October 21, 2011
Friday morning I get up and head out for coffee and breakfast. I go to the main plaza near where my young boat operator yesterday had told me I could catch a bus to Quistococha zoo for 1 sole. As I am waiting there the young boat operator walks up to me and I am shocked to see him there but he tells me he goes to school here for computers. As I am just chilling out in the main plaza another guy walks by and then starts talking to me in english. He tells me he sells souvenirs like necklaces or drives people around in his motorcycle taxi to make a living and I tell him I have seen everything in Iquitos that I was interested in and now just waiting for the bus to go to the Quistococha zoo.
He introduces himself and his name is "Hi-me" (the english pronounciation) and we talk a bit and I tell him I tried ayahuasca and he offers to take me to see some ayahuasca stuff and I tell him I have already been to Belen market but he offers to drive me there for free on his motor scooter. He tells me he knows a place there that sells better ayahuasca in powdered form and he answers all my questions about it and also about that stuff we drank on Monday night that tasted like gasoline. He tells me that was "Camalo Grau" which comes from a natural plant that many take before drinking ayahuasca but it not necessary (which I already knew).
We head down to Belen market to the shaman/healing alley that sells all types of medicines etc... Ayahuasca is not sitting on their shelves so you have to ask for it and they bring it from the back for you. He brings me to the very first booth in this alley and has the woman show me the powdered version of ayahuasca with the vine and chacruna leaves grounded into a powder and you fill half your glass full of the stuff and then the other half with hot water and stir (Instant ayahuasca!!). It is 80 soles for the big bag so I decide to purchase it and I buy some coco leaves for 5 soles. They sell coco leaves in powder form as well for 40 soles. Because I live in Canada he tells the guy at the back to put a different label on it so I can get it back to Canada when I go through Canadian customs which they easily do. I ask about that stuff we drank on Monday (before the ayahuasca drink) that tasted like menthol or gasoline and she shows me a bottle of it and then shows me a nut that looks like an acorn saying that is where it comes from and that it is natural. I find it hard to believe that something so harsh can come from this nut so she allows me to take a sip from the bottle which is the exact same stuff as I gasp and choke and have the memories of Monday night in that pitch dark room chugging nasty tasting drinks in the dark. She thinks I am interested in buying it and I say "NO ME GUSTA!!!" and they both laugh. Afterwards he puts me on the right bus that goes to the zoo and says he will pick me up to go to the airport at 6:30am on Monday morning.
After receiving an email of concern from my mother about ayahuasca thinking that maybe it is like Crystal meth or PCP or anything hard core it is not. It is just a natural medicine consisting of 2 incredients that I have already mentioned in a previous post. Beside tasting horrible and agitating your stomach a little is the side effect but you are fully alert and normal but when you close your eyes you get vivid visions like in a dream and sometimes you can see detailed images in your walls when your eyes are open and focusing your vision but it is NOT bad for you like alcohol, marijuana or other substances. I hope people understand that.
I go to Quistococha zoo and see pretty much everything I have already seen the previous few days on those islands along the Amazon river except for a dolphin, some big iguanas, and some other strange animal at the zoo.
Friday morning I get up and head out for coffee and breakfast. I go to the main plaza near where my young boat operator yesterday had told me I could catch a bus to Quistococha zoo for 1 sole. As I am waiting there the young boat operator walks up to me and I am shocked to see him there but he tells me he goes to school here for computers. As I am just chilling out in the main plaza another guy walks by and then starts talking to me in english. He tells me he sells souvenirs like necklaces or drives people around in his motorcycle taxi to make a living and I tell him I have seen everything in Iquitos that I was interested in and now just waiting for the bus to go to the Quistococha zoo.
He introduces himself and his name is "Hi-me" (the english pronounciation) and we talk a bit and I tell him I tried ayahuasca and he offers to take me to see some ayahuasca stuff and I tell him I have already been to Belen market but he offers to drive me there for free on his motor scooter. He tells me he knows a place there that sells better ayahuasca in powdered form and he answers all my questions about it and also about that stuff we drank on Monday night that tasted like gasoline. He tells me that was "Camalo Grau" which comes from a natural plant that many take before drinking ayahuasca but it not necessary (which I already knew).
We head down to Belen market to the shaman/healing alley that sells all types of medicines etc... Ayahuasca is not sitting on their shelves so you have to ask for it and they bring it from the back for you. He brings me to the very first booth in this alley and has the woman show me the powdered version of ayahuasca with the vine and chacruna leaves grounded into a powder and you fill half your glass full of the stuff and then the other half with hot water and stir (Instant ayahuasca!!). It is 80 soles for the big bag so I decide to purchase it and I buy some coco leaves for 5 soles. They sell coco leaves in powder form as well for 40 soles. Because I live in Canada he tells the guy at the back to put a different label on it so I can get it back to Canada when I go through Canadian customs which they easily do. I ask about that stuff we drank on Monday (before the ayahuasca drink) that tasted like menthol or gasoline and she shows me a bottle of it and then shows me a nut that looks like an acorn saying that is where it comes from and that it is natural. I find it hard to believe that something so harsh can come from this nut so she allows me to take a sip from the bottle which is the exact same stuff as I gasp and choke and have the memories of Monday night in that pitch dark room chugging nasty tasting drinks in the dark. She thinks I am interested in buying it and I say "NO ME GUSTA!!!" and they both laugh. Afterwards he puts me on the right bus that goes to the zoo and says he will pick me up to go to the airport at 6:30am on Monday morning.
After receiving an email of concern from my mother about ayahuasca thinking that maybe it is like Crystal meth or PCP or anything hard core it is not. It is just a natural medicine consisting of 2 incredients that I have already mentioned in a previous post. Beside tasting horrible and agitating your stomach a little is the side effect but you are fully alert and normal but when you close your eyes you get vivid visions like in a dream and sometimes you can see detailed images in your walls when your eyes are open and focusing your vision but it is NOT bad for you like alcohol, marijuana or other substances. I hope people understand that.
I go to Quistococha zoo and see pretty much everything I have already seen the previous few days on those islands along the Amazon river except for a dolphin, some big iguanas, and some other strange animal at the zoo.
