was skeptical because we would drink Ayahuasca and she like most people who do not know what it is assumes that it is a drug. I include myself in that. When I first heard of Ayahuasca and San Pedro I thought they were like drugs and that they alter your mind. But they don´t. Susanna decided to join us and was thankful she did. We lit the sacred tobacco said our prayers and drank. This was a sacred fire and dance ceremony so we later danced. We danced and sang for hours and drank more. The energy felt amazing. We all felt connected to everyone and to this beautiful earth of ours. I could let go of any fears and just be. Not worry about anything or anyone. My true self was free to just be. We could dance away any fears or anxieties or anything holding us back. They had the women together and then the men together. We would skip in a line then break the line and free dance. I could hear the sacred drumming in the background and I felt connected to the music. I could feel the happiness in my heart and life in my body. Susanna felt the same. She loved every moment of it. David as well was able to let go and get in touch with dancing. We all felt thankful for this experience. Then we had a wonderful week staying and sharing with Susanna. We learned more about Ecuador and enjoyed wonderful Ecuadorian food. We were able to do some sight seeing at La Ronda and throughout the city. While in Quito it was nice to meet up with Suzanne, my friend from the eco yoga park in Argentina. We were able to catch up and spend some time together. Then we headed to Peguche. We met Geovanny and Maike. Geovanny is a Shaman and Maike does Reiki. We told them how we met Maider and Jorge and that they referred us there. We didn´t do a ceremony there but spoke to them about the Vision Quest. They really spoke of the beauty of it in Columbia. A vision quest is a 4 day meditation around sacred fire in the forest, where you don´t eat or drink for the whole time. Here you work on growing spiritually and finding your life´s direction. Then you begin to work on apprenticing to be a medicine person. You must commit to doing the 7,9, and 13 day vision quest after the first one. They are all a year apart. So this is a big commitment that I will soon undergo. They have 2 in S. America during January. One in Ecuador and one in Columbia. Since my 3 months is almost ending and it would be nice to see Columbia I am deciding to do it there. As for now, we left Quito, went to Tena, the jungle and am now at Vrindavan, another Eco Yoga Park outside of Baños. It has been beautiful chanting again, meditating by the river, doing yoga, and doing volunteer work to help the community. We took a break to visit Baños yesterday and today to see the active volcano and finally blog. So, I left Argentina not knowing that I would learn of San Pedro and Ayahuasca and meet such wonderful people along the way. My biggest lesson in all of this is to always speak from the heart and have every action come from love or from the heart.