After dinner at 7:30, the group met in the Maloca for the Nu-Nu (pronounced ‘new-new’) ceremony. The shaman for this ceremony, Johnny, translated by Tamara, walked us through the process. Nu-nu is a finely ground snuff of five jungle plants: mapacho (jungle tobacco), cacao, cocoa, a certain tree bark, and another Amazonian plant which I didn’t write down. … Read more
Arrivals – Part II
Upon arrival we gathered our things, then met the facilitators for our stay at the retreat center: Ian, Tamara, and Sylvia.
- Ian: The first thing you notice about Ian is his stature. Dude is a beast at about 6’3” and 230lbs of muscle.
Arrivals – Part I
My first impression of Iquitos was, “Wow, welcome to the third world.” Iquitos is in the Northwest of Peru, deep in the Amazon, only accessible by plane or boat. Therefore, there are few cars in the city and transportation is instead dominated by moto-taxis (aka tuk-tuks, rickshaws) and motorcycles. … Read more
Departures – Part II
My mind was in the right place and my heart content.
The first destination on my journey was a seven day ayahuasca retreat deep in the Amazon jungle run by Pulse Adventure Tours. This required me to meet up with the tour group in the jungle city of Iquitos, Peru.… Read more
Departures – Part 1
After years of dreaming about open ended long-term travel, the day arrived—Monday, May 23rd, 2016.
This trip would mark a huge change in my life. I was leaving all that was familiar and stepping into the void.
The lease on my car ended April 8th and I turned in my car at the dealership. … Read more